According to media reports, the EU has postponed its deliberations on the notification of Germany’s Animal Husbandry Labeling Act. This makes it unlikely that the law will be able to take effect on January 1, 2027, as currently planned. Thomas Schröder, president of the German Animal Welfare Federation, comments:
“With the EU’s postponement of the notification process to November 2026, it appears that the current timeline for the Animal Husbandry Labeling Act is—once again—off the table. To still meet this deadline, an expedited procedure would be necessary. However, that is unlikely.
We expect clarity from the responsible Federal Minister, Alois Rainer, on how he intends to proceed from here. Since the timeline has already slipped, there can and must be no further excuses for failing to make progress on animal welfare!
In its current form, the labeling system does not help a single animal lead a better life. It merely reflects the status quo of animal husbandry, but it does not provide binding incentives for better living conditions. In addition to the inadequate requirements for pigs raised for meat, there are no requirements for rearing, transport, and slaughter, nor for animal species other than pigs. From an animal welfare perspective, this is a highly questionable draft that will remain ineffective without fundamental reform and a long-term strategy for restructuring agricultural animal husbandry.
We must now use this time to present an amendment that both enhances animal welfare within the system and complies with EU law. We are ready for discussions. We need momentum toward greater animal welfare—something this proposal has not yet delivered.”
