Animal welfare and international trade

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• International Trade Law
• Animal Welfare Science

Background:

• Globalisation drives significant changes in international trade, particularly for animals and animal products.
• There is a growing global emphasis on animal welfare, prompting international standard development.
• The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) prioritized animal welfare standard-setting in its 2001-2005 Strategic Plan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the implementation of OIE animal welfare guidelines within international trade frameworks.
• To assess the role of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and voluntary codes in promoting animal welfare standards.
• To analyze factors influencing the progressive acceptance of international animal welfare guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Review of OIE's scientific approach to standard-setting.
• Analysis of potential integration of OIE guidelines within WTO provisions.
• Examination of voluntary codes of conduct, bilateral/multilateral agreements, and product labelling.

Main Results:

• The OIE's scientific approach facilitates the development and acceptance of animal welfare guidelines by member countries.
• Implementation is feasible through WTO agreements and voluntary codes.
• Even without explicit WTO coverage, other mechanisms promote OIE guideline acceptance.

Conclusions:

• International animal welfare standards are achievable through a combination of regulatory and voluntary measures.
• Consumer demand and production benefits are key drivers for evolving animal welfare consciousness.
• Progressive acceptance of OIE guidelines is expected through diverse implementation pathways.