C25 | Animal welfare in the global market: the European Union's impetus and the central role of veterinarians

F.E. Celentano¹, M.M. Dimuccio¹, P. De Marzo¹, A. Dambrosio¹, G. Bozzo¹. | Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Dip. di Medicina Veterinaria.

Purpose. To analyse how the European Union is integrating animal welfare into trade and agri-food policies and how this gives veterinary hygienists a central technical and institutional role. The paper highlights the link between legal developments, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and consumer ethical demands in an increasingly globalised market. Methods. Interdisciplinary study of primary and secondary European Union legislation, European and international case law, free trade agreements with third countries and World Trade Organisation (WTO) acts. The following were examined: Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), EU judgments on ritual slaughter, the WTO dispute “European Community – Seal Products” and negotiation texts, including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Mercosur Association Agreement. The material covered by the study was assessed in light of the role of veterinarians throughout the production chain. Results. The principle of “sentient being” in Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has prompted the EU to make access to its market subject to minimum animal welfare standards, already referred to – albeit in general terms – in most agreements with third countries. The rulings on ritual slaughter show how these requirements represent a test bed for the pro-welfare system under development, imposing a balance between religious freedom (and human rights) and animal protection. At the multilateral level, the WTO dispute over seal products – the first precedent, more than ten years ago, to recognise public morality as an ethical justification for trade restrictions – shows that we are on a slow but steadily consolidating path. At the same time, European consumers reward companies that integrate CSR: this pressure transforms animal welfare into a competitive advantage and pushes Brussels to strengthen controls, labelling and negotiating clauses. Conclusions. The European Union acts as a global regulatory engine, transforming an ethical value into a health, hygiene and economic parameter. Thanks to their scientific and legal expertise, veterinary hygienists are becoming the operational cornerstone of a governance system that combines animal welfare, food safety and sustainable trade in the international market.