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Displaying 1 - 24 of 185 Publications

Genetically altered animals used in biomedical research

Animals in Science
Position Paper

The use of genetically altered animals has become routine within biomedical and pharmaceutical research. However, a number of serious ethical, welfare and safety concerns arise from the creation and use of genetically altered animals.

Eurogroup for Animals is opposed to the use of animals in science, testing and education which causes animals pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.

Extreme breeding in Europe

Cats & Dogs
Report

Extreme breeding has become a major animal welfare concern, especially in the last decade with the surge in popularity of extremely brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs and other companion animals showing extreme features. Countries across Europe have tried with varied success, different initiatives from education, media campaigns, to regulation, legislation and multi stakeholder working groups to name a few, to tackle the issue.

This report aims at mapping the existing legislation on extreme breeding and extreme features in the EU and other European countries. Aware of the already applied measures across the EU Member States, and having the EU consumer and the EU Single Market in mind, the report is calling for EU-wide legislative initiative as a prominent instrument to effect change.

A data dump of suffering: The EU’s long-distance trade in farm animals exposed

Farm Animals
Report

A cache of unpublished records obtained in summer 2023 reveals disturbing new evidence on the extent and nature of the EU’s trade in farm animals.

The data comprises official planning records relating to more than 180,000 consignments of animals, moving between EU countries and to non-EU countries between October 2021 – April 2023. It clearly shows that the rules for live transport are not robust or detailed enough to truly protect the welfare of animals in the sector.

A joint report by Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming.

Scientific declaration on insect sentience and welfare

Farm Animals
Scientific Statement

This scientific declaration contains signatures from scientists and academics across various fields who consider that the available body of evidence regarding insect biology, sentience, and welfare is sufficiently strong for policymakers and insect producers to regulate and implement evidence-based welfare measures.

Enhancing insect welfare: assessing dietary practices for farmed insects in the European Union

Farm Animals
Report

As of November 2023, ten species of insect are currently authorised (or are pending authorisation) to be farmed in Europe. While the insect farming industry is rapidly developing and is already rearing insects by the billions, clear rules on their welfare are still missing due to lack of research and interest from policymakers.

This report explores one critical welfare consideration that is currently being overlooked: the diets of farmed insects. It describes what each species is being fed on insect factory farms in the EU, and offers recommendations for improvement. Ultimately, through positive diet change, this research aims to improve farmed insects' quality of life in a rapidly-expanding sector that shows no sign of slowing down.

Foreword by Eurogroup for Animals. Report by Dr. Helen Lambert and Dr. Amelia Cornish.

Business case: the benefits of a carcass over a live animal trade

Farm Animals
Report

Eurogroup for Animals commissioned Human Behaviour Change for Life (HBCL) to write this report: ‘Business case: the benefits of a carcass over a live animal trade’.

This document considers the business case for a change to the export of carcass meat instead of live animals from the European Union (EU) to third countries. It includes the current economic, environmental, and societal challenges and opportunities that these different approaches present.

The research provides a unique insight into the costs of the trade through the development and use of innovative modelling, frameworks, case studies and evidence-based approaches. It enables the consideration of how a move from live animal export towards a meat and carcass trade could be advantageous for the agricultural sector, the environment, and wider society.

Stop cruel imports! Applying EU animal welfare standards to all products placed on the EU market

Trade & Animal Welfare
Policy Briefing

According to the most recent Eurobarometer on animal welfare, 93% of European citizens want imported animal products to respect the same animal welfare standards as those applied in the European Union (EU). EU citizens do not want their consumption to fuel inhumane and unsustainable models of production beyond the EU’s borders. This report describes, for each key species, the impact that imposing animal welfare import requirements could have on source countries. To do so, it looks at the share that the EU market represents for top source countries - from an amount and a value perspective - and compares animal welfare standards with those applied in the EU. As exporters are often large multinational companies, it also identifies the commitments these companies have already adopted in the field of animal welfare, often beyond the legislative requirements where they are based.

