The European Commission has adopted a new Livestock Strategy and accompanying Protein Action Plan designed to ensure the long-term strength, resilience, and sustainability of Europe’s livestock sector while reinforcing the continent’s food security.

The strategy, which is the first of its kind, outlines actions to help livestock farmers navigate economic, environmental, and market challenges. It is structured around five core priorities:

• A resilient livestock sector prepared for crisis: Stepping up risk-management tools, exploring a new insurance and re-insurance scheme, and supporting EU Member States in managing the impact of animal diseases through prevention, early detection, and early action.
• A competitive livestock sector: Boosting profitability, innovation, and fair farmer incomes. The Commission will explore how future EU funding can facilitate transitions to cage-free systems, circular economy initiatives, and biomass valorisation, while working toward international reciprocity and greater alignment of animal welfare production standards.
• A sustainable livestock sector: Promoting tailored regional approaches, improving animal welfare through targeted, evidence-based revisions for laying hens, broilers, and pigs, and developing harmonised farm-level emission calculation methods.
• A livestock sector fit for all farms and regions: Collaborating with Member States to restore sustainable production to vulnerable regions at risk of abandonment, backed by a Land Observatory. A roadmap will also be developed for low-capacity or mobile slaughterhouses to support local value chains and reduce animal transport.
• Excellence in livestock production: Increasing the visibility of European standards via a European Excellence scheme, strengthened EU origin labelling, and dedicated promotion policies.

© European Commission

In tandem with the strategy, the Commission introduced a Protein Action Plan aimed at boosting the supply and consumption of EU-grown protein. In 2025, only 25% of protein from oilseeds and protein crops originated within the EU. The plan outlines an objective to increase this domestic share to 35% by 2035, helping to mitigate strategic import dependencies and linking value chains across food, feed, energy, and industry.

The EU livestock farming sector accounts for approximately 40% of EU agricultural added value, generating an annual turnover of €400 billion. The sector employs around 7 million people across 4 million European farms. The new initiatives follow extensive engagement through the Commission’s livestock workstream, involving a year-long dialogue with Member States, farmers, industry representatives, and civil society.

Read more: Factsheet on the Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan
Questions and answers on the Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan