Eurogroup for Animals

bit.lyMajor victory: Denmark to end mink farmingDenmark's remaining seven mink farms will have to close by August 2029, after the government decided not to seek an exemption from an upcoming European Union ban. The decision marks another important ...

🇩🇰 Great news: Denmark’s remaining seven mink farms must close by August 2027. Another step towards a #FurFreeEurope! The @ec.europa.eu must now deliver an EU-wide ban on fur farming. How much longer must animals wait? ⤵️ bit.ly/3UIADbp

Animal suffering. Public health risks. A declining industry. Today’s #FurFreeEurope Intergroup session made the case for an EU ban on fur farming and farmed fur imports. The Commission must listen to 1.5 million citizens and act. ▶️ Watch: youtu.be/JTaQieCDyZI

animalwelfareintergroup.euFur Free Europe: The Case for EU Action | IntergroupAt a decisive moment for the future of fur farming in Europe, this Intergroup session will examine the Fur Free Europe European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the European Commission’s democratic…

Join us tomorrow for a session on #FurFreeEurope. Millions of citizens are waiting for the @ec.europa.eu to respond to their call for a fur ban. Tune in to hear from Professor @alemanno.bsky.social & the ECI organisers: www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/calendar/fur...

🐟 A welcome step: The EU’s Vision 2040 commits to further developing the welfare framework for farmed aquatic animals. As aquaculture expands, strong welfare + sustainability safeguards are essential - including avoiding further dependence on intensive carnivorous systems. bit.ly/3Uemy58

bit.lyFoire de Maurs: Fondation Brigitte Bardot calls for an end to horse slaughterEvery year, horses are traded at fairs across France, with many ultimately destined for slaughter. An investigation by Fondation Brigitte Bardot highlighted serious animal-welfare concerns at one…

🐴 Every year, thousands of horses are traded & transported across borders to be slaughtered for meat. Our member @fbb-officiel.bsky.social is calling for an end to horse slaughter & the trade that enables it. ✊️ Read more & sign the petition 👇 bit.ly/4jurhu0

A #FurFreeEurope could cost significantly less than subsidising stricter welfare standards. The 🆕 report "Pay to stay or pay to go?" shows why a ban is a more cost-effective way to end fur farming. Read the report ➡️ bit.ly/4hOxaAZ

Yesterday, we stood outside the @ec.europa.eu with one demand: President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu, turn promises into strong animal welfare laws. No delays. No loopholes. No animal left behind. Join our action: bit.ly/3Uq9g5O #ForwardForAnimals

Legal doesn’t mean acceptable. Cruel farming practices continue across the EU while promised reforms are delayed. Tell @ec.europa.eu &@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu: animals need action NOW. No delays. No loopholes. No animal left behind. Time to move #ForwardforAnimals Take action: bit.ly/4jWcWqc

Hens, like Henrietta, are sometimes compared to dogs. 🐓 But unlike dogs, these birds are not typically treated like beloved household pets. Far from it. It's impossible for a hen to live a good life behind bars. The EU needs a cage ban - as soon as possible. #EndTheCageAge

🇮🇪 This week we met with key decision-makers in Dublin to discuss how to better protect animals during live transport along with the NSPCA, the RSPCA, @ciwf.org and @ethicalfarmie.bsky.social! The meeting couldn't be more timely 👇

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Making sure our calls for stronger animal welfare during transport were heard by citizens, too, we booked a digital van to drive around Dublin centre this week, which played a video showcasing the cruel reality of what animals experience in this trade. The van in action 👇

Citizens want it. The animals need it. It's time for European decision-makers to deliver for transported animals - and democracy. Sign our open letter demanding change, and for EU policy to #StopTransportSuffering 👉 bit.ly/4AU8Uoo

Ireland is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU: meaning it has a bigger role in EU decision-making right now + is in a good position to influence the update to the EU's live transport laws positively. This is vital for the countless animals suffering in this trade.

