March 2025 Newsletter – The European Commission's Vision for Agriculture and Food
Welcome to the March edition of the European Institute for Animal Law & Policy's newsletter!
Greetings to all of our subscribers in Europe and around the world,
Today, we are pleased to share a series of special announcements:
Our 2024 annual report is out!
We have officially launched our new publication series titled “EU Animal Law in Review,” which details recent advancements in EU animal law. Our inaugural publication in this series presents a five-year review of EU animal law, highlighting key developments from 2019 to 2024 at both EU level and across the 27 EU Member States.
Together with L214, we have updated our 2023 White Paper on Chick and Duckling Killing, providing the latest information on technologies that could spare hundreds of millions of chicks from being brutally killed in egg industry hatcheries.
Last but not least, in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Institute will present an exhibition titled, “Factory Farming: Unveiling the Hidden Costs” at the European Parliament from March 24th to 27th. We invite you to register for the exhibition launch event, which will take place on March 25th, here.
In this edition of the newsletter:
Updates from the Institute
Our 2024 Annual Report
Policy Update: Farm Animals in the European Commission’s Work Program
Animal Law News
EU
Member States
International Law
Events
Academic Opportunities
Publications
Updates from the Institute
Events
Upcoming
From March 24th to the 27th, the Institute will present an exhibition at the European Parliament on the hidden costs of factory farming, including animal cruelty and environmental impacts. This exhibition has been organized in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and will be co-hosted by MEPs Tilly Metz, Manuela Ripa, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Michal Wiezik, and Anja Hazekamp. The exhibition will also feature the work of award-winning Canadian photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur, who will appear as the special guest speaker. We invite you to register for the March 25th launch event here.
On March 31st, Alice Di Concetto (Chief Legal Advisor) will present her most recently published law review article, “Beyond Ecological and Economic Value: Taking into Account Wild Animals’ Inherent Interests in EU Environmental Law” at an online roundtable co-organized by the International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy. (More information soon.)
On March 15th, Alice will join a roundtable on animals in the law at the Université de la terre conference (in French) at UNESCO, in Paris.
Past Events
On March 5th, Alice presented on the protection of fish in EU and UK law at the Fish Veterinary Society’s annual conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.
On February 21st, Alice presented on animal advocacy in the EU at a conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the recognition of animal sensitivity in French civil law in Paris (French Senate).
On February 19th, Anatole Poinsot (Legal Advisor) presented on animal welfare standards in EU quality labels at the FAO’s international conference on “Worldwide Perspectives on Geographical Indications,” in Rome.
Media Appearances
Olga Kikou (Director of Advocacy) was quoted in the daily Politico newsletter and The Brussels Times on February 20th regarding the European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, a policy document that forms the basis of the EU’s policy orientation for the next four years. (See our analysis below.)
Publications
EU Animal Law in Review: “Recent Developments in EU Animal Law & Policy: 2019 – 2024 in Review” is the inaugural edition of our new “EU Animal Law in Review” series. This special edition highlights the most significant developments of the past five years at both EU level and across the 27 EU Member States.
White Paper: Together with L214, we have updated our 2023 White Paper on Chick and Duckling Killing, providing the latest information on technologies that could spare hundreds of millions of chicks from being brutally killed in egg industry hatcheries. This white paper is co-authored by Alice Di Concetto, Olivier Morice (L214), Dr. Mathias Corion, and Simão Monteiro Belo dos Santos.
Law Review Article: Alice Di Concetto’s most recent law review article, Beyond Ecological and Economic Value: Taking into Account Wild Animals’ Inherent Interests in EU Environmental Law, was published in the International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy’s special issue on “Theory, Wildlife, and the Law.”
Together with more than 70 EU-based organizations, the Institute co-signed a position paper on Building a Sustainable and Diversified Protein Landscape Beyond Polarization: Opportunities for Farmers, Society, and the Environment, which was published on January 28th.
Annual Report
Our 2024 Annual Report includes a recap of last year’s publications and media appearances, and our projects for the upcoming year. As we reflect on our fourth year of existence and look ahead to the next, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our donors, subscribers, colleagues, and friends for your continued support and interest. Our work would not be possible without you.
