The European Commission welcomes the agreement by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the first ever EU legislation on the welfare of dogs and cats, which will significantly improve the way these animals are treated, when bred, sold or adopted in the EU. The new measures will also help to clamp […]
Eurobarometer: Protecting animal welfare is essential for Europeans
Protecting the welfare of animals is essential for Europeans, as shown by the results of a Eurobarometer survey published. The Commission has been acting to improve animal welfare for over 40 years, progressively improving the lives of animals and adopting welfare standards in legislation that are amongst some of the highest in the world. This […]
Biodiversity: Stronger measures against wildlife trafficking
The Commission has adopted a revised EU Action Plan to put an end to illegal wildlife trade, as announced in the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The lucrative global black market in illegal wildlife trade contributes to the depletion or extinction of entire species and furthers zoonotic diseases – diseases that spread between animals and humans. According […]
Use of antibiotics in animals is decreasing
Use of antibiotics has decreased and is now lower in food-producing animals than in humans, says the latest report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Taking a One Health approach, the report from the three EU agencies presents data on […]
Delivering animal vaccines and antibodies to protect humans from diseases like COVID-19
How can scientists respond to infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans? A European initiative has the answers. Zoonoses – diseases that can spread between animals and humans, like avian influenza, rabies and severe acute respiratory syndrome – comprise a large percentage of all newly identified infectious diseases. As they represent a persistent […]