The meeting was a great chance to bring different minds together - it was very encouraging to see so many people engaging with the challenges and looking for practical solutions to boost animal welfare in the sector! Many thanks to Barry Ward TD for hosting us.

bit.lyLead gunshot to be phased out across the European UnionIn a major breakthrough for animal protection and public health, EU decision-makers have backed a restriction phasing out the sale and use of toxic lead gunshot. Building on earlier bans on lead shot…

🚨 Breaking news: EU decision-makers have backed a restriction that could prevent 558,000 tonnes of toxic lead emissions over the next 20 years, helping protect up to 135 million wild birds & millions of other animals from lead poisoning. 👏 Read more ⤵️ bit.ly/4hCeHr5

🐙💌 Commissioners Kadis & Varhelyi - you've got mail! 35 MEPs and over 160 NGOs and scientists have spoken out this #WorldOctopusDay, calling for an EU-wide ban on intensive octopus farming. The EU must act before this cruel industry takes hold. Read more: bit.ly/4y5C9BV @ciwf.eu

youtube.comThe global movement to stop octopus farmingOctopus farming can still be stopped before it becomes a new intensive farming industry. This World Octopus Day, 8 October, campaigners from across Europe and beyond are calling for action to ban…

The tide is turning on octopus farming.🐙 This #WorldOctopusDay, campaigners across Europe are showing how momentum is growing to #StopOctopusFarming before it starts. ⤵️ Watch the video ft. @animanaturalis.org @ciwf.it @intercids.bsky.social & Aquatic Life Institute: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tefj...

bit.lyFrom horse to plate: GAIA calls for an end to horse meat in BelgiumIn Belgium, horses are primarily part of people’s lives as companions, leisure and sport animals. Yet they can still be transported to slaughter and enter the food chain. Now, our member GAIA is…

#DYK: You could be eating horse meat without knowing it… 🐴 GAIA tested 123 snacks from 25 Belgian friteries, and the results are shocking. Horses are companions, not food! ✍️ Find out more & sign the petition ⤵️ bit.ly/3TaAih5

Stephen Fry, James Cromwell, Mýa, Alan Cappelli Goetz signed our open letter to #StopTransportSuffering. Billions of animals suffer every day during transport. As EU policymakers are debating new rules, they must prioritise animal welfare. Add your name: bit.ly/47dZhU9

Stronger animal welfare rules would “hurt farmers”, we’re told. Yet a new investigation exposes who holds the power in Europe’s chicken industry: bit.ly/4ACyNsE The story doesn’t hold up. The EU must act. #ForwardforAnimals @ec.europa.eu @christophehansen.bsky.social

FYI @ec.europa.eu. New analysis shows that phasing out fur farming will cost significantly less than implementing new welfare standards. How much more evidence do you need for a #FurFreeEurope? bit.ly/4yUkoGJ

bit.lyTowards a modern equine traceability systemHorses, donkeys and mules are more mobile than ever, crossing borders for competitions, breeding, trade, rescue and leisure. Yet the European Union’s (EU) system for identifying and tracing equids…

22 Sept

A horse can cross several borders in its lifetime, but can we always trace where he has been? The EU needs a modern, digital & harmonised system to better protect horses, donkeys and mules. Read our position 👇 bit.ly/477n6N5

17 Sept

Join us during #EUOceanWeek as we'll be attending @left.eu's event with @ciwf.eu, @emma-fourreau.bsky.social & @foodrise-eu.bsky.social to look at how farming carnivorous fish is detrimental to animals, the ocean, and people! 📅 30 September 10:00–12:00 📍 Brussels & online 👉️ Register: bit.ly/4xfSGmF

16 Sept

“Words are good. But deeds are better,” said @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu during #SOTEU. We couldn’t agree more. So where are the long-promised actions for animals? Practice what you preach: deliver the deeds. #EndTheCageAge #FurFreeEurope

15 Sept

Thank you, Commissioner @christophehansen.bsky.social + all participating MEPs, for today’s exchange. ✅️ ban on male chick culling ✅️ phase out cages for hens (2026) & sows (2027) Now we need strong legislation that leaves no species behind. Watch the session: youtube.com/live/FQyGK-Q...

animalwelfareintergroup.euPresentation of the EU Sustainable Livestock Strategy | IntergroupExchange of views with MEPs

15 Sept

Don't miss today's session with Commissioner for Food & Agriculture @christophehansen.bsky.social! 👉 www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/calendar/pre...

Eurogroup for Animals @eurogroupforanimals.org

Tomorrow, the Animal Welfare Intergroup is holding a special session with EU Commissioner @christophehansen.bsky.social. 📆 Tuesday, 15 September ⏰️ 16:00 - 17:00 CET 📍 European Parliament, Strasbourg 💻️ The session will be live-streamed More: www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/calendar/pre...

