The Greek Agriculture Minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, announced the upcoming opening of the first specialized European Reference Centre for aquatic animals on the island of Crete after a meeting with EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyraikides.
Avgenakis and Kyriakides convened during a two-day assembly of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers held in Luxembourg at the start of the week (October 23-24).
Following their meeting, they jointly revealed that the University of Crete had been designated as the host for an EU reference centre focused on aquatic animal welfare, marking it as the first of its kind in the EU and specialized in aquatic animal issues, according to Kyriakides.
These centres provide technical support and coordinated assistance to EU countries, focusing on carrying out official controls related to animal welfare. They are established in line with the official controls regulation.
To date, three other EU reference centres have been established to address the welfare of pigs, poultry, small-farmed animals, ruminants, and equines.
The establishment of this centre at the University of Crete represents a significant achievement and further promotes the country's international outreach and development potential, as stated by Minister Avgenakis in an official statement.
Additionally, he emphasized that this major project would contribute to establishing new centres and creating new jobs in the region, providing valuable support to local producers with advanced knowledge and tools.
The Reference Centre will function as a consortium led by the University of Crete, with additional involvement from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague and the University of Barcelona.
According to the minister, the establishment of this Center will not only provide expertise to producers in Greece and the wider EU but also offer valuable insights for policymaking at the European Commission.
Furthermore, the Greek Ministry aspires to bolster its position and reputation as a European academic hub, with the University of Crete focusing on advancing scientific research in aquatic animal welfare, environmental protection, improved water management, and contributing to biodiversity conservation.
This announcement comes at a time when animal welfare policymaking is facing challenges. The anticipated overhaul of EU animal welfare rules, originally expected to be unveiled by the end of the year, is conspicuously absent from the Commission's 2024 working program.
However, it was confirmed by Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, responsible for the Green Deal, that the protection of animals during transport, one of the four proposals in the animal welfare package, will be addressed by the end of 2023.
