Animal welfare legislation in the European Union (E.U.) differs from one member state to another. Although the E.U. has established basic protections, hundreds of laws, regulations, and constitutional provisions governing the treatment of farmed animals, such as whether they can be kept in cages or mutilated without pain relief, are enacted at the national level.

This report from Eurogroup for Animals offers a comparative analysis of national animal welfare legislation across the E.U., focusing on the countries that have gone beyond the minimum requirements. It examines how protections differ by issue area and highlights what these inconsistencies mean for animals, farmers, and consumers. Ultimately, for advocates working towards systemic change, the findings offer evidence of the E.U.’s need for a unified approach to farmed animal welfare.

Caged Farming Systems

No member state is free of caged farming systems. Some have banned or are phasing out cages for specific species. Both Austria and Germany, for instance, are phasing out farrowing crates for sows and have already banned cages for rabbits. Others such as the Netherlands have banned specific types of cages like battery and enriched cages for laying hens. A few member states have taken the approach of placing restrictions on cage use. In Finland, for example, sows can’t be kept in farrowing crates for more than eight days. In contrast, cages continue to be widely used in countries like Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, and Malta.

The report argues that an E.U.-level ban on caged farming systems is urgently needed, not only to prevent widespread suffering, but to meet consumer expectations and fulfill the European Commission’s promise to take action.

Force-Feeding

The force-feeding of ducks and geese is central to foie gras production as currently practiced. Despite an E.U. directive stating that no animal is to be fed in a manner that causes unnecessary suffering or injury, force-feeding is still permitted in France, Hungary, Spain, and Bulgaria. However, a total of 22 member states have banned foie gras production altogether.

The report calls for an E.U.-wide ban on force-feeding, as well as the removal of minimum liver weights for geese and ducks and the revision of marketing regulations.

Fish Welfare

Limited attention has been paid to fish welfare across the E.U., with 16 member states having no legislation whatsoever for farmed fishes. Five have legislation that isn’t species specific, four have legislation covering a single species, and two have legislation addressing more than one species. Moreover, the level of detail in these laws varies. For example, Bulgaria mainly focuses on health requirements, while Norway has more extensive rules governing transport, farming, and slaughter.

The report notes that legislation and labelling standards often don’t extend to protecting fishes. Having the European Commission set rules for farmed fishes would help address these discrepancies, as well as bring the region more in line with the scientific evidence and expert consensus around fish sentience.

Mutilations

A wide range of mutilations, including castration, dehorning, teeth clipping, and beak trimming, are carried out to varying degrees across member states. Legislative approaches to these practices are mixed. Some are banned outright, while others are only allowed for certain species, under certain circumstances, or with certain conditions.

In Denmark, for instance, tail docking in pigs is prohibited unless there’s written documentation of tail biting, while in Germany, beak trimming has been virtually phased out for laying hens but is still routinely performed on turkeys.

Given this variation, the report emphasizes the need for harmonized E.U.-level legislation to protect farmed animals from these painful procedures. However, even current E.U. regulations aren’t necessarily being followed. For example, the directive for the protection of pigs prohibits routine tail docking, which means that 25 out of 27 member states are currently non-compliant.

Fur Farming

A total of 16 member states have banned fur farming outright, including Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, and Slovenia, among others. A further five member states have partial bans. In Denmark, for instance, it’s illegal to farm foxes or build new raccoon dog farms, yet a previous suspension on mink farming has been lifted. Finally, six member states either have no bans or are currently debating one. In Germany’s case, implementing stricter standards effectively phased out fur farming even without an official ban.

The report suggests that ongoing parliamentary debates over fur farming bans mean there may be further legislative changes, especially as so many E.U. citizens oppose the practice. However, E.U.-wide harmonization through a ban on placing farmed fur products on the market would still be beneficial.

A Unified Approach Is Needed

The findings reveal that legal protections for farmed animals in the E.U. vary not just from country to country, but also from one welfare issue to another. While a handful of member states have created stronger laws, many continue to rely on the minimum standards required by E.U. directives. Even within the same country, not all farmed animal species are afforded the same level of protection. Thus, progress is uneven and animals continue to suffer.

For animal advocates, this report provides a practical overview of where protections exist, where they’re missing, and where alignment is needed most. With the E.U. having committed to revising its animal welfare regulatory framework, this is a timely reminder that consistency matters. Stronger protections are important, but so is making sure they apply everywhere across the region, not just in the places where political will already exists.