Better animal welfare brings benefit to all: Commissioner Várhelyi

“The modernisation of animal welfare legislation is an opportunity we should not miss,” Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi said during an event bringing together farmers, businesses, policymakers and NGOs at Residence Palace in Brussels yesterday (5 February).

“It is an opportunity to improve welfare, respond to citizens’ demands and increase competitiveness. It is an opportunity to build a better system for everyone. Following the dialogue this year, we should already have the first legislative proposals to address the End the Cage Age ECI in the next year,” Várhelyi said, at the panel event jointly organised by Compassion in World Farming and Eurogroup for Animals.

The event, “From Dialogue to Vision to Action: What is needed for more sustainable and higher welfare animal farming in Europe”, saw various stakeholders delve into how the European Union can support farmers in transitioning away from intensive farming models that harm animals, farmers and nature.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals, said: “We are facing an animal welfare crisis and a lot of pending commitments. We expect the European Commission to not only deliver on its promises to phase out cages but also to publish legislation to address all other species, including those currently left unprotected. The legislation is currently too fragmented, and it is challenging for farmers to tap into the right funds, and dedicated funding should help support a shift to higher welfare models.”

Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming and President of Eurogroup for Animals, said: “Factory farming is the biggest cause of animal suffering on the planet. As the Strategic Dialogue report concluded, the transition towards more sustainable, higher-welfare farming models in the EU is no longer a matter of ‘if’, but ‘how’.

“Our event addressed exactly that, highlighting the need for an ambitious EU Vision for Agriculture and Food which includes concrete solutions to prioritise the welfare of farmed animals, ensure farmers are financially supported, and the triple planetary crisis is averted.”

Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming are calling for the European Commission to include a number of important measures in its soon to be published Vision for Agriculture and Food, including:

• A full revision of the EU animal welfare legislation by 2026 - including a ban on cages - aligned with the Five Domains model and the European Food Safety Agency’s recommendations;
• Post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy supporting farmers transitioning to higher welfare, with animal welfare a standalone objective;
• Imported animal products complying with updated EU welfare rules and trade agreements being conditional on equivalent standards;
• Rules addressing the animal welfare and ecological impact of fish and seafood production and consumption;
• The implementation of a multi-tiered EU-wide animal welfare labelling scheme that covers all animal products, rewarding farmers that go beyond the newly established minimum standards;
• Policies that make healthy food affordable and accessible, with a shift towards plant-based diets.

The panel included Emma Calvert (Food Policy Officer at BEUC), Maria Gafo Gomez-Zamalloa (Head of Social Sustainability Unit at DG AGRI), Miguel Ángel Higuera (Animal Health and Welfare Chair at COPA COGECA), and Ruud Zanders (Founding partner at Kipster) and moderated by Jack Parrock.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please email marta.vigano (at) ciwf.org.

Notes to editors

1. Photos from the event are available here.
2. Compassion in World Farming’s position paper An EU Vision for Agriculture and Food that delivers for farmed animals is available here.
3. Eurogroup for Animals’ position paper From Dialogue To Vision - The Animal Welfare Perspective is available here.
4. The key findings of the upcoming report Animal welfare, economic prosperity: unlocking shared opportunities can be found here.
5. In 2023, the Commission’s own Eurobarometer survey revealed that an overwhelming nine out of ten (89%) EU citizens – around 400 million people – believe animals should not be farmed in individual cages.

Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food production. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in the US, China and South Africa.