14 Sept

bit.lyIncendies : la Fondation Brigitte Bardot en première ligne pour sauver les animaux - Fondation Brigitte BardotIncendies : La Fondation Brigitte Bardot en première ligne pour sauver les animaux Depuis le déclenchement des incendies qui ravagent la Gironde, la Fondation Brigitte Bardot maintient une présence…

14 Sept

💔 When wildfires struck Gironde, animals were among those left behind. Our member @fbb-officiel.bsky.social was on the ground, rescuing animals caught in the flames from dogs & cats to farm animals & injured wildlife. Animals must be part of emergency response & evacuation plans. ⤵️ bit.ly/3UJEfcU

A Dutch authority is stepping up for baby calves! 🇳🇱🐄 The NVWA is taking enforcement action against violations that involve the long-distance transport of young calves from Ireland to the Netherlands. Learn more about this step 👉 bit.ly/4iVvcPZ

Following years of campaigning by @ethicalfarmie.bsky.social, @dierenrecht.bsky.social + @eyesonanimals.bsky.social, the NVWA is the first competent authority in Europe to take enforcement action against these cruel routes, where calves are frequently not fed for 30+ hours. EU law must follow.

🇪🇺 As the EU updates its live transport laws, several welfare considerations must be prioritised - including putting in place stronger protections for the transport of very young or pregnant animals. Sign here to help us call for change in this sector: bit.ly/43ZDD4e

animalwelfareintergroup.euPresentation of the EU Sustainable Livestock Strategy | IntergroupExchange of views with MEPsThe role of animal welfare within the EU Sustainable Livestock StrategyKey animal welfare priorities and planned actionsThe future of the EU animal welfare framework and…

#SaveTheDate: The Animal Welfare Intergroup is holding a special session with EU Commissioner @christophehansen.bsky.social next week! 📆 Tuesday, 15 September ⏰️ 16:00 - 17:00 CET 📍 EP, Strasbourg 💻️ The session will be live-streamed More: www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/calendar/pre...

bit.lyThousands of horses caught up in Europe-wide trafficking scheme – Fraudulent passports and manipulated microchips used to disguise horses’ identities, with animals potentially diverted into the food chain | EuropolEuropol has supported a major operation against a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the animals’ true…

🚨🐴 Thousands of horses have been caught up in a EU-wide trafficking scheme involving falsified passports & microchips with some ending up in the food chain... This shows why Europe needs stronger equine traceability rules! Our position paper explains how ➡️ bit.ly/4A0eBRb More ⤵️ bit.ly/4xouVsx

10 Sept

Great news: animal welfare is explicitly recognised in the revised EU Public Procurement rules! The reform represents a major opportunity to ensure that billions of euros of public money spent on food every year contribute to better animal welfare and a more sustainable food system. bit.ly/4xODWME

bit.lyNew European Citizens’ Initiative calls for stronger protection of stray and shelter animalsA new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is calling for stronger protection of stray dogs, stray cats and animals in shelters, both within within and outside the European Union (EU).

10 Sept

Stray & shelter animals deserve better protection, in Europe & beyond. ❤️ A 🆕 European Citizens’ Initiative calls for sustainable stray animal management, stronger shelter protections + EU policies that do not contribute to animal suffering. ✍️ Learn more & sign the ECI ⤵️ bit.ly/4r4K4xH

10 Sept

🐈 The plight of stray cats is evolving into one of Germany's largest animal welfare crises, according to @tierschutzbund.bsky.social. The numbers are shocking: 99% of stray cats are ill when first examined by vets. Learn more about the problem + solutions: bit.ly/46JEmry

scotsman.comComedian’s Netflix documentary reveals the unfunny truth about ‘Big Chicken’‘The question is, what are you hiding?’ asks comedian Mo Gilligan after he is unable to secure access to factory-farmed chicken

9 Sept

‘The question is, what are you hiding?’ asks comedian Mo Gilligan after he is unable to secure access to factory-farmed chicken. Our President @philip-ciwf.bsky.social discusses the Netflix documentary ''Big Chicken'' in his latest piece for @scotsman.com 👇️ www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