Policy Update: Farm Animals in the European Commission’s Work Program
The Commission published its work program for the next four years (2025 – 2029) on February 11th. The Work Program provides an overview of the various policy actions the Commission intends to carry out and contains general statements on food and agriculture. In the Work Program, the focus on competitiveness through simplifications dominates, and no proposals for new legislation on farm animal welfare appear in the Annex as prospective policy initiatives – although this list is not final.
On February 19th, a few days after publishing its work program, the Commission published another policy document, “A Vision for Agriculture and Food Shaping Together an Attractive Farming and Agri-Food Sector for Future Generations.” This document serves as the specific work program of the Commission in the field of food and agriculture. Consistent with the Work Program, the Commission also insists on the need to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU animal agriculture industry, touting “EU livestock farmers” as “world leaders” (p.16). The Commission furthermore presents the EU as a “world / global leader” five times in the Vision but provides no data to support these statements.
Uncertainty Surrounding the Revision of EU Animal Welfare Laws and the Future of the EU Cage Ban Persists
On the specific issue of farm animal protection, the content of the Commission’s “Vision for Agriculture” is disappointing. While the Commission commits to “present[ing] proposals on the revision of the existing animal welfare legislation, including its commitment to phase out cages” (p. 24), it fails to provide a timeline. As a result, there remains uncertainty over the exact time when the publication of the new legislation will take place. The previous draft version of the “Vision for Agriculture” referred to a phase-out of “cages and other closed confinement systems.” In the absence of a regulatory definition for “cages,” it is unclear whether the Commission considers cages to encompass all confinement systems but simply improved the wording for more concision, or if the Commission wanted to focus on cages in the strictest sense, such as those used to confine egg-laying hens, as opposed to confinement systems used on calves and sows.
A Vision on Food That Ends Up as a Word Salad
Furthermore, the Commission makes no reference to the need for the EU to reduce animal-source food production and consumption and transition towards more plant-based diets – like it did in the 2020 Farm-to-Fork Strategy.
However, the Commission announced that it “will consider targeted labeling in relation to animal welfare to address societal expectations” (p. 24) something it had also already considered in the 2020 Farm-to-Fork Strategy (“The Commission will also consider options for animal welfare labelling to better transmit value through the food chain,” p. 8), even though not all animal advocacy organizations agree that labeling should be a priority. For instance, at the Institute, we believe the Commission should focus on direct regulatory actions rather than consumer-based strategies, given the decreased purchasing power of consumers in the euro-zone.
In the “Vision for Agriculture,” the Commission furthermore commits to “pursue, in line with international rules, a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products, notably on [...] animal welfare” (p. 13). The degree of ambition in the extra-territoriality of EU animal welfare standards thus remains unclear at this stage, as this statement is broad enough to suggest that the Commission may simply try to negotiate with its trade partners to apply EU animal welfare standards (or equivalents) to imports.
Additionally, in this policy document, the Commission appears to have shifted its view on public procurement compared to its position in the 2020 Farm-to-Fork Strategy. The Commission now simply advises “a ‘best value’ approach” (p. 23), as opposed to avoiding “marketing campaigns advertising meat at very low prices” in the 2020 Farm-to-Fork Strategy (p.12).
When considering the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, it seems the Commission is now reluctant to make clear statements for which it could be held liable. As a result, the “Vision for Agriculture and Food” reads like a series of vague policy statements, with no clearly enunciated or timed commitments. The “Vision” ends up being one of the lowest quality documents the Commission has produced to date, which leads us at the Institute to question the integrity of the EU policy-making process.
Animal Law News
Animal Law News in the EU
🇪🇺 EU
📝 New Laws
Farm Animals (Trade): On January 28th, the Commission increased tariff quotas by roughly 30% for beef (starting in 2025) and about 35% (starting in 2028) for poultry meat from Chile, by way of an Implementing Regulation 2025/184 on the modification and management of certain tariff quotas. This regulation implements the Interim Agreement on Trade between the EU and Chile.
