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1. 2011/03/08Welfare Quality Network started!
   
   Nineteen of the 29 partners of the Welfare Quality Network (WQN) gathered during the first General Assembly on the first of December 2010. During this start-up meeting the partners discussed extensively the various activities that we aim to develop in the Welfare Quality Network. There was broad consensus that the production of updated versions of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocols, based on new and emerging knowledge, has the highest priority. www.welfarequalitynetwork.net

Related activities like fine-tuning of the integration process (to produce a score per farm), data handling and further dissemination of improvement strategies should also be linked to such ’updates’. The role of the Network in exchanging knowledge about ongoing projects is of course very relevant in that context.
Other points on the agenda included training of assessors, data handling, stakeholder involvement, communication, finances, etc.The General Assembly also formally approved the Management Team which now consists of Harry Blokhuis (coordinator and chair), Isabelle Veissier, Mara Miele, Hans Spoolder and Bryan Jones.
During the meeting several small working groups were created and each was given the task of clearly indicating/describing one of the activities/tasks/processes that are necessary to fulfill the WQN aims.
Dr Andrea Gavinelli (head of the Animal Welfare unit of the European Commission) also attended the meeting, gave an update on ongoing developments in the EU and underlined the relevance of the Network. Please, click on the logo or www.welfarequalitynetwork.net to visit the WQN website.