• The European Union (EU) Platform on Animal Welfare has existed since 2017 and has renewed its operation until 2025.
• Its mission is to develop and exchange coordinated actions on animal welfare, with special attention to the application of regulations in this area.

One of the European Union's priorities is to promote animal welfare issues of European relevance among competent authorities, businesses, civil society, and scientists. To this end, the European Commission (EC) established the "Platform on Animal Welfare" expert group in 2017 to develop, share, and discuss coordinated actions on animal welfare issues. In May 2021, the EC decided to renew the mandate of the "Platform on Animal Welfare" until June 2025 and launched a new call for expert group members to ensure the continuity of its activities.

What fundamental objectives does this platform address?

• Better implementation of EU animal welfare rules through direct stakeholder engagement through exchanges of information and best practices
• The development of voluntary commitments by companies to continue improving animal welfare.
• Promoting animal welfare standards in the EU to increase the international market value of EU products.

Thematic subgroups

Within the platform, the EC proposed the creation of six subgroups with the following themes:

• Pigs
• Poultry
• Dairy calves/cows
• Transport
• Animal welfare labeling
• Sacrifice

The subgroups are exploring various options for a legislative proposal to revise current EU animal welfare regulations.

The platform's president creates thematic subgroups based on the support they need. Access to the subgroups is restricted to their members, who are elected by experts based on their expertise. All subgroups are dissolved as soon as their mandate expires.

Its operation is based on the exchange of information, experiences, and best practices to promote the achievement of concrete results by the Platform.

Some of the conclusions of these groups can be consulted here .

New decisions

The EUFarm to Fork Strategy includes a review of EU animal welfare legislation to align it with the latest scientific evidence, broaden its scope, facilitate its implementation, and ensure the highest possible level of animal welfare. The EU will also present a proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and eventually ban the use of cages for laying hens, pigs, calves, rabbits, chickens, breeding birds, poultry for fattening, laying birds, quails, ducks, and geese through the Communication "Ending the Cage Era . "