⚖️ Rulings
Access to Documents: In a ruling handed down on January 16th (C-725/22), the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) reinforced the right of access to administrative documents and the principle of transparency in EU decision-making processes. Specifically, the nonprofit Polinis had requested that the Commission grant access to documents on the risk assessment of certain pesticides on wild and honey bees, a request the Commission denied. The CJEU sided with Pollinis by ordering the Commission to disclose the requested documents.
🔴 Infringement Procedures
Wild Animals (Cetaceans): The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Croatia (INFR(2024)2223) for failing to implement the measures required under the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) to monitor and prevent bycatch of cetaceans, turtles, and seabirds by fishing vessels.
Wild Animals (Birds): The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Malta (INFR(2020)2346) for failing to comply with a CJEU ruling from September 2024 (C-23/23) in which the Court found that Malta had violated its obligations under the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) by allowing the live capture of seven species of wild finches.
Wild Animals (Birds): The Commission referred France (INFR(2019)2151) to the CJEU for violating the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC). Specifically, the Commission alleges that France has authorized the use of non-selective capture methods, horizontal and vertical nets in five departments (Gers, Lot-et-Garonne, Gironde, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and les Landes) – such capture methods are prohibited under the Birds Directive.
✍️ Public Consultations
Public Procurement: The European Commission is calling for feedback as part of its evaluation of Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement.
Deadline: March 7th, 2025.
Genetically Selected Animals: EFSA is seeking feedback on its Draft Scientific Opinion on New Developments in Biotechnology Applied to Animals, which provides guidance on the development and use of new technologies, including synthetic biology (SynBio) and new genomic techniques (NGT) on animals.
Deadline: March 19th.State Aid: The Commission is seeking feedback on the draft amendments to the State aid Implementing Regulation 794/2004 and the State aid Best Practices Code (BPC). These amendments would create a procedure allowing nonprofits to request that the Commission review certain state aid decisions.
Deadline: March 21st.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): The Commission is seeking contribution for the evaluation of EFSA’s performance in the 2017–2024 period. Deadline: April 1st.
Aquatic animals (Common Fisheries Policy): The European Commission is seeking feedback on its evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Deadline: April 21st.Other News
Farm Animals (Transport): Before leaving office in mid-February, the German Minister for Agriculture officially called on the EU to restrict the export of live animals.
Economic Law: On February 26th, the Commission published a series of legislative proposals (“Omnibus package”) aiming to relax regulatory standards on sustainability in the fields of sustainable finance reporting, sustainability due diligence, EU Taxonomy, carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), and European investment programs. The Commission had adopted these standards by way of directives and regulations in the past term (Directives 2022/2464, Directive 2024/1760, Commission Delegated Regulation 2021/2178, Regulation 2023/956). Proposed changes to these directives and regulations include:
A reduction in scope, excluding around 80% of companies from the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Postponing the reporting requirements for companies currently in the scope of CSRD by two years (until 2028), and postponing the application of the sustainability due diligence requirements for the largest companies by one year (to 26 July 2028).
Excluding small and medium-sized companies from the scope of the EU Taxonomy reporting obligations.
Making sustainability due diligence easier by focusing on direct business partners and by reducing the frequency of assessments and monitoring.
Exempting small importers (SMEs and individuals) from CBAM obligations.
Member States
📝 New Laws
🇪🇸 Spain – Aquatic Animals: On February 4th, Spain ratified the United Nations Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also referred to as the “High Seas Treaty”), becoming the first EU country to ratify this treaty.
🇫🇷 France – Wild Animals (wolves): On February 7th, the French Ministry of Agriculture issued a rule relaxing the rules on the hunting of wolves.
🇫🇷 France – Labeling: On February 13th, the French administration adopted a rule requiring producers to disclose the country of fattening and slaughter of fresh lamb, poultry, and pork served in collective catering and restaurants.
⚖️ Rulings
🇧🇪 Belgium (Flanders) – Farm Animals: In a ruling handed down on January 22nd, the highest administrative court in Belgium (Conseil d’État) struck down animal welfare rules on turkeys. The Flemish administration had adopted these rules in December 2023 to provide maximum stocking densities, specifications on enrichment materials, and the method by which turkeys may be physically picked up.
