In the framework of the obligation created by the adoption of the Official Controls regulation (EU) 2017/625 recital 73, and article 95 of this Regulation requiring that the Commission designates European Union Reference Centres to support activities concerning the application of the rules laying down welfare requirements for animals, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort laboratory (ANSES, France) together with the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA, Spain), the Department of Animal Science at Aarhus University (ANIS/AU, Denmark) and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER, Italy) would like to build on their experience to take an active role in the implementation of EU rules on animal welfare and assist competent authorities in performing enforcement of official controls. These organizations are therefore applying as a consortium for the mandate of European Union Reference Centre for the welfare of poultry and other small farmed animals (EURCAW-SA).