9 Sept

🐴 Europe’s equine traceability system is no longer fit for purpose. Paper passports, fragmented databases & weak enforcement leave major gaps, putting animal welfare, biosecurity + trade at risk. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4xUiSnG

bit.lyCaviar cruelty: GAIA launches appeal against proposed sturgeon mega-farm in BelgiumGAIA, the Belgian animal protection organisation, has filed an administrative appeal against the environmental permit granted to Royal Belgian Caviar for a large-scale sturgeon farm in Kinrooi,…

7 Sept

🚨 GAIA is raising the alarm about a proposed mega-farm in Belgium that could confine around 40,000 sturgeon for up to 20 years to produce caviar. It raises a bigger question: as aquaculture expands and new species are farmed, who is protecting the animals? bit.ly/465P37C

4 Sept

Over 164,000 mice were used in the EU in 2023 to test human medicine batches, most injected with botulinum toxin to find the dose that kills half of them. That could change soon. Europe's pharmacopoeia body has restarted its Botulinum Toxin Working Party to build a roadmap to end this painful test.

3 Sept

Sign our open letter alongside UN Leader of Change and activist, @liviafirth, calling on EU decision-makers to prioritise animal welfare during transport 👉 We cannot miss this chance to help the animals in this trade! Will you add your name? 🇪🇺 bit.ly/4yiMhYO

bit.lyThe wolf is back. Europe is no longer sure it wants it.Europe brought native wolves back from near-extinction. Now governments, farmers and ecologists are locked in battle about how to coexist — or not ...

3 Sept

🐺 Europe’s wolf recovery was a conservation success. Now, politics is putting it at risk. After the EU weakened wolf protection in 2025, countries are opening the door to more killing, despite scientists warning that wolf populations are not uniformly recovered. Read more ⤵️ bit.ly/4yD6okH

bit.lyLukijan mielipide | Karhunmetsästyksen salliminen poliittisten intressien vuoksi ei ole luonnonsuojeluaJos karhujen tappaminen on maa- ja metsätalousministeriön mukaan tieteellisesti ja oikeudellisesti perusteltu tapa hallita Suomen karhukantaa, ministeriön ei pitäisi pelätä sitä, että kansalaiset tai…

2 Sept

🐻💔 Bear hunting for political interests is not nature conservation. If killing bears is truly scientifically and legally justified, why fear judicial review? Bears are sentient beings & EU law requires strong evidence before strictly protected species can be killed. ⤵️https://bit.ly/4y9iNfD

2 Sept

🐶🐱 Extreme breeding causes preventable suffering for cats & dogs across Europe. We’re calling for strong, enforceable measures to end inherited suffering, from science-based fitness-to-breed requirements to better traceability & restrictions on extreme-trait advertising. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/3SqGYat

euractiv.comEXCLUSIVE: Fur industry fractures as Brussels weighs sector’s future | EuractivThe sector is facing internal divisions over welfare certifications

1 Sept

The fur industry is fracturing just as #Brussels weighs its future. The evidence is clear: animals’ basic welfare needs cannot be met on fur farms. The EU must now listen to the 1.5 million citizens who backed #FurFreeEurope and end this cruel trade for good. www.euractiv.com/news/exclusi...

bit.lyhttps://bit.ly/4yc2gb1

1 Sept

People shouldn’t have to choose between their own safety and leaving a beloved pet behind. 🇺🇦 Ukraine has shown that civil defence can protect people and animals. It’s time for Europe to follow. Read more 👇 bit.ly/4yc2gb1

31 Aug

They get sick. Their paws are wounded. Their teeth don't stop growing. It's a life of chronic pain, discomfort, and boredom for a caged rabbit. 🐇⛓️ In the revision of the EU's animal welfare laws, decision-makers must #BanCages for ALL species - including rabbits. ⬇️

31 Aug

Around 70 million rabbits are still being reared behind bars in the EU. That's roughly the same number as the amount of people living in the UK or France! That's an awful lot of suffering... and the EU needs to end it. Share if you agree. #ForwardforAnimals #HowIsThisLegal

action.ciwf.org.ukStop the expansion of tuna farming!I just signed this petition calling for a moratorium on tuna farms. Atlantic bluefin tuna were pushed to the brink of collapse before. We can’t let it happen again. These powerful animals belong in…

28 Aug

A new report by @ciwf.org shows Atlantic bluefin tuna farming is cruel and threatens marine life, food security & wild populations. Their footage captures this cruelty firsthand at a tuna farm. Wild animals built to cross oceans should not be trapped in cages. #KeepThemWild 🐟✍️ bit.ly/4hT02IJ