🇫🇷 France – Hunting: In a decision handed down on February 10th, the French highest administrative court (Conseil d’État) rejected the hunting federations’ challenge to the legality of a 2023 rule outlining requirements for hunting species considered as pests. The hunting federations specifically challenged the exclusion of certain bird species (Eurasian magpie, beech marten, and pine marten) from the list, and they challenged the prohibition against the den hunting of foxes in specific areas.
🇫🇷 France – Wild Animals (Circuses): In a ruling handed down on February 14th, the constitutional court of France upheld the constitutionality of the 2021 French law that prohibits the use of wild animals in traveling circuses beginning in 2028, and allows the use of wild animals in non-traveling circuses. This judicial review was requested by the animal protection organization One Voice.
Other News
🇲🇹 Malta – Wild Animals (Captivity): The Maltese government announced the publication of a new proposal for legislation allowing owners of wild animals in captivity to register their animals for a three-month period. This new law aims to bring owners of wild animals in compliance with a 2016 law, which required all wild animals in captivity in private homes to be neutered and registered with the competent authorities.
🇳🇱 Netherlands – Chick Killing: On February 11th, the Dutch government published a roadmap for the phase out of chick killing in the egg industry by way of a legislative ban that would take effect in 2026.
🇪🇸 Spain – Farm Animals (Humanewashing): The animal protection organization ARDE submitted a series of complaints to the Spanish consumer protection administration alleging that certain food distributors sold food products containing misleading claims on animal welfare.
🇸🇪 Sweden – Aquatic Animals (Fishing): On January 22nd, the Swedish government proposed a new law that would ban button trawling in Swedish marine protected areas.
🌏 International Law
📝 New Laws
🇦🇷 Argentina – Farm Animals (Transport): On February 25th, the Argentinian administration adopted a rule allowing the live export of animals to resume, effectively ending the prohibition on the live export of animals that had been in place in Argentine law since 1973.
🇳🇴 Norway – Fur Animals: The law banning fur farming, which was passed in 2019, entered into force on February 1st.
Other News
🇳🇴 Norway – Animal Welfare: On December 20th, 2024, the Norwegian government published a report on animal welfare, with reform proposals of animal welfare rules for farmed terrestrial and aquatic animals, companion animals, animals used for scientific purposes, and wild animals in the specific context of hunting and fishing activities.
Events
Academia
Talk – Jérôme de Hemptinne, The Protection of Animals During Warfare, Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, March 13th, online. Learn more.
Talk – Ashima Sharma, Situating Animal Rights in Law Through Legal Personhood Lite: Reconceptualizing Legal Personality for Animals, University of Helsinki, Animal Law Centre, March 26th, Helsinki, Finland and online. Learn more.
Talk – Andrea Brock, Policing Animal Liberation, Enforcing Ecocide, Animals, Nature & Society Research Stream (Centre for Human Rights, Birmingham City University) and The UK Centre for Animal Law, March 28th, Birmingham (UK) and online. Learn more.
Roundtable – Theory, Wildlife, and the Law: Authors’ Roundtable, the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy and the Global Research Network, March 31st 2025, online. Learn more.
Talk – Anna Caramuru, A Phenomenological and Ecofeminist Account of Animal Rights, University of Helsinki, Animal Law Centre, May 7th, Helsinki, Finland and online. Learn more.
Talk – Jessica Tselepy, I am More than Cargo: An Examination of the Legality of Measures Which Restrict the Trade of Farmed Non-Human Animals Within the WTO Regime, University of Helsinki, Animal Law Centre, May 28th, Helsinki (Finland) and online. Learn more.
Conference – Harms and Freedoms: Captivity, Natural Habitats, and Sanctuary, the Animal Legal Education Initiative (ALEI) at the George Washington University Law School, April 3rd – 5th 2025, Washing DC (USA). Learn more.
Conference – International Wildlife Law Conference, April 8th – 9th 2025, Gulfport, Florida (USA). Learn more.
Conference – Animal Liberation: 1975 – 2025 and Beyond, Rennes University, June 4th – 5th 2025, Rennes (France). Learn more.
Conference – 5th Annual UK Animal Law Conference, Birmingham City University, June 4th – 5th 2025, Birmingham (UK). Learn more.
