The Interministerial Decree of 23 October 2024 was published in the Official Journal no. 262 of 8/11/204 with the first 5 technical specifications of the National Animal Welfare Quality System (SQNBA) .These are the technical standards for the certification of:
Dairy cattle raised in barns
Beef cattle raised in barns
Cattle (meat and milk) in family farming
Cattle (meat and milk) raised with or entirely on pasture
Fattening pigs (over 50 kg) free range
With the publication of the technical standards, SQNBA becomes a fully applicable and certifiable certification scheme.
As already known, this Quality System defines a national production scheme which establishes the general rules and technical requirements for the management of the breeding process of raised animals through the evaluation of parameters established on a scientific basis.
From this perspective, SQNBA represents a single reference standard in voluntary certification relating to animal welfare , bringing order to the various certification protocols currently existing concerning the same area, also contributing to clearer information for consumers on the issues of animal welfare, biosecurity in livestock farming and veterinary drugs.
With the entry into force of the certification requirements for the above-mentioned species (beef and dairy cattle, and free-range pigs), the certification standard requires all other voluntary or regulated certifications currently in place on animal welfare, biosecurity in livestock farming and veterinary medicine requirements to be brought into line with SQNBA , with a 12-month adaptation period.
After the adaptation period, the communication of information on these topics must take place exclusively in compliance with the provisions of the Interministerial Decree of 2 August 2022 and subsequent amendments and additions.