The European Union has taken one of the most significant steps in the history of regulating relations between people and pets. The European Parliament has approved the first bloc-wide law that sets common rules for the keeping, breeding and sale of pets across all EU countries. The measure passed with a record 94% of votes. The law will enter into force in four years.
The main change concerns breeding animals with so-called “exaggerated features” — anatomical traits that may look striking but harm health. These include, for example, excessively flattened muzzles that cause breathing problems, or other changes that interfere with normal movement and life. The law does not name specific breeds, but it bans the breeding principle itself if it causes suffering to animals.
The document also introduces a ban on close inbreeding and on crossing domestic animals with wild species. A separate section addresses checks on the origin of animals entering the EU market. European authorities plan to crack down more firmly on grey-market trade and supplies from irresponsible breeders.
The law is based on the modern “five domains” concept of animal welfare: nutrition, health, psychological state, environmental conditions and the ability to express natural behaviour. It also forbids keeping dogs and cats tied permanently to fixed objects, and restricts the use of choke chains and prong collars.
Separate restrictions on harmful animal breeding already exist in a number of European countries, but the EU is the first in the world to introduce a single comprehensive law on pet welfare for the entire bloc.
