The European Commission wants new rules aimed at reducing animal suffering in Europe's butcheries, the agency announced on Thursday.

Under the proposals, slaughterhouses should appoint a trained staffer responsible for ensuring that animals are being treated humanely.

Such a person would, among other things, have to ensure that animals which are stunned do not regain consciousness before they are slaughtered.

Manufacturers of stunning equipment would have to provide detailed instructions on how to stun animals, while European governments would have to create research centres tasked with assisting official inspectors.

"As a society we have a duty of care to animals, which includes minimising distress and avoiding pain throughout the slaughtering process," said EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.

Vassiliou's proposals, which are not likely to be approved by EU governments until next year, were welcomed by animal-rights groups.

"These proposals are a step in the right direction and will benefit millions of animals," said Sonja Van Tichelen of Eurogroup for Animals, a pressure group.

"It is unacceptable in a civilised society that animals have to suffer in their final moments. So much of their suffering can be avoided or decreased by having well-trained staff and by using appropriate stunning techniques," Van Tichelen said.

Groups representing meat traders and slaughterhouses said they still needed to study the proposals to find out whether such measures would result in higher production costs.

"A good cost-benefit analysis is necessary. Generally speaking we cannot be against measures that aim at protecting animals," said Jean-Luc Meriaux of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union.

Officials in Brussels note that smaller slaughterhouses may be exempted from the new rules.

Nearly 360 million pigs, sheep, goats and cattle, as well as several billion poultry, are killed in EU slaughterhouses each year.

A further 25 million animals are slaughtered by the fur industry, according to commission figures.

To ensure fair competition, the commission's proposals would also apply to non-EU producers who export their products to member states.