Conference – The Legal Distinction Between Persons and Things: Changing Perspectives, University of Antwerp, July 7th – 8th 2025, Antwerp (Belgium). Learn more.
Summer School – The EU Transition Towards Sustainable Food Systems: Legal and Policy Perspectives, The Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, July 7th – 11th, Pisa (Italy). Learn more.
Summer School – The Ethics of Captivity, The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Annual Summer School, August 4th – 7th, Oxford, UK. Learn more.
Conference – European Animal Rights Law Conference, Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, September 4th – 5th, Cambridge (UK). (More information to come.)
Conference – Animal Law Conference, Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Center for Animal Legal Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School, October 17th–19th, Chicago (USA). Learn more.
NGOs
Exhibition – Factory Farming: Unveiling the Hidden Costs, March 24th – 27th, European Parliament, Brussels (Belgium). Learn more.
Summit – AVA Summit North America, May 15th–18th, Los Angeles (USA). Learn more.
Academic Opportunities
Essay Competition – The Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law’s annual essay competition is accepting submissions on the topics of “Is Rights of Nature a Useful Framework for Giving Rights to Animals?” until March 15th. Learn more.
Special Course – The Ca’ Foscari University of Venice is offering a course on “Non-Human Animal Law and Rights in the EU” (Jean Monnet Module) from February 7th to June 13th in Venice, Italy. Learn more.
Summer Program – The application for the Seventh Annual International Summer Institute In Animal Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is open. Deadline to apply: March 9th 2025. Learn more.
PhD Positions – The Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa (Italy) offers fully funded PhD positions in agri-food and environmental law as part of its “Human Rights, Global Politics and Sustainability: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives” program. Learn more.
Animal Law Courses in Italy – Animal Law Italia has published a list of all animal law courses and programs available in Italy.
Publications
Academia
Eva Bernet Kempers, Against Utilitarianism, Journal of Animal Law, Ethics, and One Health (2025), Special Issue on Accelerating Replacement of Animal Experimentation: Critical Theoretical Perspectives Animal Testing Law.
Elien Verniers and Eva Bernet Kempers, Handboek dierenrecht, LEA Guitrevers (2025) (in Dutch).
Federico Dalpane and Maria Baideldinova (eds.), Animal Law Worldwide: Key Issues and Main Trends Across 27 Jurisdictions, Springer (2025).
Alice Di Concetto, Beyond Ecological and Economic Value: Taking into Account Wild Animals’ Inherent Interests in EU Environmental Law, International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy (2025). The first 50 readers get free access using this link. (Please only click this link if you intend to read the article. Thank you.)
Anna Saito, Where the Wild Things Are... Stored? The Management and Return of Seized Wildlife, Frontiers in Conservation Science (2025),
Katerina Stoykova, Towards Non-Animal Testing in European Regulatory Toxicology: An Introduction to the REACH Framework and Challenges in Implementing the 3Rs, European Journal of Risk Regulation (2025).
Elien Verniers, Exploring a Legal Framework for Compassionate Conservation: Guidance from the Deep Ecology Movement, International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy (2025).
The book “Nordic Animal Law: Welfare and Rights” by Birgitta Wahlberg et al. is now available in paperback. Click here to get a 15% discount.
NGOs
IFAW, Quick Scan of Illegal Wildlife Trade from Latin America to Europe (2025).
The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy, Recent Developments in EU Animal Law & Policy: 2019 – 2024 (2025).
Alice Di Concetto, Olivier Morice, Matthias Corion, and Simão Monteiro Belo dos Santos, Chick and Duckling Killing: Achieving an EU-Wide Prohibition, The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy and L214 (2025).
Calls for Contributions
The Food Law Academic Network (FLAN) is calling for abstracts to present at FLAN’s third annual conference on the topic of “Food Law for a Healthier Future,” which will take place at the University of Neufchatel in Switzerland on 15th – 16th May. Deadline to send abstracts: March 14th. Learn more.
The organizers of the Canadian Animal Law Conference have released a call for submissions to present at the conference, which will take place in Toronto on September 26th – 28th. Deadline to send abstracts: March 16th. Learn more.