"No City Sites Allowed for Meat Processing Facilities"

, and Administrator

2025 September 15 . 11:46 PM

2 min read

Restricting urban zones for the execution of abattoirs

"No City Sites Allowed for Meat Processing Facilities"

In a significant decision, the city council of Aschaffenburg terminated the lease agreement for the local slaughterhouse in September 2023, following numerous animal welfare violations. The lessee, however, has refused to accept the termination, leading to a lawsuit for eviction filed with the Aschaffenburg Regional Court.

The Control Authority for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (KBLV) initially prohibited the private operator from carrying out slaughtering at the Aschaffenburg slaughterhouse due to the massive animal welfare violations in 2023. After staff changes, training, and modifications in operating procedures and technical facilities, the KBLV allowed the slaughtering of pigs again from September 11th, 2023. However, problems with the stunning of the pigs led to the slaughtering being stopped in March 2025.

In a non-public meeting on July 14th, 2024, the city council made the decision to terminate the lease agreement permanently. The city will not provide land for a new slaughterhouse, and the majority of the city council sees no future for a slaughterhouse within the city limits. The city does not have any building-ready land that meets the requirements for a slaughterhouse, further complicating the situation.

In January 2025, the city and the lessee reached an agreement. The lessee must cease the slaughtering operations by June 30th, 2026 at the latest. The lessee must also comply with animal welfare regulations as part of the agreement. The lessee must vacate the premises by December 31st, 2026 at the latest, according to the agreement reached in January 2025.

An interfractional working group consisting of CSU, SPD, and Greens expressed their opinion against the continuation of slaughtering under the current conditions. Their opinion was based on professional, economic, and strategic considerations. The current slaughterhouse site is of particular importance for their further development, as it is in the immediate vicinity of the city works and the fire department.

The current tenant of the slaughterhouse remains unknown, as there are no search results providing their name. Despite the lessee's refusal to accept the termination, the city council remains firm in their decision, with the majority believing that there is no future for a slaughterhouse within the city limits.