HaDEA signs a grant agreement with PigStun consortium for the development of non-aversive stunning methods for pigs

HaDEA has signed a grant agreement under the Single Market Programme – Food strand, with the aim to improve pig welfare.

In 2022, the Agency launched a call for proposals on the development of non-aversive stunning* methods for pigs as part of a preparatory action launched by the European Parliament to collect information on the impacts of animal-friendly alternatives.

The beneficiary of the grant, the PigStun consortium, composes beneficiaries and associated partners from The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Spain, including academic research partners, developers of slaughterhouse equipment and five pig slaughter companies.

The consortium will develop non-aversive stunning methods for pigs with the objective to encourage EU pig slaughterhouses that use high carbon dioxide concentration to adopt more animal-friendly alternatives.

Background information

The EU Single Market Programme brings together the Union actions in the fields of competitiveness of enterprises, especially SMEs, consumer protection, customers and end-users in financial services, policymaking in financial services and in the plant, animal, food and feed areas.

The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal. It aims at making food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly.

Preparatory actions of the European Parliament aim at testing new policy initiatives or testing the ground before the adoption of future measures. This preparatory action will conclude with a comparative analysis of the alternatives investigated from both an animal welfare and socioeconomic point of view.

* Stunning is the process of rendering animals unconscious before slaughtering.