Livestock strategy : Bring Back animals in Europe!

Farm Europe welcomes today’s adoption by the European Commission of an EU strategy on livestock, setting out a long-awaited and much-needed long-term vision. 

The commitment shown by Commissioner Christophe Hansen is to be commended: this communication marks a major change of direction for the European Commission following years of negative messaging. It recognises that, to succeed, the European Union must act collectively and that the livestock sector is a key player in the ongoing battle for food sovereignty, sustainability and bioeconomy.

Resolutely turning its back on the missteps of the Farm to Fork strategy, it sets out the objective of strengthening the livestock sector across all regions of the European Union, both to meet the economic and social vitality requirements of these regions and to deliver on the sustainability goals that require the joint mobilisation of production, innovation and investment within a circular economy where the bioeconomy will be the key to success.

Farm Europe warmly welcomes the clear recognition that the current trend of decapitalisation must be reversed and profitability restored to ensure the competitiveness of Europe’s livestock value chain, with a clear focus on strengthening production through investment and innovation.

The five pillars of this strategy – resilience, competitiveness, sustainability, diversity and excellence – set out the conditions for a new pact between livestock farmers and the European Union. They provide the framework for the necessary realignment of European action and its implementation in the Member States, as well as for the relationship with consumers and the various links in the value chain.

This strategy must now become the guiding principle for the European Union with regard to its livestock sector, in all its diversity, by making full use of risk and crisis management tools (whether economic or health-related), by investing heavily in genetics, digitalisation, water, in reducing dependencies (particularly on proteins and fertilisers), in the circular economy and the bioeconomy, in building value region by region, and in greater recognition of the excellence of European meat, with a better return to farmers for the quality paid for by consumers.

Whilst the effectiveness of such a strategy will be judged by how it is implemented in practice, its value is undeniable. It marks the start of a revival for European livestock farming. 

The Commission must draw inspiration from this approach as well for the European cereals sector so that the European Union can regain its status as a world leader, which has been undermined over the last decade.

Background: 

The strategy is built on five pillars: resilience, competitiveness, sustainability, diversity and excellence.

1) RESILIENCE

The Commission highlights the importance of a coherent risk management and crisis management strategy in the sector, building on the EU facility and covering the multiple risks and shocks the sector is facing, including health threats. 

Another priority set out is to strengthen disease prevention and response. The idea is to improve current disease categorisation, better harmonise disease control across the EU, enhance preventive vaccination and develop further regionalisation and compartmentalisation. In this regard, the EU facility could be mobilised for prevention, surveillance as well as control and eradication. 

Investing more in climate change adaptation, mitigation, and innovation is essential, particularly by advancing digitalisation, water management, and genetics. Further efforts in research and innovation, including through Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), will be essential, as well as reducing strategic dependencies, and fostering circularity, particularly in the areas of proteins and fertilisers.

2) COMPETITIVENESS

The key objective of this second pillar is to close the investment gap, including via innovation and digitalisation, building on the future CAP and European Competitiveness Fund.

To increase legal certainty, at the end of 2025, the Commission made a proposal on acceleration of permit-granting procedures and a proposal on speeding up environmental assessment. Further stress-testing of the nature and water directives will consider further actions.

Sustainability is rightly recognised as a driver of competitiveness through greater circularity, reciprocity, and stronger controls on imports. Farm Europe welcomes the recognition that imports of products produced under lower standards not only place EU producers at a competitive disadvantage but also risk shifting, rather than reducing, global emissions. We also note positively the emphasis on well-calibrated tariff quotas, with volumes aligned to EU market conditions, and on the inclusion of automatic safeguard clauses in certain trade agreements to provide an additional layer of protection for EU producers.

The simplification agenda will continue via revision of hygiene rules, regulations related to slaughterhouses as well as a more innovation-friendly feed additives framework. The revision of Animal By-products Regulation is confirmed. 

3) SUSTAINABILITY

The most politically sensitive issue remains the European Commission’s follow-up to the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age”. By the end of 2026, the Commission intends to present a targeted revision of the animal welfare legislation for laying hens and broilers, focusing on the phasing-out of cages, the use of practical on-farm welfare indicators, the end of the systematic killing of male chicks, and equivalent requirements for imports. A second proposal, expected by the second quarter of 2027, will address pig welfare, including the transition from crates to pen systems. 

On climate, the strategy confirms several initiatives to better recognise and reward agricultural mitigation efforts. These include the development of EU metrics that better reflect the specificities of biogenic carbon cycles, the establishment of the EU Compass framework to incentivise environmental performance. 

The forthcoming evaluation of the Nitrates Directive will be followed by work with Member States to identify best practices and simplification opportunities for nutrient management, including fertilisation rules, record-keeping requirements and support for small farms. The Commission is also assessing the possible extension of the RENURE framework to certain manure-based liquid digestates, subject to appropriate environmental safeguards, with a preliminary assessment expected in the second quarter of 2026.

Finally, in line with the Fertilisers Action Plan, the strategy recognises the diversity of farming systems, promotes nutrient transfers between surplus and deficit regions, and further acknowledges the growing role of farmers as both food and energy producers.

4) DIVERSITY

The strategy appropriately acknowledges the growing risk of land abandonment and announces work under the EU Land Observatory to better address this challenge. It also includes a roadmap on slaughterhouses, covering both fixed and mobile facilities, to support local livestock production. Furthermore, it recognises the important role of support for less-favoured areas and coupled payments in maintaining agricultural activity in regions facing structural constraints.

5) EXCELLENCE

We welcome the strategy’s recognition that quality should not be viewed as exclusive to specific market segments. Instead, it rightly acknowledges that quality is relevant across all market segments and that all production models contribute to the European Model of Production.

This approach is reflected in the commitment to better reward quality throughout the value chain. In particular, the strategy announces work on strengthening marketing standards, expanding the use of optional quality terms to promote EU excellence, and developing initiatives to better reward meat quality, including through innovative carcass classification systems.

We also support the emphasis placed on strengthening the link between EU livestock production and its territorial anchorage, notably through dedicated communication and promotion initiatives. In addition, the strategy foresees reinforcing EU quality schemes, including Geographical Indications (GIs) and organic production, through a review of the relevant action plans.