EU rules out CO2 pig stunning ban as UK weighs phase-out

The European Commission has signalled it will not ban high-concentration CO2 stunning for pigs, putting Brussels on a different path from Defra’s stated intention to phase out the practice in the UK.

Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for health and animal welfare, set out the position in response to animal welfare organisations, according to a report by The Brussels Times.

The issue is likely to be closely watched by the UK pig sector, where any move away from CO2 stunning could require major investment, new equipment and changes to plant throughput.

Defra’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December, stated the UK government’s intention to ban the use of CO2 gas stunning for pigs, subject to consultation.

The strategy said there was “a pressing need to address the welfare issues associated with high concentration CO2 gas stunning of pigs”.

A consultation had been expected this year, although no timing has yet been confirmed.

The European Commission’s position follows pressure from animal welfare groups, which had written to Mr Várhelyi calling for reform of EU animal welfare legislation.

Their concerns included pig stunning methods following the PigStun research project, which examined alternatives to high-concentration CO2.

The NGOs called for high concentrations of carbon dioxide to be removed from the list of permitted stunning methods for pigs.

PigStun was initiated and funded by the Commission to test and compare slaughter methods, with the aim of encouraging EU pig slaughterhouses to adopt more animal-friendly, non-aversive stunning systems.

In his response, Mr Várhelyi referred to findings from the European Food Safety Authority on the welfare impact of high-concentration CO2 stunning.

EFSA concluded that exposure to high levels of CO2 is “highly aversive and causes pain, fear, and respiratory distress”.

It also said the method should be replaced by exposure to other gas mixtures.

However, Mr Várhelyi said existing EU rules already permit the non-aversive alternatives identified by the PigStun project.

“This means operators can already adopt them without requiring regulatory changes,” he wrote.

He added that alternatives involved welfare, economic and practical considerations, but also presented barriers to commercial use.

These included cost, ease of implementation, lower throughput rates and the installation of stunning equipment.

A Commission official told The Brussels Times that legislative follow-up “is not currently foreseen”.

The official said alternatives assessed through PigStun were already included in Annex I of EU Regulation 1099/2009 and authorised for use by operators across the EU.

They added that EFSA’s evidence on CO2 stunning and the PigStun project findings could be used by certification schemes.

In March, AHDB published an economic analysis warning of significant costs and disruption if pork plants were required to convert from high-concentration CO2 systems to alternative stunning methods.

The issue remains a major concern for the pig sector, with welfare campaigners urging faster reform while processors warn that any transition would need to be practical, affordable and commercially workable.

For UK processors, the key question remains whether Defra will proceed with a ban, how quickly any consultation will move, and whether alternative systems can be adopted without damaging plant capacity or competitiveness.