Animal category: Cattle

Welfare of beef cattle

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)

Published in 2025

EFSA opinion assessing the risks to beef cattle welfare associated with the environment, rearing practices and mutilation. It proposes concrete recommendations (space, feeding, enrichment, ABM in slaughterhouses). Emphasis is placed on pain prevention, the social stability of animals, and improved stabling conditions and access to the outdoors.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

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Change the world farm by farm: The moral care of audit and the paradox of animal welfare inspection in Europe

Mc Loughlin

Published in 2025

Scientific article noting that European veterinary inspectors face a moral dilemma between official standards and the industrial reality of animal welfare during their inspections. Their power is limited, and they have to arbitrate between compliance, benevolence and systemic constraints.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002054/2025: Fairness in the application of the new European animal welfare rules in the specific context of eastern Europe

Question: Claudiu-Richard Târziu (ECR). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Parliamentary question on new EU animal welfare rules that risk penalizing small farms in Eastern Europe. The Commission is planning a proportionate approach that takes account of structural differences, with appropriate financial support. Harmonization is intended to avoid distortions of competitiveness in the single market.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Pigs, Poultry

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001752/2025: Prosecution of infringements of the Transport Regulation on the protection of animals during transport and related operations

Question: Marianne Vind (S&D). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Review - Restricted access to pasture and inadequate grazing in ruminants and equines

Brunet Valentin, Fusi Francesca, Bernardo Tiziano, Canali Elisabetta, Ruet Alice, Faye Bernard, Aubé Lydiane

Published in 2025

Synthesis from EURCAW Ruminants & Equines on the provision of access to pasture, which encourages the expression of natural behaviors and improves the health and well-being of ruminants and equines, notably through enhanced locomotion, enriched social interactions and good quality feed. However, it is not without some risks (animals can suffer from nutritional deficiencies, thermal stress, and locomotory and health disorders such as parasitism), calling for the appropriate management of resources, the environment and animal health.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Ruminants

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Regional Platform on Animal Welfare for Europe - Annual report - 2024

Regional animal welfare platform for Europe / WHOA

Published in 2024

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) European Regional Platform on Animal Welfare, created in 2013, supports all 53 European countries in the progressive implementation of WOAH standards, notably in the realms of transport, slaughter, management of stray dogs, animal welfare during emergencies caused by extreme natural events, and working equines. Since 2024, it has been putting its fourth action plan into operation, which responds to the needs of member countries and the results of an external evaluation.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Dogs, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry

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Cow comfort, behavior and welfare with specific reference to dairy cattle: A review

Damodaran Sreekumar & Veerasamy Sejian

Published in 2024

Review on optimizing dairy cow comfort

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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A systematic review and meta-analysis of physical environmental enrichment to improve animal welfare-related outcomes in indoor cattle

Unsal G, Johnson KF, Stergiadis S, Bennett R, Barker ZE.

Published in 2025

Systematic study showing that enrichment of the physical environment significantly improves the welfare and certain behaviors of calves and heifers in indoor housing, particularly play and growth.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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Europen Commission - Overview report on transport of unweaned calves during long journeys

DG Health - European Commission

Published in 2025

EU Commission report on the practices of Member States while transporting unweaned calves over long distances, highlighting the vulnerability of the latter and the challenges involved in protecting their welfare. It identifies inconsistencies in the application of rules, particularly in terms of categorization, feeding, hydration and the keeping of logbooks. It recommends strengthening official controls and harmonizing practices to better guarantee the welfare of these animals during transport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines

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Assemblée nationale : Réponse écrite à la question n°5528 : Prise en compte du bien-être animal

Question: Mr. Jean-Michel Brard (Loire-Atlantique (9th district) - Horizons & Indépendants). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2025

Answer to a question from a member of the French Assemblée Nationale who highlights the fact that in food product labelling the issue of animal welfare remains a secondary matter, despite the strong expectations of the public. In its reply, the government states that, for now, it favors a voluntary approach, with no specific labelilng requirements, and that it is supporting research into the best way of displaying information on farming methods.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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