As part of the Livestock Strategy presented in Strasbourg (France), the executive committee intends to present a proposal to update welfare standards for laying hens and broiler chickens by the end of 2026, followed by a proposal on pig welfare in 2027.
New Requirements and Technologies
These proposals will include reciprocity provisions for imports and promote the adoption of innovative technologies funded by the EU to improve animal conditions, especially regarding housing cages.
Measures will also be proposed for the gradual cessation of systematic culling of male chicks at one day of age, as well as improved monitoring of animal welfare indicators with the support of new technical solutions.
Financial and Environmental Regulation
Brussels is preparing a financial framework to strengthen risk management in the European Union's (EU) livestock sector, including needs for insurance and reinsurance, under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028-2034).
Environmentally, Brussels aims to reduce the sector's carbon footprint by 16% by 2035, including methane emissions, and facilitate the development of renewable energy sources.
Protein Strategy and Import Substitution
The executive committee has also adopted a protein action plan aimed at reducing Europe's dependence on imports, particularly for animal feed. The EU livestock sector consumes about 74 million tons of protein annually for animal feed, being heavily reliant on imports, specifically soy and soy meal—about 13.4 million tons of raw protein in the 2024/25 campaign, according to Brussels data.
The protein action plan aims to increase the share of oilseeds and protein crops produced in the EU for animal feed to 35% by 2035, up from the current 25%. To achieve this, the Commission will support European production of protein crops and work to enhance the competitiveness of cultivated proteins in the EU.
Strategy Goals and Financial Challenges
This strategy and plan are designed to address the challenge of ensuring the profitability and sustainability of the livestock sector in the face of high and unstable production costs, market uncertainty, more frequent extreme weather events, increasing disease outbreaks, and limited bargaining power that can put pressure on farmers' incomes.
Furthermore, the funding gap for livestock was estimated at 18.7 billion euros in 2022, which accounts for approximately 30% of the total EU agricultural funding gap (€62 billion).