The culling of day-old poultry

Farm Animals
Position Paper

In this Position Paper, we explain how we’d like the EU to address the issue of day-old poultry culling, which namely affects ducklings and male chicks in the farming sector.

Call for publication of updated animal welfare legislative proposal within current political term

Political Advocacy
Letter

The current animal welfare legislation is outdated and in need of an urgent update to respond to societal expectations and scientific evidence, both of which have evolved dramatically while EU animal welfare rules have largely remained unchanged. As the revision of the animal welfare legislation moves towards its due publication date in Q3 of 2023, the 600+ undersigned stakeholders have addressed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with their their expectation and full support for the swift publication of a future-focussed and comprehensive legislative proposal within this political term.

Cage enrichment on fur farms: Inadequate and unworkable

Wildlife
Report

This reports provides an overview of current housing standards for mink, foxes and racoon dogs farmed for their fur in European countries, and confirms, through scientific evidence, that attempts to introduce cage enrichment or alternative housing systems to improve animal welfare are doomed to failure.

European Research Area action “Towards medical sciences and regulatory testing without the use of animals”

Animals in Science
Guidelines

In its response to the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’, the European Commission proposed a European Research Area policy action to reduce animal use in research and regulatory testing. This action aims to mobilise Member States to streamline their national and regional policies to reduce the use of animals in research and testing, while accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal methods.

Achieving the goal to phase-out the use of animals in science requires the active involvement of a substantial number of stakeholders operating at Member State level. These actors include national/regional regulatory agencies, ministries, industry, other funding bodies, academia and ethics committees. This working document provides examples of actions that can be taken jointly by Member States to accelerate the transition towards medical science and regulatory testing without the use of animals.

Symbiotic Guardians: At the intersection of animal welfare, human rights and the environment

Trade & Animal Welfare
Policy Briefing

In February 2022 the European Commission published its proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. This directive shall require from EU companies, as well as certain non-EU companies operating in the EU, to address human rights and environmental issues in their value chains through mandatory due diligence for human rights, environmental, and climate-change concerns.

This legislative proposal is an opportunity for the EU and its Member States to address animal welfare throughout international supply chains. By including animal welfare in the due diligence efforts imposed on companies, the EU and its Member States would better contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the legislation. Indeed, improving animal welfare throughout the value chain would benefit the right to health by reducing the risk of food-borne diseases and zoonoses and by allowing to lessen the use of antibiotics in livestock farming, one of the key triggers of the current surge in antimicrobial resistance. It would also provide leverage to fight human rights violations in the animal agriculture industry.

The illusion of choice: Why someone already decided what you will eat for lunch

Farm Animals
Report

A new report by the 'Put Change on the Menu' coalition (Eurogroup for Animals, the European Public Health Alliance and the European Consumer Organisation).

There's growing evidence that our food choices are shaped by the ‘food environments’ we navigate in.* Most people, however, do not realise the extent to which our eating habits are steered by powerful influences in our everyday lives, from the food ads that are pushed in front of us to the 'promos' and discounts on offer at our local supermarkets.

Unfortunately, today’s food environments largely steer us towards diets which are not in-line with healthy eating recommendations, high animal welfare standards, or the European Commission's vision for sustainable food and farming.

This report takes a look at the critical role of food environments in encouraging citizens to shift to healthy, more plant-based diets with ‘less and better’ animal source foods, and argues why these environments should be a critical consideration when the Commission works on its Framework for Sustainable Food Systems legislation this autumn (2023). It was launched at an event on July 28 - watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jrtx_mbUk8

* Food environments are the “physical, economic, political and socio-cultural context in which consumers engage with the food system to make their decisions about acquiring, preparing and consuming food”. (Source: HLPE ‘Nutrition and food systems’ report)

Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Political Advocacy
Annual Report

2022 has been an extraordinary year, both in terms of the challenges it has posed and the wealth of opportunities to advance our work for animal protection in Europe and beyond.

