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How to secure a sustainable future for the EU livestock sector in light of the need to ensure food security, farmers’ resilience and the challenges posed by animal diseases?

TA-10-2026-0157 · P10_TA(2026)0157 · PE774.483

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Parliament's resolution on securing a sustainable future for the EU livestock sector stresses its economic, social and environmental importance, and calls for tailored policies, fair incomes, and support for farmers. It urges the Commission to reduce regulatory burdens, promote diversity, and ensure reciprocity in trade, while addressing animal diseases through prevention, vaccination, and adequate funding.

Key points

  1. Calls on the Commission to establish a high-level group on livestock and to take specific measures for mountainous, remote and disadvantaged areas.
  2. Insists that the livestock sector should not be regulated like heavy industry and calls for a stable, simplified legislative framework.
  3. Stresses the need for fair prices, stronger farmer position in the value chain, and support for cooperatives and producer organisations.
  4. Calls for a dedicated CAP budget at least at current levels in real terms, and for maintaining coupled payments and direct income support.
  5. Urges the Commission to ensure full reciprocity of EU standards in trade agreements through mirror clauses and to strengthen import controls.
  6. Calls for support for extensive and grass-based livestock farming, and for recognising the role of livestock in carbon farming and circular economy.
  7. Highlights the need for generational renewal, including start-up support, access to credit and land, and gender-inclusive measures.
  8. Calls for increased funding for disease prevention, vaccination, and compensation, and for a European animal health fund to be assessed.
  9. Urges the Commission to revise the Animal Health Law to create a 'disease-free with vaccination' status and to support DIVA vaccines.
  10. Calls for mandatory origin labelling for all meat-containing products and for protection of meat denominations for products of animal origin.
  11. Warns against promoting synthetic foods without conclusive scientific evidence and calls for impact assessments before new regulations.

Who is affected

  • EU livestock farmers, especially small and medium-sized farms, will benefit from calls for reduced bureaucracy and fairer prices.
  • Young and new farmers are targeted with calls for start-up support and better access to credit and land.
  • Women in livestock farming are recognised and called for targeted support and equal opportunities.
  • Farmers in mountainous, remote, island and outermost regions are singled out for specific support.

Figures and deadlines

  • 58 % of European farms keep animals; livestock farms employ around four million people.
  • EU lost 37 % of its farmers over the past 20 years; farmers' income decreased by 12 % per hectare.
  • In 2023, the EU had 133 million pigs, 74 million bovine animals, 58 million sheep, 11 million goats and an estimated 1.63 billion poultry birds.
  • EU produced 40.7 million tonnes of meat in 2023, with pig meat 50 %, poultry 32 %, beef 15 %, sheep and goat 1 %.
  • EU net exports of animal products reached EUR 37.8 billion in 2024.
  • EU is only 75 % self-sufficient in crude protein sources and depends on imports for over 70 % of vegetable protein needs.
  • Only 12 % of farm holdings in the EU are run by people under 40.

Legal basis: Articles 38 and 39 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union