Brussels, 14 January 2026
The event focused on translating scientific evidence into practical and regulatory pathways, contributing to the ongoing revision of EU animal welfare rules under the Farm to Fork Strategy. Discussions centred on how outcome-based, animal-centred indicators can inform minimum welfare standards, assurance schemes, and policy implementation across the livestock sector. Building on advances in animal welfare science and assessment, discussions focused on translating animal-based indicators into practical and harmonised policy applicationsacross the EU. The meeting opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Jarissa Maselyne (ILVO), who introduced the aWISH project, placing particular emphasis on the collection of animal-based indicators at slaughter, which was identified as a critical opportunity for centralised data collection, harmonisation, and digitalisation.
Following this, Dr. Helen Lambert (Eurogroup for Animals), shared key insights from the aWISH Policy Indicator Report, highlighting the role of robust indicators in the evolving EU policy landscape. The presentation stressed that while animal-based indicators are a powerful policy tool, they must be implemented alongside minimum legal standards, particularly to eliminate practices that are incompatible with an acceptable level of animal welfare, ensuring that indicators complement rather than replace baseline protections.
An update on the current and forthcoming EU animal welfare legislation was provided by Christian Juliusson (European Commission, DG SANTE), along with details on DG Sante’s ongoing study on animal welfare indicators. The presentation outlined the Commission’s focus on identifying indicators that are pragmatic, cost-efficient, species-specific, and applicable across production systems, as well as work underway to support harmonised measurement approaches and explore options for establishing baseline thresholds, or tools to facilitate their future definition, for policy use.
Dr. Anna Zuliani, Official Veterinarian at the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, offered a regional authority perspective on the practical application of animal welfare indicators, within the context of the current legislative framework. Drawing on regional experience, she highlighted how animal-based indicators can be adapted to different farming systems, including smaller and more extensive operations, and described examples where such indicators have complemented or replaced resource-based measures, improved engagement with farmers, and supported the transition of selected indicators from voluntary use into mandatory application.
A central element of the event was a panel debate moderated by Eurogroup for Animals, bringing together representatives from EU institutions, academia, civil society, and the livestock sector. Panellists included Christian Juliusson (DG SANTE), Bas Rodenburg (Utrecht University), Anna Zuliani (ASU Friuli Centrale), Vinciane Patelou (Compassion in World Farming), Kaido Kroon (DG AGRI), and Nadia Khaldoune (AVEC). The discussion explored opportunities, challenges, and priorities for integrating animal-based welfare indicators into EU regulatory and assurance frameworks.
Key themes included the need for EU-wide harmonisation of measurement and reporting, the importance of embedding animal-based welfare indicators directly within legislation and ensuring coherence with existing assurance schemes and data systems. Panellists emphasised that indicators should be practical, measurable, scalable, and cost-effective, drawing wherever possible on data already collected through existing inspection, assurance, and private-sector systems.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of farmer engagement and data sharing, the value of prioritising a core, harmonised set of indicators, and the role of benchmarking and target-setting in providing direction and accountability. Overall, panellists outlined clear, staged pathways for integrating animal-based welfare indicators into EU policy frameworks, combining legislative action, harmonised implementation approaches, and supportive incentives to drive measurable improvements in animal welfare across the EU. On EU-wide harmonisation, participants highlighted the role of EU Reference Centres for Animal Welfare in supporting consistent implementation, training, and protocol development. Existing CAP and national data systems were identified as under-used resources that could help streamline data collection, reduce duplication, and support harmonised reporting across the EU.
The event concluded with plenary reflections by Inês Grenho Ajuda, Farm Animals Programme Leader at Eurogroup for Animals. Inês drew together the main messages from the discussions, highlighting that multiple policy channels need to be activated in parallel to support the effective integration of animal-based welfare indicators. These include legislation to ensure a level playing field, labelling to communicate outcomes to citizens, continued research to address remaining evidence gaps, and targeted funding mechanisms to support implementation and continuous improvement.
By convening expertise from across the farm-to-fork continuum, the aWISH project reinforced its commitment to supporting evidence-based policy making and ensuring that future EU animal welfare standards are scientifically robust, outcome-oriented, and practically implementable. The discussions reinforced that when animal-based indicators are embedded within coherent legal frameworks and supported by harmonised implementation, they can provide a practical pathway for EU policy development, supporting both effective enforcement and continuous improvement in animal welfare standards.
For more information contact the coordinating team | ILVO | awish@ilvo.vlaanderen.be or h.lambert@eurogroupforanimals.org
