Implementation of the European directive on pig welfare: A comparative study of four member states
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Authors
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2025
Type of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Animal
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
19
Issue / Number
8
Pages / Duration
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Elsevier
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
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Practice partner / Client
Abstract
Farm animal welfare is an important component of the transition towards sustainable food systems. The success of the recent European Citizen’s Initiative “End the Cage Age” has shown that animal welfare is also a public concern. Yet, despite the existence of European Union (EU) legislation on farm animal welfare, little is known about how member states implement these laws, leading to potential enforcement gaps. This raises the question of how member states customise EU animal welfare policies and what drives these variations. Our study investigates this issue by analysing the implementation of a European pig welfare directive in four member states: Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain. Drawing on the concept of customisation, we assess differences in the density and restrictiveness of national regulations compared to EU standards and explore potential drivers, such as public opinion and political party positions. Our findings reveal significant variation, with Denmark and Germany exceeding EU standards through stricter and denser regulations, while France and Spain adhere more closely to the minimum requirements. These differences align with varying public and political priorities at the national level. The results highlight the critical role of national contexts in shaping the implementation of EU policies and provide insights for designing more effective animal welfare legislation. Our study underscores the need for a deeper understanding of the interplay between public opinion, political dynamics, and regulatory frameworks to enhance the welfare of farmed animals across the EU.
Keywords
Animal welfare, Customisation, European Union, Pigs, Qualitative document analysis
Event
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Date of the last check
ISBN
ISSN
1751-732X
1751-7311
1751-7311
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Gold
License
Citation
Künzler, J., & Vogeler, C. (2025). Implementation of the European directive on pig welfare: A comparative study of four member states. Animal, 19(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2025.101586