Article 7

1.

Preferably before 1 January 2005 and in any event by 1 July 2005, the Commission shall submit to the Council a report, drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority. The report shall be drawn up taking into account the socioeconomic consequences, the sanitary consequences, the environmental effects and different climatic conditions. It shall also take into account the development of techniques and systems of pig production and meat processing which would be likely to reduce the need to resort to surgical castration. If need be, the report shall be accompanied by appropriate legislative proposals on the effects of different space allowances and floor types applicable to the welfare of weaners and rearing pigs.

2.

Not later than 1 January 2008 the Commission shall submit to the Council a report, drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority.

The report shall cover in particular:

(a)

the effects of stocking density, including group size and methods of grouping the animals, in different farming systems on the welfare, including health, of pigs;

(b)

the impact of stall design and different flooring types on the welfare, including health, of pigs, taking into account different climatic conditions;

(c)

the risk factors associated with tail-biting and recommendations to reduce the need for tail-docking;

(d)

further developments of group-housing systems for pregnant sows, taking account both of pathological, zootechnical, physiological and ethological aspects of the various systems and of their health and environmental impact and of the different climatic conditions;

(e)

the determination of space requirements, including the service area for individually housed adult breeding boars;

(f)

further developments of loose-house systems for sows in the service area and for farrowing sows which meet the needs of the sow without compromising piglet survival;

(g)

consumers’ attitudes and behaviour towards pigmeat in the event of different levels of improvement in the welfare of the animals;

(h)

socioeconomic implications of the various systems of rearing pigs and their effects on the Community’s economic partners.

The report may, if necessary, be accompanied by appropriate legislative proposals.