The Commissioner also said that since 4 March 2005 there had been an increase in advance payments of premiums for bovine animals for 2004 and that authorisation had been given to use set-aside land for animal fodder.

Specific rules for animal feed including marketing, storage of feed and feeding of animals are provided for in Directive 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed .

The additional standards laid down to ensure animal welfare concern vehicle access, separation of animals by means of movable partitions, means for ensuring a water supply, ventilation, transport of sufficient feedingstuffs and appropriate bedding material.

ANNEX I Important measures taken in relation to BSE (a) Community measures (i) export ban on live animals from the UK to the other Member States with the exception of calves under six months under the condition that they are slaughtered before the age of six months (March 1990); (ii) export ban on specified offals (brains, spinal cord, thymus, tonsils, spleen and intestines) from the UK to the other Member States (April 1990); (iii) export of meat from the UK to the other Member States: - from animals under the age of 30 months: no restrictions (first measure 1 March 1990 - latest decision February 1995); - from animals over the age of 30 months coming from a herd with no case of BSE during the last six years: no restrictions (decisions ...[+++]as above); - from animals over the age of 30 months coming from a herd with a case of BSE during the last six years: to be accompanied by a health certificate stating "fresh deboned bovine meat in the form of muscle from which the adherent tissues, including obvious nervous and lymphatic tissues, have been removed" (decisions as above); (iv) ban in the Community on the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants (June 1994); (v) tightening of rules on rendering of ruminant waste in order to inactivate the BSE agent (June 1994) (b) UK measures: (i) ban on the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants (July 1988); (ii) ban on specified bovine offals (SBOs) (November 1989); ( i i i ) strengthening of the specified bovine offals ban (August 1995); (iv) ban on the feeding of mammalian protein to all farm animals (March 1996) (c) Member State level: - import ban on meat- and bone-meal from the United Kingdom (d) Community export ban on bovine animals, bovine meat and meat products, etc., and on mammalian-derived meat- and bone-meal from the UK to other Member States and third countries (March 1996).

However, such an increase would apply to all Community producers (even those who have had their premiums increased due to devaluation) and could cost over ECU 200 million for each 1% revaluation were the Council to follow this route. Animal welfare during transport (COM(93) 330) During the last Council and following nearly two days of bilateral meetings, the Presidency put forward a compromise dealing with the question of journey times, rest periods and feeding and watering intervals.

Many large supermarket chains have been very influential also, in insisting on additional guarantees from producers as regards methods of rearing, feeding, and treating animals, including the non-use of growth promoting substances.