First EU regulations on the welfare of dogs and cats

The EU Parliament has voted on a proposal for a regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. This sets out a series of measures intended to better regulate the trade in animals in particular. Among other things, microchipping and registering all dogs and cats in the EU will become mandatory. For this purpose, a database should be set up in which all animals imported into the EU from third countries should be registered. From now on, stricter rules and requirements apply to breeders. In addition, the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores will be completely banned under the proposal. The aim of the measures is to noticeably improve animal welfare, curb illegal and harmful breeding and better regulate the import of dogs and cats into the EU. According to the Commission, the turnover generated by the trade in dogs and cats in the EU amounts to around 1.3 billion euros per year. Attention: The voting results shown on the right only reflect the voting behavior of the 96 German MEPs and not that of all 720 MEPs. Overall, the directive was adopted with 457 votes in favour, 17 against and 86 abstentions. Of the German MEPs, 66 voted for and none against. There were eleven abstentions. Addendum from April 28, 2026: In the final vote, the law to protect dogs and cats from abuse was passed with a total of 558 yes votes to 35 no votes with 52 abstentions.

Vote breakdown