Dr.
med. vet. Andrea Gavinelli
Since 1999 Andrea
Gavinelli has been an administrator at the European Commission in
charge of developing European legislation on animal welfare in the
framework of the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection.
In January 2003, with the creation of a specific sector of the Commission
competent for animal welfare legislation and animal identification,
he became Head of Sector.
The preparation of the legislation implies wide consultation with
experts from the Member States of the European Union and the major
stakeholders. He promoted the first web consultation of the Commission
on the welfare of transported animals. Prior to his current position,
he was in charge of the enforcement of animal welfare legislation
and cattle identification in the Italian Ministry of Health, Rome.
Born in 1965, he grew up in Novara, Italy, graduated as a veterinary
surgeon at the University of Milan with a thesis on the behaviour
of dairy calves during the first 30 days of life and now lives in
Brussels, Belgium. He is married with two children. During the last
8 years he has participated in all relevant negotiations in the European
Union (Council and European Parliament) in relation to animal welfare
legislation.
Andrea has been asked in 2002 to be part of the World Animal Health
(OIE) working group on animal welfare entrusted to develop future
standards and guidelines to be adopted in the framework of the OIE.
Since 1998 he has been nominated vice chairman of the Standing Committee
of the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for
farming purposes.
