Europe leads the world in farm animal welfare legislation, but significant gaps between legal standards and on-farm reality highlight ongoing welfare challenges.
European farm animal welfare policy demonstrates both the potential and the limits of legislative approaches to welfare improvement. The EU battery cage ban eliminated one of the most welfare-compromised systems globally for laying hens - a genuine victory. However, enforcement gaps mean that illegal welfare violations continue in many member states without consequence. The mismatch between the ambition of European welfare legislation and the reality of on-farm compliance is a persistent welfare problem. Consumer demand through purchasing choices, retailer policies, and advocacy for robust enforcement mechanisms are all necessary complements to legislative progress. The proposed 2030 Farm to Fork legislation has the potential to significantly advance European welfare standards if accompanied by genuine enforcement.