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Europa English European Parliament EP Press
19.06.2025
Press Release
European Parliament (AGRI) 

MEPs propose stricter rules on dog and cat welfare and traceability

MEPs propose stricter rules on dog and cat welfare and traceability   Press Releases   Plenary session   AGRI   4 hours ago     Mandatory microchipping and registration of all dogs and cats kept in the EU   Ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops   Registration of dogs and cats imported for both commercial and non-commercial purposes   EU dog and cat trade is worth €1.3 billion annually; 60% of owners purchase their dogs or cats online           Parliament adopt...
MEPs propose stricter rules on dog and cat welfare and traceability   Press Releases   Plenary session   AGRI   4 hours ago     Mandatory microchipping and registration of all dogs and cats kept in the EU   Ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops   Registration of dogs and cats imported for both commercial and non-commercial purposes   EU dog and cat trade is worth €1.3 billion annually; 60% of owners purchase their dogs or cats online           Parliament adopts its position on first minimum EU standards for the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats © Adobe Stock/Arnon   The draft law approved by Parliament on Thursday lays down the first ever minimum EU standards for the breeding, housing, and handling of cats and dogs. MEPs want all dogs and cats kept in the EU to be individually identifiable with a microchip. They also demand that microchipped dogs and cats be registered in interoperable national databases. Microchip identification numbers, along with information about the corresponding national database, should be stored in a single index database managed by the Commission. Keeping or selling dogs and cats in pet shops must be prohibited, say MEPs. Dogs and cats from third countries To close potential loopholes that would allow dogs and cats to enter the EU as non-commercial pets only to be subsequently sold, MEPs want to extend the rules to cover not only imports for commercial purposes but also non-commercial movements of the...

Errors and omissions excepted. As of: 19.06.2025