What did 2025 bring for animals in the EU?

A landmark achievement: EU legislation for dogs and cats

The major success of 2025 was the adoption of the EU’s first-ever legislation on the protection of dogs and cats. For the first time, we will see mandatory identification and registration, much stricter rules for breeders and sellers, and a ban on extreme breeding practices.

Importantly, this regulation enshrines the concept of positive welfare, based on the Five Domains, and establishes import requirements for cats and dogs brought into the EU. 

Ending the cage era

The momentum for the long-awaited ban on cages for farm animals continued to build. After the previous European Commission failed to deliver on its commitment, it restarted the process through a public consultation. Engagement has surged significantly: over 200,000 responses were submitted to the consultation, compared to around 60,000 in 2023. This overwhelming public mandate cannot be ignored.

It was concerning, however, that the revised farm animal legislation was not included in the Commission’s 2026 Work Programme. The Commissioner’s reassurance that the proposal is still expected by the end of 2026 gives hope, but we need to remain vigilant.

Progress on animals in science

On animals in science, the Commission continues to advance its first-ever roadmap to phase out the use of animals in chemicals testing, expected next year. There is still strong political and scientific support to make this transition happen, and its adoption would be genuinely groundbreaking.

Moreover, the new Research Area Action should empower Member States to accelerate the shift toward non-animal testing methods in the years ahead.

Wild animals: momentum toward an EU Positive List

When it comes to wild animals, the European Parliament expressed twice this year its support for an EU-wide Positive List, the only effective tool to curb the unscrupulous trade in millions of exotic animals. As the Commission finalises its feasibility study, we expect that the repeated calls from civil society, the Parliament, and the Council will be heeded, and that a Positive List will finally be introduced in the coming year.

Live transport

Negotiations on the new Transport Regulation remain extremely challenging and are progressing at a snail’s pace, at the backdrop of continuous heartbreaking tragedies on our doorstep. It has become increasingly clear that many political positions are out of step with both citizens’ expectations and the latest scientific evidence. In 2026, we will continue to demonstrate what EU citizens overwhelmingly demand and urge decision-makers to respond to these calls by finally putting an end to cruel animal transport.

Fur Free Europe

In 2026, the Commission is expected to deliver its long-awaited response to the highly successful European Citizens’ Initiative Fur Free Europe. A 2025 report confirmed once again that the fur industry is in steep and irreversible decline, with an economic value now comparable to that of obsolete legacy markets such as VHS rentals. In light of overwhelming public support, the serious ethical, environmental, and public-health concerns and the sector’s collapsing viability, there is no credible justification for the Commission not to propose a full ban on both fur production and imports. In 2025, yet another major fur-producing country decided to phase out fur farming entirely, further underlining the global shift away from this industry.

Despite this, we are increasingly hearing troubling indications that the Commission may be considering a so-called “higher welfare” approach – an option that would fail to address the inherent and unresolvable welfare problems of fur farming. In 2026, we will continue to advocate forcefully for the only meaningful, evidence-based solution: an EU-wide outright ban.

A decisive moment ahead

Policy change is the only way to deliver real, lasting improvements for animals. And yes, progress takes time. It took 20 years to secure legislation for dogs and cats. But 2026 will be a decisive year for millions of EU animals, and a defining moment for the Commissioner for Animal Welfare.

Let’s ensure that the momentum built in 2025 becomes real action in 2026.