What the EU does
With the support and close co-operation of EU countries, the European Commission has been promoting animal welfare for over 40 years.
In 2024, a European Commissioner was, for the first time, formally put in charge of animal-welfare policy, marking a new level of political commitmentto protecting animals.
Today, the Commission is working to modernise EU rules on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, the welfare of animals during transport and the import of exotic animals.
This work considers ethical, scientific, sustainability, and economic considerations, as well as the views and expectations of Europeans regarding the treatment of animals.
Facts about animal welfare
Areas of action
Promoting responsible ownership, breeding and traceability
Reducing suffering during long-distance travel
Facilitating stakeholder collaboration and sharing knowledge
Ensuring humane treatment at the time of death
Evaluating ethical concerns and considering bans
Improving living conditions and phasing out cages
Preventing disease via strict import checks
EU actions protecting animals used for scientific purposes
Key achievements
- The Commission has registered and responded to two European Citizens’ Initiatives, Fur Free Europe (2023) and End the Cage Age (2021).
- Ban on certain uses of cages (hens, sows, veal calves). Thanks to EU legislation, 360 million laying hens and 12 million sows benefit from a better quality of life.
- Since 2009 no animal testing for cosmetics purposes has been carried out in the EU.
- Under the Lisbon Treaty, the EU formally recognised that animals are sentient beings. This means that EU institutions must “pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals” when shaping policy.
- Since 2006 more than 2,000 veterinarians have received training on animal welfare via programmes funded by the Commission.
In focus
Livestock farming employs around seven million people across the EU and generates €400 billion in annual turnover. But it is a sector under pressure, facing low profitability and rising costs, changing market conditions, and outbreaks of animal diseases. The newly introduced strategy for the livestock sector aims to ensure that farmers can address such challenges sustainably in the long term.
The strategy has five priority areas of action: crisis-preparedness, competitiveness, sustainability, fit for all farms and regions, excellence in livestock production. The actions in these areas should help farmers rely less on imports and more on domestic resources, reduce emissions, preserve food safety, improve animal welfare and make the livestock sector more resilient overall.
This page was last updated on 7 July 2026