A structured overview of EU and Council of Europe legislation, upcoming proposals, legislative gaps, and key case law on the protection of farmed, companion, laboratory and wild animals. Content last verified: 7 September 2026.
About the gaps: entries marked GAP identify areas where EU law provides no specific animal-welfare rules. This covers two situations: farmed species protected only by the general Directive 98/58/EC (no species-specific legislation), and entire domains without any EU welfare legislation at all (fur farming, circuses, exotic pets, free-living wild animals, invertebrates). The list reflects gaps widely recognised by the Commission, EFSA and animal protection organisations; it is indicative, not exhaustive.