We look forward to welcoming a new member to the EURCAW family! On 17 January the fourth European Union Reference Centre for Animal Welfare was designated – this new EURCAW will focus on aquatic species.

EURCAW Aquatic Animals will be led by the University of Crete in Greece, in partnership with the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology in Czechia and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain.

The designation was published on 19 January in the ‘COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION 2024/266 of 17 January 2024 designating a European Union reference centre for the welfare of aquatic animals in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council’.

The new EURCAW will officially start work on 1 February 2024 and the designation will be reviewed every 7 years from the date of application of the Decision.

The implementing decision is available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202400266&qid=1705652151941

The press release from the European Commission, issued on 15 January 2024: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/sante/items/814529/en