CALL FOR EVIDENCE FOR AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT
This document aims to inform the public and stakeholders on the Commission’s future legislative work so they can provide feedback on the Commission’s understanding of the problem and possible solutions, and give us any relevant information that they may have, including on possible impacts of the different options.
Title of the initiative	On-farm animal welfare for certain animals: modernisation of EU legislation
Lead DG (responsible unit)	Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety – Unit G3 (“Animal welfare”)
Likely type of initiative	Legislative proposal
Indicative timetable	Q4-2026
Additional information	https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/eu-animal-welfare-legislation/animal-welfare-farm_en https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/evaluations-and-impact-assessment/revision-animal-welfare-legislation_en
This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

In the February 2025 Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission announced its intention to closely exchange with farmers, those in the food supply chain and civil society. On that basis, it plans to present legislative proposals to revise the existing EU animal welfare legislation, including its commitment to phase out cages. The Vision also sets out that the Commission will make sure that future legislative proposals on animal welfare apply the same standards to products produced in the EU and those imported from non-EU countries. The targeted review of the animal welfare legislation will be an opportunity to apply this in a way that complies with WTO rules and that is based on an impact assessment.

The Commission’s fitness check on EU animal welfare legislation in 2022 concluded that it is no longer fit for purpose. The legislation is no longer aligned with societal and ethical expectations, as clearly shown by the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which was supported by the European Parliament’s resolution of 10 June 2021 1 . In 2021, in response to the ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative, the Commission announced its intention to propose legislation to phase out and ban the use of cages for certain species and categories of animals (laying hens, pigs, calves, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, rabbits, ducks, geese and quail). There are also ethical concerns about the systematic killing of male day-old chicks, as reflected in the discussion on this issue held at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council debate on 17 October 2022. This practice of killing newly born chicks has placed the egg industry under increasing scrutiny.

There is also interest across the livestock industry in modernising animal welfare legislation to better use welfare indicators and offer flexibility in structural requirements. This approach would simplify compliance and enforcement. Farm animal stakeholders have also called for supportive measures, including EU financing and extended transitional periods, as well as applying EU animal welfare rules to imports in line with international rules.

Currently, the five EU directives on the welfare of farm animals do not require that imported products of animal origin comply with EU animal welfare standards or equivalent standards. This has raised ethical concerns among citizens and has been challenged by many stakeholders.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

Current EU rules allow the continued use of confined housing systems for laying hens, pigs, calves, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, rabbits, ducks, geese and quail. Such systems severely restrict these animals’ natural behaviour and movements. The rules also allow for the systematic killing of male day-old chicks in the laying hens’ sector, which raises ethical concerns. Additionally, many of the EU animal welfare legislative rules impose vague obligations. This can give rise to them being interpreted differently, resulting in them being applied differently in Member States. This had led to divergences in enforcement across the EU and an uneven functioning of the single market. Furthermore, there are currently no robust indicators for monitoring and improving animal welfare, and the opportunities that digital tools hold are not fully explored. The overall impact of the EU rules on animal welfare are further weakened by the fact that they do not apply to animals or food of animal origin imported into the EU from non-EU countries.

Cages prevent animals from exhibiting natural behaviour such as foraging, socialising and moving freely. These confined housing systems cause chronic stress, poor health and general suffering. The resulting poor welfare raises significant ethical concerns and has negative economic implications by undermining consumer trust. There is growing public demand for more humane treatment of animals, as seen in the development of EU quality schemes that cover higher animal welfare standards, such as organic production or alternative farming methods (e.g. barn and free-range systems). In response to citizens’ expectations, several Member States have brought in stricter national rules, exposing the EU’s legislative gaps and creating an uneven playing field for farmers and food businesses across the single market. The complexity and overlapping nature of the current rules make them difficult to apply, monitor and enforce.

As set out in the 2022 fitness check, the current situation has led to significant distortions in the single market and poor welfare for farmed animals in the EU.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Harmonising animal welfare rules at EU level ensures consistent standards across all Member States, preventing market distortions and unfair competition. Without a common approach, national laws remain fragmented, creating unequal conditions for farmers and food businesses.

Harmonised standards and clear rules also ease enforcement and compliance. An EU-wide framework improves accountability and helps authorities track progress. By integrating animal welfare indicators and digital tools, monitoring also becomes more effective and transparent.

Ensuring that requirements for imported and EU products are more aligned is key to protecting consumer trust, responding to citizens’ expectations and safeguarding the viability of the EU’s agri-food sector.

Legal basis

Article 43 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

Practical need for EU action

A harmonised EU approach is essential not only to standardise welfare conditions across the single market but also to streamline enforcement, ensuring that all Member States comply with the same rigorous standards. Moreover, an EU-wide monitoring framework would facilitate the use of animal welfare indicators and digital tools, leading to more efficient oversight and accountability, while giving farmers more flexibility. At the same time, choosing relevant, proportionate and realistic indicators could alleviate the administrative burden on operators and competent authorities. Given the strong societal demand for improved animal welfare, a coordinated EU response would also pre-empt fragmenting the national rules further. This more unified approach would deliver practical benefits: it would support fairer competition, reduce compliance burdens and meet citizens' expectations for the sectors concerned.

