This long-awaited proposal from the European Commission is based on the Scientific Veterinary Committee's 1996 report on the welfare of laying hens. The proposal is to replace Directive 88/166/EEC, which lays down minimum standards for hens kept in battery cages, with a new Directive covering the welfare of all laying hens. This introduces requirements for the provision of nests, perches and litter for dustbathing, but makes derogations for the continued use of existing cages for several years.

The original Sheep Welfare Code was published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in 1983. In response to a number of recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's 1994 report on the welfare of sheep, MAFF, the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department and the Welsh Office Agriculture Department have now drafted a revised edition and are consulting on this. As well as seeking to make the report more user-friendly, the authors have placed clearer emphasis on the need for written health and welfare programmes and the importance of good stockmanship; they have also provided detailed advice on some key welfare aspects, such as dealing with lameness and the value of condition scoring in good husbandry.

This report, an update of one published in 1992, reviews divers aspects of the countryside sports industry. It provides data on the number of people in the UK involved in various forms of hunting, shooting and fishing, on the economic value of these activities, and on their relevance to wildlife conservation. It is based on some original survey work but draws heavily on reports and special studies by other organizations such as the Game Conservancy Trust, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, and the Centre for Rural Studies. There is a wealth of information about the current status of the field sports industry in Great Britain. In 1996, it is estimated that: 3.3 million people went fishing; 0.7 million people shot game and wildfowl; 0.21 million people hunted with or followed hounds; 14 500 people stalked deer; and 12 500 people participated in falconry. The annual direct expenditure on these activities was estimated at over £3.8 billion and there was a further £2.4 billion of indirect expenditure. The report provides estimates of a total of 90 000 people being employed directly or indirectly by the industry, and of it generating a revenue of £655 million for the government through taxes.

On 1 July 1999, new European Union (EU) regulations which provide additional welfare protection for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs transported by road on journeys of greater than 8h will come into force. The European Council's new Regulation, which expands provisions under Directive 91/628/EEC, sets out further standards for road vehicles used for long-distance livestock transport. These cover aspects of bedding, feed, access, ventilation, partitions and water supply. The Regulation requires vehicles to be fitted with partitions to enable compartmentalization of space, and that they are equipped to enable direct access to the animals at all times for inspection, care, feeding and watering. There must also be ventilation systems which adequately meet the physiological needs of the animals in the weather conditions under which they are transported - and these must maintain suitable conditions whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. To this end, operators must ensure that temperature is monitored, and provide either a forced ventilation system (details of which are to be set later) or a ventilation system which ensures that a range of temperatures from 5 to 30°C can be maintained. Other points address the provision of feed and water.