Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001711/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Kosma Złotowski (ECR)
In recent years, the EU has seen a rise in pet breeding mills, which operate illegally or on the fringes of the law. These types of mills not only negatively impact animal welfare, as the animals are often kept in appalling conditions, but also pose a serious risk to public health and the safety of people purchasing these animals. Pet breeding mills circumvent regulations on animal welfare and transport, fail to keep adequate records, do not carry out veterinary examinations and are solely profit-driven, often showing complete disregard for ethical issues. The scale of the phenomenon, the lack of effective legal and institutional mechanisms, and the cross-border nature of the issue mean that action must be taken not only at national level, but also at EU level.
- 1.What specific steps will the Commission take to draft and implement effective mechanisms for identifying, monitoring and shutting down pet breeding mills operating illegally, and is the Commission considering creating an EU database of breeders alongside a system to assess and verify them?
- 2.Are there any plans to amend existing EU regulations laying down standards for the breeding of cats and dogs, with a view to making registration requirements stricter, increasing penalties for operating illegal breeding mills and providing more effective monitoring tools?
- 3.Does the Commission intend to take action in the form of information and educational campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of buying animals from illegal sources, including pet breeding mills, and to support the responsible adoption and purchase of animals only from legally operating breeders?
Submitted: 29.4.2025