1. Member States shall ensure that all holdings comply with the following requirements:

the unobstructed floor area available to each weaner or rearing pig kept in a group, excluding gilts after service and sows, must be at least:

Live weight (kg)

Not more than 10

More than 10 but not more than 20

More than 20 but not more than 30

More than 30 but not more than 50

More than 50 but not more than 85

More than 85 but not more than 110

More than 110

the total unobstructed floor area available to each gilt after service and to each sow when gilts and/or sows are kept in groups must be at least 1,64 m 2 and 2,25 m 2 respectively. When these animals are kept in groups of fewer than six individuals the unobstructed floor area must be increased by 10 %. When these animals are kept in groups of 40 or more individuals the unobstructed floor area may be decreased by 10 %.

2. Member States shall ensure that flooring surfaces comply with the following requirements:

for gilts after service and pregnant sows: a part of the area required in paragraph 1(b), equal to at least 0,95 m 2 per gilt and at least 1,3 m 2 per sow, must be of continuous solid floor of which a maximum of 15 % is reserved for drainage openings;

when concrete slatted floors are used for pigs kept in groups:

the maximum width of the openings must be:

11 mm for piglets,

14 mm for weaners,

18 mm for rearing pigs,

20 mm for gilts after service and sows;

the minimum slat width must be:

50 mm for piglets and weaners, and

80 mm for rearing pigs, gilts after service and sows.

3. Member States shall ensure that the construction of or conversion to installations in which sows and gilts are tethered is prohibited. From 1 January 2006 the use of tethers for sows and gilts shall be prohibited.

4. Member States shall ensure that sows and gilts are kept in groups during a period starting from four weeks after the service to one week before the expected time of farrowing. The pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2,8 m in length. When fewer than six individuals are kept in a group the pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2,4 m in length.

By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, sows and gilts raised on holdings with fewer than 10 sows may be kept individually during the period mentioned in that subparagraph, provided that they can turn around easily in their boxes.

5. Member States shall ensure that, without prejudice to the requirements laid down in Annex I, sows and gilts have permanent access to manipulable material at least complying with the relevant requirements of that Annex.

6. Member States shall ensure that sows and gilts kept in groups are fed using a system which ensures that each individual can obtain sufficient food even when competitors for the food are present.

7. Member States shall ensure that all dry pregnant sows and gilts, in order to satisfy their hunger and given the need to chew, are given a sufficient quantity of bulky or high-fibre food as well as high-energy food.

8. Member States shall ensure that pigs that have to be kept in groups, that are particularly aggressive, that have been attacked by other pigs or that are sick or injured may temporarily be kept in individual pens. In this case the individual pen used shall allow the animal to turn around easily if this is not in contradiction with specific veterinary advice.

9. The provisions laid down in paragraphs 1(b), 2, 4, 5 and the last sentence of paragraph 8 shall apply to all holdings newly built or rebuilt or brought into use for the first time after 1 January 2003. From 1 January 2013 those provisions shall apply to all holdings.

The provisions laid down in the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 shall not apply to holdings with fewer than 10 sows.

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs (Codified version) ANNEX I ANNEX II ANNEX III