Documents
Europa English European Parliament EP Press
19.06.2025
Press Release
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