Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001516/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Sebastian Everding (The Left), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Günther Sidl (S&D), David Cormand (Verts/ALE), Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Anthony Smith (The Left), Maria Noichl (S&D), Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Sigrid Friis (Renew), Elisabeth Grossmann (S&D), Friedrich Pürner (NI), Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew)
The routine tail-docking of pigs has been prohibited in the EU since 1994. The Commission recognised in 2021 that the ‘tail-docking of pigs is a routine practice in 26 out of 28 Member States and approximately 150 million pigs annually are subject to this practice. With the exception of a few Member States, such as Finland and Sweden, most EU Member States did not comply with the ban or with providing adequate enrichment materials’[1]. The Commission has previously asked the Member States to establish national action plans for the prevention of the routine tail-docking of pigs and provide quantifiable data to measure the progress made in this area.
- 1.What effective steps does the Commission plan to take to ensure that Member States secure compliance with the ban on routine tail-docking?
- 2.Will the Commission publish the assessments it has made of each Member State’s action plan?
- 3.Is the Commission now prepared to launch infringement proceedings against Member States that are making no serious attempt to enforce this legislation?
Submitted: 13.4.2025
- [1] Commission Staff Working Document of 31 March 2021 entitled ‘Evaluation of the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015’ (SWD(2021)0076).