news & updates

Together with 400+ organizations from 22 countries, we co-signed a letter, we call on the European Commission, Parliament, and Council to withdraw the proposed ban on 29 meat-related terms for plant-based products.

Fur farming used to be a significant sector of the animal farming industry in the European Union (EU), but has undergone a precipitous decline over the past years. By Gabriela Kubíková, Legislative Advocacy Manager.

We’re delighted to announce the launch event of our upcoming White Paper with Almo Nature and Deutscher TierschutzBund, “The Protection of Cats and Dogs in EU Law – Companion for Life: From Ownership to Responsibility.”

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) will speak on a panel in an event about animal trafficking at the European Parliament on October 14th. The event is organized by MEPs for Wildlife alongside Four Paws, IFAW, Humane World for Animals, Pro Wildlife, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

We supported a joint statement from the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) to the FAO Subcommittee on Trade asking that they stop encouraging the mass production of aquatic animals and adopt a coherent approach that considers animal welfare, the environment, and local communities.

Animal Welfare was notably absent from Ursula von der Leyen’s SOTEU, says the Brussels Times, quoting our Legislative Advocacy Manager Gabriel Kubikova: “The long overdue modernization of standards on the treatment of animals should be championed by all political actors.”

As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her State of the Union address, we note the absence of any mention of plans that will improve the lives of Europe’s animals.

Join Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) at the “International Disputes in Animal Law” webinar on Thursday October 2nd. Organised by The Animal Legal Education Initiative (ALEI) at GW Law.

Join the European Vegan Summit 2025 online, on 9th-11th September. Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) will take part in the panel discussion “Behind the Green Curtain: the Food Industry’s Marketing Tricks” on September 11th.

We are excited to announce a conference we’re co-organizing with the Fondation Droit Animal, Éthique & Sciences (LFDA), “Animal Protection and EU Law: Recent Developments and Prospective Change.”

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) was was quoted in an article published on Vox.com on the new Swiss food labeling laws.

Alice Di Concetto contributed to the Concise Encyclopedia of Animal Law with two entries on “Animals Used in Research and EU and International Law” and “Overview of EU Animal Law.” Use the code “ANML35” for a 35% discount.

On July 1st – 2nd, Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) was invited to discuss existing challenges to the legal representation of animal interests before the courts in Europe. The event took place at the Max Planck Institute for International and Comparative Law, in Hamburg (Germany).

Gabriela Kubíková (Policy Advisor) was interviewed by the Catalan News Agency (Agència Catalana de Notícies) about the recent vote on the cats and dogs regulation in the Parliament.

Alice Di Concetto co-authored an article with Hugo Marro-Menotti, published in the Sorbonne Doctoral Law review. The article presents the legal strategies advocates have used to achieve change for animals.

Alice Di Concetto (Executive Director) was interviewed by James Özden on the podcast “How I Learned to Love Shrimp” to discuss the recent developments in EU farm animal welfare reforms.

As a member of the Aquatic Animal Alliance, the Institute co-signed a letter calling the United Nations to make animal welfare a priority of global ocean policy. The letter was presented at the UN Ocean Conference, which took place in Nice.

The Institute joined forced with 130+ organizations under the leadership of the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) to present a policy path to achieve more humane food systems in the EU.

An article by Alice Di Concetto has been published in the Revista Catalana de Dret Públic (Catalan Journal of Public Law). The article, which is available in English, posits that EU legislature should integrate animal welfare rules across all policies affecting the treatment of animals.

This new research note examines the policy and regulatory instruments currently in place to limit and regulate greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture in the EU.

Yesterday the European Parliament’s AGRI Committee voted for the proposed “Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability” by 35 to 2, approving legislation that, for the first time in the history of EU law, will establish animal welfare standards for breeders and sellers of cats and dogs, mandate microchipping and registration as part of the sales process, and strengthen regulations to reduce the risks of illegal trafficking.

Grey wolves in Europe can no longer rely on strict protection under the Habitats Directive after a vote by MEPs today to downgrade them to “protected.”

It’s a bleak time for animals this Parliamentary term—but one glimmer of hope has been the long-overdue revision of the EU’s outdated live transport rules. After years of horror stories and policy inaction, it finally looked as if meaningful reform was on the table.

A joint letter with Four Paws and over 50 other organizations urges stricter amendments to the EU’s new “Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability.”

This White Paper, published in collaboration with L214, provides the latest information on technologies that could spare hundreds of millions of chicks from being brutally killed in European hatcheries.

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor at the Institute) authored an article on EU animal protection policies in a special issue of the review of the Fundació Irla, a Catalan think-tank promoting liberal thought.

The Institute has joined forces with 90+ organizations to call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. This declaration will be delivered to the UN Ocean Conference in France in June.

