Welfare indicators addressing eight prioritized welfare areas are described. These can be used by inspectors to identify potential or existing welfare problems and to verify compliance with EU legislation.

The main source of information is the Welfare Quality® protocol for pigs, as most of its indicators have already been evaluated with respect to their validity, reliability and feasibility. However, several other schemes were also checked for relevant indicators.

For each indicator, a factsheet is developed which describes the underlying welfare concern, the legal requirements, and a suggested inspection and scoring method.