Dive into our Annual Report 2022 - 2023 and discover the highlights of the year and the major advances for animals.

Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics: Briefing following the ECI

Animals in Science
Policy Briefing

This briefing has been prepared on behalf of five animal protection NGOs campaigning at EU level to end animal testing (Cruelty Free Europe, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, Humane Society International/Europe and PETA), in follow-up to the successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing’ [1], which was declared valid on 25th January 2023 with 1,217,916 signatures and promoted by over 100 national organisations.

Animal Welfare in the EU-Australia FTA

Trade & Animal Welfare
Factsheet

The EU and Australia are nearing the end of negotiations for a free trade agreement, with both sides expecting talks to conclude this summer. It is therefore critical that the partners take the opportunity of these final stages to achieve ambitious provisions on animal welfare in the agreement, including the recommendations outlined in this EU-Australia factsheet

External costs of animal sourced foods in the EU

Farm Animals
Report

Report by the Impact Institute, commissioned by Eurogroup for Animals - now with a new annex (updated September 2023).

Domesticated animals play a major role in human agricultural and food systems, both historically and today. The continuous growth in global wealth, as well as increased efficiency and industrialisation of animal sourced food production, has created both unprecedented quantities of, and access to, animal sourced food.

In view of these developments, Eurogroup for Animals commissioned an investigation into the true
costs of EU animal sourced food production and consumption. This report discusses the assessment of the EU’s production and consumption of animal sourced food. It evaluates the extent of external costs to human health, the environment, low animal welfare and human livelihood brought about by producing and consuming animal sourced food.

Moreover, the report discusses recommendations to address the externalities of the industrial animal food industry. This work can be used to inform policy and decision-making processes regarding the new EU animal welfare legislation.

The case against fur factory farming: a scientific review of animal welfare standards and ‘WelFur’

Wildlife
Report

In the first edition of this report, published in 2015, we examined the welfare of mink and foxes farmed for fur in Europe and evaluated the fur industry’s WelFur protocols for on-farm welfare assessment. We concluded that WelFur could not address the major welfare issues for mink and foxes farmed for fur, the issues associated with inhumane handling and slaughter methods, or the serious inadequacies in fur labelling and regulation in Europe.

In this revised edition of our report, we update the scientific evidence regarding the welfare of animals farmed for fur in Europe, assess claims that these animals are, or could be, domesticated, and the credibility of WelFur.

EU Positive List: a proposal to regulate the trade in animals destined for life as a pet

Wildlife
White Paper

Exotic pets in Europe are not only a mounting concern for animal welfare, public health and safety, and biodiversity conservation, but the patchwork of efforts to regulate the trade in Member States also undermines the internal market. The lack of uniformity in approaches across the Union makes the true extent of trade flows difficult to monitor and the enforcement of the rules that exist next to impossible.

As a solution, this White Paper proposes the establishment of an EU-wide positive list. This list would be elaborated using scientific risk assessments of which species can be considered ‘companion animals’ in full respect of their welfare needs, and their biological and husbandry requirements.

The grim reality of industrial animal farming

Farm Animals
Report

Though the EU recognises farmed animals as sentient beings, the current animal welfare legislation does not take into account their innate needs and natures. In fact, loopholes and oversights in the laws that were written to protect them mean these poor beings are often mistreated and neglected by those that are meant to care for them, as well as housed in miserable environments, fed poor diets, and slaughtered inhumanely after experiencing lives full of stress, frustration and anxiety.

This cannot continue. When the European Commission revises the animal welfare legislation later this year, they must include strong, precise, and species-specific rules that support and protect the mental, emotional and physical state of all farm animals. This report covers five species and issues that particularly need the Commission's attention.

This report was created in-line with this exposé video, which features undercover footage from our MOs of the issues it explores (https://youtu.be/1LqIK_JVadg).