This article co-authored by Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor at the Institute), Ilaria Cimadori (University of Yale) and Khara Grieger (North Carolina State University) was published in the European Journal of Risk Regulation.

The Institute co-signed a statement jointly with other organizations of the Food Policy Coalition calling on the European Commission to promote animal welfare policy goals.

Our exhibition with EEB, “Factory Farming: Unveiling the Hidden Costs,” which took place in the European Parliament this week, received press coverage in key Brussels’ media, including the Brussels Times and POLITICO.

On April 3rd (World Aquatic Animal Day), Alice Di Concetto and Gabriela Kubíková will deliver a presentation on the treatment of fish during slaughter in EU law in a roundtable organized by Ethical Seafood Research and Global Research Network.

Join our Chief Legal Advisor, Alice Di Concetto, and other leading scholars on March 31st as they explore how legal frameworks should evolve to protect wild animals in a changing world. Hosted by the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy and the Global Research Network Think Tank on Animals and Biodiversity.

It’s all too easy to fool ourselves when we think about where our food comes from. Say the word “farm” and the average person may think of open fields, animals roaming freely, and harmony between nature and agriculture.

This article authored by Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) was published in the International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy.

This Research Note, published in partnership with Ethical Seafood Research, provides an overview of the EU legislative acts relevant to the treatment of farmed fish.

Our annual report includes a recap of our publications, media appearances, and our plans for the upcoming year. As we reflect upon our fourth year of operation, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our donors, subscribers, and friends for their continued support.

We’re thrilled to announce our latest publication, “Recent Developments in EU Animal Law & Policy 2019-2024” – a comprehensive collection of new legislation and court rulings impacting animals across the EU.

Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was quoted in this piece by the Brussels Times on the European Commission work program for agriculture and food, highlighting the lack of ambition of the Commission regarding animal protection and food transition.

In the European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, we see little that gives us confidence that things will change for animals. Is it simply a band-aid on a broken bone—covering up the issues without addressing the deeper, structural problems that need real transformation?

On February 21st, Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) will present at the French Senate during a conference celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the recognition of animal sentience in French civil law.

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) will present on the protection of fish in EU and UK law at the Fish Veterinary Society’s annual conference, which will take place in Edinburgh on March 4th – 5th.

Together with more than 70 EU-based organizations, the Institute co-signed a position paper advocating for building synergies between civil society groups to achieve the implementation of sustainable food policies in the EU.

Today we’re releasing a joint letter signed by 133 organisations – including BEUC, EPHA, Birdlife, IFOAM and Freshfel – that calls on Commissioner Christophe Hansen to adopt an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Food by 2026. 

Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was quoted in this piece by Yle (in Finnish) about how industrial farming lobbies have stalled cage-free reforms in EU law.

Over the course of her five-year mandate, Alice Di Concetto will play a key role in ensuring that the interests of animals are properly represented in discussions regarding their use in scientific research, as mandated in Directive 2010/63 on the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes.

Our Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, thanked Commissioner Kyriakides for her commitment to animal welfare in a op-ed published in The Brussels Times. “We hope her successor will recognize the critical importance of animal protection,” said Olga.

Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was quoted in this piece by Euractiv about the proposal for a new regulation on the transport of animals. Olga cautioned against the use of vague wording that might undermine animal protection goals.

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Adviser) will present on animals and business law at a roundtable on Animals and Law & Economics, at the annual conference of the French Association for Law and Economics, in Paris. The conference will take place in Paris. All presentations will be in English.

Gabriela Kubíková, Ph.D (Policy Adviser) published her first book on the welfare of farmed animals in EU law with Wolters Kluwer, in Czech (Dobré životní podmínky hospodářských zvířat v právu Evropské unie).

The Institute’s Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, will present at a webinar organized by Animal Welfare Food Community Japan, on October 31st. Olga will discuss prospective changes for farmed animals under the new European Commission.

Today, 27 newly released documents shed light on the significant pushback from industry lobbyists against recent advancements in animal welfare science. These papers challenge the latest scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

If you have 3+ years of experience, excellent verbal and written communications skills, a passion for animal protection, and event organization skills, we would be delighted to hear from you. For more information, please read our full job announcement. Applications are due by November 8th, 2024.

Join us on October 11th for a webinar organized by the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA). Alice Di Concetto, our Chief Legal Adviser, will present on the laws affecting farmed animals in France and the EU.

In honor of Ocean Week, we are excited to announce an upcoming webinar hosted by the Stop The Grind Coalition, we’re co-organizing with Sea Shepherd Global, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation on October 4th. This webinar will feature Alice Di Concetto, our Chief Legal Adviser, who will present on “Developing Supportive Policies and Regulations to End Whaling in Europe.”

