Legislation

Publication related to the legislation

 

Enforcement tools

Ministry in the Government responsible of animal welfare issues

Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries 

 

Structure in the government

There is a Special comittee under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries which considers drafts of new EU-legislation as well as draft recommendations from the Council of Europe. The members of this committee consist of agricultural organisations representing producers, research institutes, animal welfare societies and relevant ministries. The member organisations are expected to inform their members when new legislation has been adopted.

There are also 3 Animal Welfare councils established under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, warranted by the Act on the Protection of Animals. 

  • The Animal Welfare Council,
  • the Ethical Council for Animals,
  • the Council concerning the Keeping of certain Animals (e.g. exotic animals) 

 

The Danish Centre for Animal Welfare (DCAW)

DCAW was initiated in January 2010. DCAW is located at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration but is a collaborative initiative bringing together animal welfare experts from the authorities as well as from Copenhagen and Aarhus universities.

DCAW contributes to improving animal welfare by:

  • Communicating animal welfare knowledge to relevant stakeholders such as farmers, politicians, veterinarians, researchers, pet owners, etc.

  • Initiating and supporting animal welfare research.

  • Presenting an overview of animal welfare-related data from authorities, from the farming industry and from research.

  • Comparing Danish animal welfare data and legislation to that of other European countries