Improving Animal Welfare in EU Agricultural Policy

A new report shows that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), although it is the EU's most important agricultural policy measure, is not being used particularly well when it comes to promoting the welfare of farm animals in Europe.

However, if some changes were made to the way this legislation is approached, countless sentient beings could benefit.

As the European Commission seeks to revise all of its legislation on animal welfare, it must address an important instrument that has so far been largely underutilised: the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

This policy may sound dry, but it actually has enormous potential to significantly improve the welfare of farm animals. It affects how all agricultural holdings in the EU are managed, and sets important standards and benchmarks that farmers must adhere to. If animal welfare were given greater consideration within the CAP, this could genuinely transform animal protection.

Since its introduction in 1962, the CAP has been implemented in fixed periods, with the possibility of being adapted and improved at regular intervals. As the largest recipient of EU funds, it offers farmers several ways to receive financial support, for example through various programmes and schemes as well as through the CAP Strategic Plans (LSPs) of individual member states. As recipients of CAP funds, every member state in the EU is required to draw up its own LSP for each new period, setting out in detail how it will use the funds received.

In the report “Improving animal welfare through the Common Agricultural Policy" (Improving Animal Welfare through the Common Agricultural Policy) identified a total of 136 animal welfare-relevant support schemes. The report also highlights many opportunities for improving animal welfare through the CAP that are currently not being utilized as effectively as possible.

Current issues in the representation of animal welfare in national plans

The current CAP allocates over 35 billion euros to support programs related to animal welfare and animal health. While this is an enormous figure, a significant portion of the funds is used for measures whose actual impact on animal welfare is limited or unclear. Furthermore, a large share of the funds flows into productivity increases and disease control, meaning that other important animal welfare measures — such as providing outdoor access for animals, pain relief measures, and the abolition of permanent tethering — are largely neglected.

There is also an imbalance in the animal species addressed in these national plans. Cows are by far the most frequently targeted livestock, followed by pigs and sheep, whereas farmed birds and rabbits receive far less consideration. Given that chickens raised for meat production are by far the most widely farmed animals in the EU, this represents a clear shortcoming.

Finally, there is a discrepancy between the changes demanded by scientists and citizens and the measures actually supported under the CAP. For example, only a handful of schemes directly address the abolition of cages for laying hens and sows, despite the fact that numerous citizens have called for this EU-wide transition as part of the European Citizens' Initiative “End The Cage Age.”

How can animal welfare be more effectively integrated into the CAP?

While animal welfare is technically represented in several national plans, the ambition of the measures implemented varies greatly from one member state to another.

Few national plans address the structural investments needed to develop animal-friendly husbandry systems in the long term. Looking at the CAP as a whole, there is also a lack of EU-wide animal welfare objectives that member states must meet. It is therefore not surprising that the individual approaches to animal welfare under this agricultural policy are fragmented.

Fortunately, there are several ways in which policymakers can move forward – by aligning the CAP more effectively with the needs of farm animals and supporting member states in placing animal welfare more centrally and ambitiously in their NSPs. The report's recommendations include:

• Structural changes should be supported by CAP funds at EU level, and long-term investments with high animal welfare standards should be prioritised over short-term measures;
• EU-wide animal welfare objectives and targets should be established along with time-bound goals (e.g. the elimination of cages) to ensure clarity and coherence in the treatment of animal welfare issues across member states;
• Member states should address overlooked animal welfare issues (e.g. tethering) within the framework of their strategic plans.
• Member states should be guided by scientific guidelines when introducing animal welfare measures, drawing on the recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority, in order to ensure measurable improvements in animal welfare.

All plans introduced under the CAP should also be effectively enforced after implementation.

This qualitative assessment, the first of its kind, provides important recommendations for the next CAP. With the planned modernisation of EU animal welfare legislation, the CAP has the potential to support farmers who transition to the modernised standards early, before they come into force. To achieve this, the CAP must be aligned with modernised animal welfare standards and ensure that measures in line with scientific recommendations, such as the phasing out of cages, are incorporated into member states' strategic plans. – Camilla Björkbom, Policy Adviser on Food Policy, Eurogroup for Animals

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