Outreach, society, policy

The European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare: Development of a EU Knowledge Platform to monitor animal welfare

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Abstract

The European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUP AH&W) is a large-scale research and innovation initiative that is co-funded by the European Commission (HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01) and aims to improve animal welfare (AW) and health. Using the One Health and One Welfare approach, the Partnership aligns with the Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and EU monitoring initiatives. The Partnership consists of 90 organizations (funding agencies, ministries, and research-performing institutions) across 24 countries. Seventeen 3-year internal research projects (IRPs) have been implemented since January 2024. The goal of one of these IRP (Specific Objective Action 9) is to create a platform for collecting, harmonizing, analyzing, and sharing AW data throughout the supply chain. Based on the five domains definition, AW refers to an animal's physical and mental well-being throughout its life and death. Animals have good welfare when safe, healthy, and well-nourished, avoiding negative mental states like pain or fear while performing natural behaviors. Platform development (2024-2027) is structured around four main components: (i) establishing a stakeholder network and systematically assessing expectations and concerns related to data provision and exchange (Task 1); (ii) compiling and critically reviewing AW indicators, protocols, and tools from existing national and EU databases (Task 2); (iii) harmonizing the various protocols to facilitate data comparison within the platform and (iv) developing the platform through a mapping of current systems, ensuring FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse) data standards, and piloting the system with selected animal-based measures (ABMs) (Task 3). In Tasks 2 and 4 of SOA9, researchers systematically reviewed previous scientific literature, databases, and monitoring protocols before selecting and harmonizing the ABMs for inclusion in the platform. Selected ABMs will be evaluated by farmers through a series of case studies scheduled for 2026. Additionally, we are developing an AW glossary to standardize terminology and communication across all partners (by December 2026). The Knowledge Platform aims to facilitate the integration, interpretation, and sharing of AW data and information for different stakeholders. Sustained engagement of data providers and alignment with their expectations remains a key challenge for successful implementation.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Marchitelli, C., Zemzmi, J., Iannetti, L., Baldacchini, L., Milazzo, M., Caro, E., Ashe, S., Van der Stede, Y., Michel, V., Girardie, O., Martin-Valls, G., Llonch, P., Salazar, L., Krogh, M., Johansen, F., Boyle, L., Reverte, C. & Velarde, A., (2026) “The European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare: Development of a EU Knowledge Platform to monitor animal welfare”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2286581. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24056

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