Government Decision No. HG369/2015 validating the Sanitary-Veterinary norm regarding the protection of animals at the time of slaughtering.

This Government Decision applies to the slaughtering of vertebrate animals (excluding reptiles and amphibians) kept for the production of food, wool, skin, fur or other products, as well as to slaughtering for depopulation and related operations. It defines its scope and exclusions, including certain cases of private slaughter for personal consumption, small-scale on-farm slaughter of poultry and rabbits, scientific experiments, hunting, sport fishing, cultural or sporting events, and emergency slaughtering where compliance would pose serious risks to human health or safety. It provides detailed definitions of key terms such as stunning, simple stunning, slaughter, depopulation, emergency slaughtering and related operations. The Norm establishes general requirements to protect animals from avoidable pain, distress or suffering during slaughtering and related operations, and obliges operators to ensure appropriate handling, housing, protection from injury, and avoidance of prolonged deprivation of food or water. It sets out permitted stunning methods and technical parameters, including mechanical, electrical and gas methods, and prescribes that loss of consciousness and sensibility must be maintained until death. Specific provisions regulate simple stunning and the immediate application of killing procedures (bleeding, spinalization, electrocution or prolonged anoxia). Annex 1 lists stunning methods and key parameters; Annex 2 sets minimum current levels for water-bath stunning of poultry; Annex 3 links slaughter operations to competence examination topics. The Norm also regulates verification of stunning effectiveness, standard operating procedures, training and certification of competence, and manufacturers’ instructions and maintenance records for stunning and restraining equipment. Additional requirements apply to slaughterhouses regarding design, construction and equipment of lairage, handling facilities, restraining systems, electrical and gas stunning equipment, and maximum capacities. Operational rules cover unloading, lairage, feeding, watering, handling, use of electric goads, tying, treatment of non-ambulatory animals, bleeding procedures, and special provisions for religious slaughter. Slaughterhouses must implement monitoring procedures for stunning, designate an animal welfare officer with defined responsibilities and record-keeping duties, and apply conversion coefficients for determining the need for such officers. The Norm further regulates depopulation operations under the responsibility of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), including planning, reporting and possible derogations in exceptional situations, and sets rules for emergency killing by animal keepers. It provides for independent scientific support to ANSA, and establishes non-compliance and sanction mechanisms, including modification of standard procedures, adjustment of monitoring, suspension or withdrawal of competence certificates and delegated powers, and revision of equipment instructions. Operators must prepare modernization plans for their units and may request assistance to meet the objectives within set deadlines.