B. Objectives and policy options

The main objectives of this legislative revision are to ensure a good functioning of the internal market when it comes to animal welfare standards, to modernise existing rules and to follow up on the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age”. This revision will be based on the latest scientific evidence and take into account the legislation’s socio-economic impact on farmers and those in the food supply chain, including SMEs and consumers. The revision will also provide support and appropriate species-specific transition periods. To uphold EU’s moral values in response to societal demand, the Commission will explore, in line with international rules, equivalent animal welfare production standards on imported products.

The Commission aims to present a legislative proposal for the first sectors in 2026. It will decide which sectors to cover after a broad range of stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies to be carried out in 2025.

Based on the impact assessment’s findings, the initiative may address the ethical concerns arising from the systematic killing of male day-old chicks. The initiative also aims to modernise EU on-farm animal welfare legislation by introducing a welfare outcome-based approach. This includes integrating clear animal welfare indicators and using digital technologies for monitoring and enforcement, thereby bringing about simplification and reducing the administrative burden.

The impact assessment will also explore how modernisation could create a simplified framework for operators by streamlining those animal welfare standards that apply to them, which could reduce unnecessary administrative burden.

The overall goal is to ensure a uniform, high-level protection of animal welfare, fair competition for farmers, reduced administrative burden and an alignment with ethical expectations and concerns for better enforcement. The following key options could be considered in the consultation and impact assessment stage.

·Phasing out of cages. Set out appropriate transition periods for phasing out cages and technical requirements for cage-free systems. Potential sectors to be considered in the consultations and impact assessment are laying hens, pigs, calves, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, rabbits, ducks, geese, and quails.

·Indicators and digitalisation. Determine which welfare indicators to use and how to measure them. Explore integrating digital tools for effective, transparent monitoring and less administrative burden. Potential sectors to be considered in the consultations and impact assessment are poultry, pigs, cattle and meat rabbits.

·Import requirements. Determine whether and to what extent equivalent animal welfare standards should be imposed on imports of animals and animal products. This applies to existing EU animal welfare requirements and any new requirements in the legislative proposal. Potential sectors to be considered in the consultations and impact assessment are poultry, pigs, calves and rabbits.

·Killing of male day-old chicks in the laying hens’ sector. Phase out this practice and set out appropriate transition periods and possible derogations.

C. Likely impacts

The initiative aims to harmonise EU animal welfare standards to better meet citizens’ growing ethical expectations. Phasing out cages may result in a number of farmers having to invest in modernising their farms or adopt new production methods. However, these impacts would be balanced by clearer rules and predictable outcomes and mitigated through financial support and phased transitional periods. The resulting higher standards would boost consumer trust and open up new market opportunities in non-EU countries for sustainably produced food.

The integration of advanced monitoring and digitalisation tools into the affected sectors would streamline compliance and enforcement by enabling data collection and analysis, reducing the administrative burden, and facilitating more efficient, data-driven decision-making. Farmers would benefit from clearer benchmarks, while processors and retailers could gain in terms of reputation from increased transparency and accountability. These measures could also contribute to better resource management and environmental performance, fostering a more sustainable and competitive agri-food sector.

D. Better regulation instruments

Impact assessment

The initiative will be developed using targeted impact appraisals, structured consultations and comprehensive multi-criteria analyses. The Commission will carry out a systematic evaluation of the likely social, economic and environmental impacts of the envisaged changes by integrating quantitative data, qualitative insights, and independent external analysis. An external study will assess the effects on farmers, consumers and the environment, and scientific evidence from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will be taken into account when developing the policy options.

Building on previous assessments and stakeholder consultations, the Commission will conduct additional targeted consultations with farmers, those in the food supply chain and civil society. These consultations will identify practical challenges and feed into technical specifications, realistic transition periods and support measures. The impact assessment will use a transparent methodology to ensure that stakeholder input is systematically captured and taken into account in the final proposal.

Consultation strategy

The consultation is being conducted to gather a wide range of views and evidence on the initiative, ensuring that the final policy is both effective and reflective of the needs and expectations of all stakeholders. By engaging in this process, the Commission aims to boost transparency, improve decision-making and ensure that the initiative addresses both the needs of economic operators and the societal and ethical concerns about animal welfare.

The Commission will consult a diverse group of stakeholders, including EU farmers’ organisations, associations of hatcheries, and the national authorities responsible for enforcing animal welfare legislation. In addition, the consultation will involve businesses and business organisations active in the food supply chain, European and national professional animal welfare groups, civil society organisations, academic experts, and representatives from non-EU countries involved in exporting the animal products concerned. International organisations active in animal welfare will also be invited to contribute.

The consultation process will be carried out over a four-week period through this call for evidence and further targeted consultations, including via the EU Animal Welfare Platform and the European Board on Agriculture and Food. Additional engagement will take place through surveys, interviews, focus groups and workshops as part of an external study supporting the impact assessment. A public consultation giving interested parties and the general public the possibility to provide input will also be carried out. This multi-faceted approach builds on previous consultations from 2022 and 2023, with all feedback being synthesised into a comprehensive synopsis report that will inform the Commission’s final impact assessment and proposal.

Why we are consulting?

The initiative will explore several options to address certain shortcomings identified in the 2022 fitness check of the EU animal welfare legislation. The aim is to revise this legislation insofar as on-farm welfare is concerned, including phasing out the use of cages.

Target audience

Any group directly affected by the legislation, such as farmers and other food business operators, and the public, animal welfare NGOs and consumer organisations.