Farm Animal Welfare in Europe

Europe has a unique opportunity to remain a leader in farm animal welfare.

The countries of the European Union contain over 2.3 billion land farm animals and 1.1 billion farmed fish. 

The EU is revising its animal welfare laws for the first time in 20 years; it aims to account for the latest scientific evidence, improve enforcement, and ensure a higher level of welfare. This gives citizens, consumers and animal advocates in Europe a chance to support major changes across many countries at the same time, for both local and imported animal products.

Europe can continue as a global leader in farm animal welfare by extending welfare protections to more species and by strengthening protections for currently covered animals. This would be consistent with the long-term progress Europe has made to improve the welfare of farmed animals.  

EU citizens and advocates are building support for the farm animal welfare movement across Europe and engaging in the EU’s reform process. Advocates have secured corporate and industry welfare pledges from European companies, and are promoting better and more widespread welfare practices and standards.

Advocates have secured over 1,700 welfare pledges from major food companies across Europe, mostly to eliminate the use of battery cages and poor welfare broiler chickens in their supply chains. Thanks in large part to these pledges, the majority of hens in Europe are now cage-free.

Thanks to the inspiring work of European citizens and advocates, EU institutions are focused on improving the welfare of farmed animals. 

A European Citizens’ Initiative to ‘End the Cage Age’ was submitted to the EU Commission in 2020, with 1.4 million citizens providing a statement of support. In response, the Commission committed to present a legislative proposal to prohibit the use of cages on farms and overhaul the welfare protections for all of Europe’s farmed animals.  

The next few years present a unique opportunity for European citizens and advocates, and European funders, to support the modernization and strengthening of EU-wide farm animal welfare. And this in turn will provide an opportunity for concerned citizens and advocates globally to ensure progress in the EU lifts standards around the world for farmed animals.