Since adopting legislation on farm animal welfare in 1974, the EU has taken an active approach to many different aspects of animal law. The information below is focused on welfare issues of companion animals, farm animals and animals used in research; excluded are legal materials which focus on conservation and preservation. For more information on locating materials on those topics, see our International Environmental Law Research Guide; for more guidance on researching EU law, see our European Union Research Guide.
An overview of EU animal welfare law is available on the European Commission’s website, and another page includes summaries of recent legislative proposals and related materials.
A variety of Council of Europe and European Union treaties govern the protection of animals in transport, farming and experimentation. (Note that the Council of Europe and European Union are separate and distinct entities.)
Council of Europe
European Union
An excellent source to check for current issues and proposed EU legislation on animal law is the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety website—its Animal welfare page provides a starting point for identifying the agencies responsible for various types of legislation and enforcement. The site also includes public opinion surveys and policy objectives.
To find more EU legislation on animal protection, conduct a search on EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex is best platform for researching current EU legislation; for proposed law, consult the Legislative Observatory. More detailed information is available in our European Union Research Guide.
Below are some of the key EU directives and decisions on animal welfare and animal experimentation. Be sure to update your research to find subsequent changes and additional materials not included below.