European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW)

European Partnership dedicated to ensuring a sustainable production system for terrestrial and aquatic animals that prevents and controls  infectious animal diseases, promotes prudent use of antimicrobials, and ensures high animal welfare throughout all stages of an animal’s life.

The European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW) is a seven-year European Partnership launched under Horizon Europe in January 2024. The Partnership aims to boost research and facilitate cooperation in order to control infectious diseases of animals and promote animal welfare.

The Partnership’s objectives align with the European Green Deal and its associated Farm to Fork strategy for a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system. It aims to enhance cross sector collaboration and, through a One Health and One Welfare approach, provide societal impact.

The Partnership is based on a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) that balances short term applied and strategic research. The SRIA addresses infectious diseases in terrestrial and aquatic animals, as well as zoonotic risks such as bird flu, alongside research to improve animal welfare. The Partnership also focuses on the prudent use of antimicrobials and ensuring that a high level of animal welfare is provided in every phase of an animal’s life.

Specifically, the SRIA sets out the following four priority areas:

1. Surveillance/monitoring systems and risk assessment of animal health and welfare.
2. Procedures, methodologies and tools to assess animal health and welfare.
3. Management and husbandry guidelines on farm and including aquaculture, during transport and at slaughter.
4. Vaccines and treatments.

An additional fifth transversal priority area relates to socio-economic aspects to ensure the outcomes of the Partnership will lead to strengthening sustainable livestock production and aquaculture and animal welfare, as well as supporting human health and well-being.

The Partnership includes 17 three-year research projects carried out internally, which start in 2024, and will launch research calls reaching out to additional research performing organisations beyond the Partnership. Funding organisations not yet involved in the Partnership may also contribute to these calls.