Document type: Response from the European Commission to question E-001516/2025
Authors: Question : Sebastian Everding (The Left), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA), Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA), Günther Sidl (S&D), David Cormand (Greens/EFA), Cristina Guarda (Greens/EFA), Anthony Smith (The Left), Maria Noichl (S&D), Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Sigrid Friis (Renew), Elisabeth Grossmann (S&D), Friedrich Pürner (NI), Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission
Question: Compliance with the pig welfare directive
The routine tail-docking of pigs has been prohibited in the EU since 1994. The Commission recognised in 2021 that the ‘tail-docking of pigs is a routine practice in 26 out of 28 Member States and approximately 150 million pigs annually are subject to this practice. With the exception of a few Member States, such as Finland and Sweden, most EU Member States did not comply with the ban or with providing adequate enrichment materials’[1]. The Commission has previously asked the Member States to establish national action plans for the prevention of the routine tail-docking of pigs and provide quantifiable data to measure the progress made in this area.
1. What effective steps does the Commission plan to take to ensure that Member States secure compliance with the ban on routine tail-docking?
2. Will the Commission publish the assessments it has made of each Member State’s action plan?
3. Is the Commission now prepared to launch infringement proceedings against Member States that are making no serious attempt to enforce this legislation?
[1]. Commission Staff Working Document of 31 March 2021 entitled 'Evaluation of the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015' (SWD(2021)0076).
Answer: 1. 1. The Commission is consistently working to identify tools that can help farmers transit to rearing undocked pigs. In parallel, the Commission is engaging in discussions with Member States to facilitate the exchange of information and good practices to rear undocked pigs. The Commission has established an animal welfare working group under the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed — Section on Animal Health and Welfare, which met in September 2024 and in May 2025, with the topic of tail docking on the agenda of both meetings[1].
2. The results of the assessment of each Member State’s action plan will be addressed to their respective competent authorities.
3. The Commission has a range of options as regards its enforcement efforts and has certain discretion in deciding on launching infringement procedures against Member States. In the case of tail docking, enforcement options are currently being examined in the context of the new Commission mandate.
[1]https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-expert-group_en.
