EUP AH&W - SOA 9 – Knowledge platform in the EU with the objective to collect, analyse, share and use integrated scientific and technical data on AW – Dataset-Glossary of Animal Welfare

Within the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW), collaboration across internal sets of activities (SOAs) has been recognised as essential for achieving shared objectives and strengthening the overall project.A key challenge identified cross EUPAHW and in the animal welfare (AW) sector is the lack of a common vocabulary of terms and concepts; to address this, SOA9 initiated the development of a glossary.The glossary aims to harmonise welfare assessment, improve communication among diverse stakeholders (including researchers, policymakers, farmers, and industry actors), and support the development of science-based regulations. Its scope focuses on creating a standardised terminology that integrates various welfare-related concepts, and ensures consensus on critical definitions, ultimately providing a shared framework to connect welfare outcomes with environmental, health, and behavioural factors.The glossary was developed through a structured and collaborative methodology. Initial terms were identified through reviews of international glossaries (e.g., WOAH, FAO, EFSA) and scientific literature and compiled into a central database. This list was refined through internal reviews and later expanded via an editorial board involving multiple SOAs and Work Package 5 (WP5 - CEED), ensuring broad expertise and representation across the partnership. The review process, conducted through a series of meetings in 2025, led to the addition, modification, or removal of terms, followed by a final consolidation phase at the beginning of 2026. The resulting list contains 101 terms, with each entry including the term, its definition (with optional clarifications and examples), and associated references. It is intended as a dynamic resource to support knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policymaking in animal welfare.Identifier: European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare, EUPAHW, 101136346.