The Commission’s New Work Programme: Where Are the Animals?
The European Commission’s Work Programme for 2027 is out today – and it contains no mention of the promise to revise standards for laying hens, broiler chickens, and pigs.



The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy advocates for animals at EU and national levels. We also work with other nonprofits and public administrations to help them achieve better treatment for animals.
Our mission is to guide all parties involved in animal-related rule-making, whether in legislation and regulations, private standards, or non-written common industry practices.
Our expertise focuses on non-human animals used for all types of exploitative purposes: food and fiber, entertainment, science, and companionship, as well as wild animals, which are increasingly harvested as commodities.
The Institute nurtures non-violent solutions that alleviate suffering and exploitation. We also support the development of animal law as an autonomous legal and academic discipline.
The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy advocates for animals by employing a wide variety of evidence-based and effective methods.
The Institute's work is based on top-notch legal research.
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The Institute relies on strategic expertise to achieve legal and regulatory reforms for animals.
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Our goal is to make animal protection organizations aware of how central the EU institutions are in shaping laws and regulations affecting the treatment of animals, and increase the animal protection movement's effectiveness and impact in the EU.
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The European Commission’s Work Programme for 2027 is out today – and it contains no mention of the promise to revise standards for laying hens, broiler chickens, and pigs.

The European Commission’s Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture is out, and we’re happy to see a mention of animal welfare. The text says the Commission will “further develop the EU framework for the welfare of farmed aquatic animals across all stages of production, building on existing good husbandry practices, guidance and scientific knowledge.”

1.6 billion cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry are transported across EU countries and outside the EU every year, making the bloc the biggest live animal exporter in the world. EU legislation on the protection of animals during transport is more than 20 years old – but the European Commission’s proposal for new rules on animal welfare during transport has been stuck with the co-legislators since its publication in December 2023.

