FOUR PAWS welcomes the reaffirmed integration of animal welfare as a key objective within Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) legislative proposal. 

The new CAP proposal reaffirms animal welfare as a core EU agricultural priority, a necessity given the upcoming legislative proposals on animal welfare set for adoption by 2026. FOUR PAWS sees a promising basis for interinstitutional negotiations, including support for extensified livestock systems, vulnerable groups and stronger capping and degressivity. 

However, the real test now lies in implementation and ensuring that the budget allocated to CAP provides targeted funding to support farmers in transitioning towards higher-welfare and sustainable farming systems.  

To this end, “FOUR PAWS calls on policymakers to introduce the legal basis for a strong animal welfare benchmarking system in the next CAP,” said Georgia Diamantopoulou, head of the European Policy Office at FOUR PAWS. “It is essential that farmers are provided with a structured, future-proof and well-funded roadmap to maintain competitiveness while meeting citizens’ expectations and advance animal welfare”. 

Such a benchmark must be accompanied by conditionality on imports. It is fundamental that imported products comply with EU-equivalent animal welfare standards to shield EU agriculture from unfair competition which would naturally discourage farmers from investing in better welfare systems. 

FOUR PAWS stands ready to work with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that the next CAP truly delivers on its promise of a more humane, fair, and sustainable farming future —where animal welfare is a core, enforceable standard across the EU.