In this blog post for Faunalytics, Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) takes a deep dive into recent media investigations revelations about how industrial farming lobbies have stalled legal reforms for animals.

Alice Di Concetto (Executive Director and Chief Legal Adviser) authored a chapter on EU Animal Law in the newly-published book “Nordic Animal Law: Welfare and Rights” (Ethics Press, 2024). This book provides an overview of animal protection laws in the Nordic countries, and is now available for purchase (hardcopies and e-book).

Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was quoted in this piece by ENDS Europe on the European Commission’s Report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.

The European Commission’s special advisory group on agriculture has pushed for further delays in the revision of the EU animal welfare laws in their new report, published today, 4 September 2024. This jeopardizes the EU’s ambitions to update the current legislation.

On September 14th, the Institute’s Director of Advocacy Olga Kikou will be in Warsaw, Poland to speak at this year’s Conference on Animal Rights in Europe (CARE) Conference organized by Anima International. Olga will discuss the factors accounting for the blocking of the revision of EU farm animal welfare legislation.

Our Chief Legal Adviser, Alice Di Concetto, will present on the recent developments in EU animal law at a webinar organized by the Dutch Association of Animal Rights Law on September 25th, 7–8:30pm (CET). In Dutch and English.

Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was interviewed on the European Vegan Summit’s podcast “EVS Talks.” In this episode, Olga provided an analysis of the new political dynamics in the European Parliament and what it means for animals.

In this blog post published on the “Stop the Grind” website, Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Adviser), presents how the substantial support the Faroe Islands receive from the EU represents a potential leverage point that the EU could use to halt the Grind.

Our Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, was quoted in an article by Euractiv on President Ursula Von der Leyen’s “Vision for Agriculture and Food.”

Our Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, was quoted in The Brussels Times on President Ursula Von der Leyen’s speech to the European Parliament.

Our Chief Legal Adviser, Alice Di Concetto, will present on the rules pertaining to the protection of animals used in the fashion industry at the Union Internationale des Avocats’s conference on September 6th – 7th, in Milan, Italy.

Our Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, was quoted in an article by Food Ingredients First on the potentially positive effect Ukraine’s membership to the EU could represent for animals.

Our Chief Legal Adviser, Alice Di Concetto, will present on the intersections between human rights and animal rights at the Union Internationale des Avocats’s conference on July 20th, in New York City.

Alice Di Concetto (Director) and Gabriela Kubíková (Policy Adviser) will present on animals in EU law at the University of Liverpool’s conference “Sustainability, Public Health and Animal Welfare” on June 6th.

Alice Di Concetto (Director and Chief Legal Adviser) will present on EU animal law at the Sorbonne Doctoral Review conference on May 28th in Paris, France.

Our Director of Advocacy, Olga Kikou, was quoted in this article by Euractiv, in reaction to the UK ban on the transport of live animals.

The Institute became a member of the Stop the Grind coalition, joining forces with Sea Shepherd and other animal protection organizations to end the practice of cetacean killing in the Faroe Islands.

Together with the Jeremy Coller Foundation, the European Institute for Animal Law & Policy organized an event on March 14th, in Brussels. The event gathered more than 50 participants in the EU animal law and policy space, and facilitated a fruitful discussion about lessons learned in 2023, and future opportunities to achieve a more just food system in the EU. At this occasion, the Institute and the Coller Foundation produced a poster providing an overview of the implementation of the European Green Deal measures, including those related to farm animal protection.

Alice Di Concetto presented on the topic of “The Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in EU Animal Agriculture: Moving Away from a Sectoral Regulatory Approach” at a symposium organized by the University of Tilburg, on the topic of “Reducing Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Role of Law.” The symposium took place in Amsterdam on December 7th.

At an event organized by “Stop the Grind” Coalition in the European Parliament on November 30th, Alice Di Concetto provided a detailed analysis of the legal framework allowing the traditional slaughter of pilot whales and dolphins to take place in the Faroe Islands. This report includes a recap of our newsletters, media appearances, and our […]

The Institute’s Chief Legal Adviser, Alice Di Concetto, was quoted in this piece published in EU Observer about the revision of EU farm animal welfare laws.

Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) and Pauline Koczorowski (Lawyer) published an adaption of the Institute’s Research Note on the treatment of wild-caught fish in the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) newsletter.

Alice Di Concetto presented on the topic of “Fish Welfare Goals and Standards in EU Policies” at the 5th Summer Shoal on Fish Welfare, which took place on September 23rd – 24th in Pedras d’El Rei, Portugal. This event was organized by Fair Fish International.

