About EURCAW
The establishment of Animal Welfare Reference Centres is laid down in the Official Controls Regulation (Articles 95 & 96). In 2018 the Commission designated a first European Union Reference Centre for Animal Welfare.
This first Centre entitled EURCAW-Pigs focusses on pig welfare since improving the enforcement of the legislation of pigs is one of the Commission's priorities in the area of animal welfare. EURCAW-Pigs provides scientific and technical knowledge to Competent Authorities of EU member states and their support bodies (science, training, communication), for the official controls on pig welfare requirements laid down in the European pig welfare legislation.
The partners in the consortium have extensive experience at national level in providing advice to their respective ministries on animal welfare related topics. They are also recognised as internationally leading institutes on animal welfare issues. Each partner has a relatively small team of 3-4 key staff who work in the Centre, and a much larger group of animal welfare experts from their own and affiliated institutes which they can call upon for additional support. Wageningen Livestock Research is the overall coordinator.
EURCAW-Pigs has 5 main areas of activity, described in detail in its Work Programme 2019-2020: 1. coordinated assistance, 2. welfare indicators to improve compliance, 3. science & technology needs, 4. training and 5. dissemination.
Key staff of EURCAW-Pigs
EURCAW-Pigs staff can be contacted via the email info.pigs@eurcaw.eu
Coordination

Hans Spoolder (WLR, NL)
Senior Scientist in applied ethology
Keytasks EURCAW: EURCAW-Pigs director & coordinator

Lars Schrader (FLI, DE)
Professor in Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry
Keytask EURCAW: Scientific coordinator

Jan Tind Sorensen (AU, DK)
Professor in herd management
Keytask EURCAW: Training coordinator

Marko Ruis (WLR, NL)
Scientist, trainer and lecturer animal welfare
Keytask EURCAW: Dissemination & communication coordinator
Staff

Inger Anneberg (AU, DK)
Social and cultural anthropology scientist
Keytask EURCAW: Training, communication

Marc Bracke (WLR, NL)
Animal welfare scientist
Keytask EURCAW: Science

Mette S. Herskin (AU, DK)
Animal welfare scientist
Keytask EURCAW: Science, animal transport
Bas Kemp (WU, NL)

Hanne Kongsted (AU, DK)
Scientist pig welfare and herd health management
Key task: Science

Michael Marahrens (FLI, DE)
Animal welfare scientist and consultant
Keytask EURCAW: Science, training

Katy Overstreet (AU, DK)
Cultural anthropologist and postdoctoral researcher in animal science
EURCAW key tasks: communication and strategies for change

Antonia Patt (FLI, DE)
Animal welfare scientist
Keytask EURCAW: Science, dissemination

Lene Juul Pedersen (AU, DK)
Professor in Animal Welfare and precision livestock farming
Keytask EURCAW: Science, training
Bas Rodenburg (UU, NL)