Many topics have been covered the past 26 WPSA symposia on poultry welfare. But seldom they have been with such strong social and political overtones as the 27th Symposium held in the UK last year. The European attitude to poultry welfare in general,and layers in particular, has become stronger over the past twenty years, to the point where the entire layer industry is threatened. There are literally armies of bureaucrats in Brussels and in member governments working to develop regulations and the means of enforcing them. Both the European Commission, and national governments, particularly that of the UK, are extremely intrusive in the way they control the poultry industry. Although the European Commission affects all countries, response of governments varies, with the northern countries more active than the south.
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