This Research Note, co-authored by Alice Di Concetto and Pauline Koczorowski, provides an overview of the EU legislative acts relevant to the treatment of wild-caught fish. This Note further lists recent legislative and legal developments, as well as reform proposals to achieve a more humane treatment of aquatic animals living in the sea.

Olga Kikou (CIWF EU) and Alice Di Concetto (The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy) published an op-ed in the Brussels Times. In it, they denounce the fact that the Big Agriculture lobby is banking on junk science to thwart progress.

Alice Di Concetto presented on the topic of “Science-Based Animal Welfare Legislation” at the Helsinki Animal Law Center Conference, which took place on June 12th – 14th in Helsinki, Finland. This report includes a recap of our newsletters, media appearances, and our plans for the upcoming year. As we reflect upon our first year, and […]

Alice Di Concetto presented on the topic of “Animals in the Future of EU Food Law” at the annual Future of Food Law Conference organized by Wageningen Research & University, in Wageningen (Netherlands), on May 26th. This report includes a recap of our newsletters, media appearances, and our plans for the upcoming year. As we […]

The Institute’s founder, Alice Di Concetto, co-authored a law review article with Prof. Aude-Solveig Epstein, entitled “EU Consumer Information as a Tool to Regulate the Treatment of Farm Animals: Potential and Limits.” The article was published in the European Journal of Consumer Law (2023/1).

The Institute’s founder, Alice Di Concetto, published a law review article entitled “Farm Animal Welfare and Food Information for European Union Consumers: Harmonising the Regulatory Framework for More Policy Coherence” in the European Journal of Risk Regulation, 2023.

Every year, 330 million day-old chicks are killed in the EU. Yet, solutions exist to the systematic killing of day-old poultry animals. Read our latest White Paper, published in collaboration with L214, to find out about solutions to achieve a prohibition on the killing of chicks in EU law.

Alice Di Concetto, Brigitte Gothière (L214), Olga Kikou (CIWF EU), Jo Swabe (HSI/Europe), Joe Moran (Four Paws), and Alina Puiu (F.R.E.E.) published an op-ed in the Brussels Times. In it, they call for the end of the systematic killing of chicks and ducklings in EU law.

Together with L214, the European Institute for Animal Law & Policy organized an event on January 10th, in the European Parliament, to raise awareness on the practice of male chick and female duckling killing in the egg and foie gras industries and to call for an EU-wide prohibition of such a practice.

Alice Di Concetto was quoted in an op-ed by Christopher McJetters published in Euronews. “Alice Di Concetto is a legal adviser at the European Institute for Animal Law & Policy. She says that legislation for protecting these animals is paper thin, literally.”

On 8 September 2022, the Court of Justice sided with the Czech Ministry of the Environment in deciding that an exotic animal breeder did not have the right to trade parrots who were the second-generation offspring of illegally imported birds. Read an analysis of this historic ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU […]

The Institute was quoted in Time Magazine: “In fact, notes Alice Di Concetto, founder of the European Institute for Animal Law and Policy, the European Commission is taking the opportunity of the cage proposal “to revise all EU farm animal welfare legislation. So there are other measures that hopefully will be included,” like chick grinding […]

Read Alice Di Concetto’s latest law review article, “International Law and Its Effects on EU Farm Animal Welfare Legislation,” in the Global Journal of Animal Law. In it, she looks at the influence of the Council of Europe’s conventions, WTO rules, and the Paris Agreement on the making of EU farm animal legislation.

The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) EU presented a webinar on EU farm animal welfare legislation on March 1st. The event was co-hosted by three Members of the European Parliament (MEPs): Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL, NL), Sylwia Spurek (The Greens, PL), and Michal Wiezik (Renew Europe, SK). MEP […]

Our report “For a More Humane Union” is out now! This report is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive legal review of EU farm animal welfare legislation, in preparation of its revision in the coming years.

The Institute collaborated with Four Paws International on the production of a Guidance Document to improve compliance with new EU rules on antimicrobials use through enhanced farm animal welfare standards. With contributions by Alice Di Concetto, LL.M, Dr. Paul Llonch, Dr. Eva Mainau, Dr. Xavier Manteca, and Dr. Deborah Temple.

Alice Di Concetto was quoted in this article by Sophie Kevany. In this article, Alice explains the extent to which enforcement mechanisms of EU animal welfare rules under the form of reduced subsidies are largely ineffective.

Alice Di Concetto was quoted in this article by Sophie Kevany. In this article, Alice explains the extent to which enforcement mechanisms of EU animal welfare rules under the form of reduced subsidies are largely ineffective.

Alice Di Concetto and Olga Kikou (CIWF EU) published an op-ed in the Brussels Times. In it, they call for an ambitious reform of EU animal welfare legislation for pigs.