The European Union (EU) reached a provisional agreement between the Council and the European Parliament to establish, for the first time, common minimum rules on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, with a direct impact on breeders, stores, shelters and also on those who buy or adopt.
The package includes identification and registration, limits on breeding, a ban on painful mutilations (unless recommended by a veterinarian) and a strengthening of import controls, in an attempt to curb illegal trade.
According to the Spanish portal Noticias Trabajo, the declared objective is twofold: to improve the living conditions of these animals throughout the EU and to increase traceability to protect consumers, guarantee fairer competition and hinder illegal sales networks, especially in a market where national rules vary greatly.
The understanding is not yet definitive: it needs formal approval from both institutions to come into force, but it already establishes the central architecture of the measures and paves the way for a phased implementation calendar.
Microchip and registration: the basis of everything
One of the pillars of the agreement is identification: dogs and cats will have to be identifiable through a microchip, registered in national databases that are interoperable between Member States and accessible online. The rule applies as a minimum European standard, with the possibility of each country coming forward with stricter requirements.
In addition to the logic of animal protection (easier to find a lost animal), the EU focuses on trade traceability: before being sold or donated, animals will have to be microchipped and registered, which makes “anonymous” movement between countries difficult.
The European Parliament also details the adaptation horizon: sellers, breeders and shelters will have four years to prepare, while the deadlines for owners who do not sell animals are longer and differ between dogs and cats.
Imports and travel: strict control over entries
In the case of imports from countries outside the EU for placing on the market, the agreement provides for registration in a national database within a short period of time after entry, reinforcing control over commercial chains and reducing loopholes used by illegal operators.
For non-commercial movements (for example, owners entering the EU with their animal), the Council recommends the creation of a database for “travelers”, with pre-registration by the owner at least five days in advance, to allow authorities to detect suspicious flows.
The European Commission, when commenting on the agreement, precisely highlights the fight against illegal trade as one of the central reasons for the new legislation, pointing to clearer and more uniform inspection mechanisms.
Wellbeing: limits to creation and stops abusive practices
In the welfare rules, breeding now has frequency limits and minimum and maximum ages for reproduction, and close consanguinity (parents and children, siblings and half-siblings, grandparents and grandchildren) is prohibited, with specific safeguards for the preservation of local breeds with a limited genetic base.
The EU also wants to stop reproduction with health risks: hybrids resulting from crossing with wild species and breeding aimed at “extreme traits” with a negative impact on the well-being of the animal or its offspring are banned.
The package also includes prohibitions and operational duties: painful mutilations such as cutting ears or tails (unless medically advised), the obligation to provide adequate water, food and housing conditions, veterinary visits in establishments and the rule that dogs over eight weeks old must have daily access to the outside or be walked daily.
What can change for guardians and adopters
In practice, for those who buy or adopt, the most visible impact should be the requirement for more traceable processes: confirming microchips and registration, and greater accountability for those who sell or donate, including awareness-raising actions for responsible detention.
Another point with immediate effect in the “real world” is linked to competitions and exhibitions: dogs and cats with extreme conformational traits or mutilations should be excluded from competitions, shows and exhibitions, in an attempt to discourage patterns that harm animal health.
As these are European minimums, Member States will be able to go further. What is common to all, however, is the meaning of the agreement: to reduce abuses, increase transparency and close doors to illegal networks that operate across borders.
Calendar: why we are talking about 2028 (and what remains to be decided)
Although the topic is already being publicly associated with 2028, official EU sources place the emphasis on the remaining formal steps and transition periods: the agreement is provisional and needs to be approved by the Council and Parliament before coming into force, followed by phased implementation.
Parliament explains that operators (breeders, sellers and shelters) will have years to adapt, and that the obligation for owners who do not sell animals comes later, which points to a long and staggered process, not a change “from one day to the next”.
According to , the background is the scale of the phenomenon: the EU estimates more than 72 million dogs and 83 million cats, an annual market valued at 1.3 billion euros and a strong public perception that the welfare of these animals needs more protection, factors that help explain the political pressure to move forward with common rules.
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