Eurobarometer: An Analysis of Europeans’ Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare

This in-depth thematic study on animal welfare, commissioned and published on March 15, 2016, by the European Commission, surveyed 27,672 citizens from the 28 Member States, including 1,038 French citizens, from November 28 to December 7, 2015. Several questions, taken from the previous Eurobarometer survey, reveal how European citizens’ attitudes toward this issue have evolved between 2007 and 2016.   The survey results show that Europeans place great importance on animal welfare. In particular, they want to be better informed about animal husbandry conditions and believe it is important to establish international protection standards. In their view, the EU should promote greater awareness of animal welfare on a global scale. They also state that they are willing to pay more for food of animal origin produced in a way that respects animal welfare, but lament the limited availability of such products. The main objectives of this extensive survey are to understand Europeans’ relationship with animal welfare within the EU, to assess their knowledge of the subject and the importance they attach to key aspects of the European strategy for the protection and animal welfare, and to gather their opinions on the marketing and labeling of products from production systems that promote animal welfare.  

The main findings of the 2016 Eurobarometer are as follows:

> Animal Welfare: Understanding and Perceived Importance

• 46% of Europeans consider animal welfare to be the “duty to respect all animals ” (the most common response in 17 Member States), while 40% believe it “refers to how farm animals are treated, by providing them with a better quality of life”;
• 94% say it is important to protect the animal welfare of farm animals;
• 82% of European citizens believe that the animal welfare of farm animals should be better protected than it is today (up 5% in 9 countries compared to the 2007 survey), and 74% feel the same way about pets (the highest proportions are found in Cyprus, Portugal, and Greece).

  > Assessment of Key Strategies to Protect Animal Welfare• Information and Education

• 87% of Europeans believe that information campaigns on animal welfare have a positive influence on children’s and young people’s attitudes toward animals.
• 64% of EU citizens would like to be better informed about how farm animals are treated in their country (an increase of 6% in 20 out of 28 countries since 2007).

  • International Standards

• 93% of Europeans agree that products imported from third countries should meet the same animal welfare standards as those applied in the EU (including 62% who “strongly agree”). 90% even believe it is important to establish globally recognized standards, and 89% believe the EU should raise awareness of animal welfare at the international level.
• 54% of respondents believe that the best way to ensure that imported products of animal origin meet European standards would be a certification system administered by Brussels.

  •Regulation

• 89% of those surveyed believe that a European law should require anyone using animals for commercial purposes to care for them.
• 49% believe that legislative decisions regarding animal protection on farms should be made jointly at the EU and national levels.
• 43% of Europeans believe that the issue of farm animal welfare concerns both businesses (consumers) and public authorities (citizens) and must therefore be addressed jointly.

  > Animal welfare-friendly products

• 59% of Europeans are willing to pay more for products from production systems that promote animal welfare, and among them, 35% are willing to pay up to 5% more, 16% are willing to pay between 6% and 10% more (especially in Sweden, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands).
• 52% look for labels that identify these products when shopping, but 10% are unaware that such labels exist.
• 47% of respondents believe there is not enough choice in animal welfare-friendly food products in stores and supermarkets (+9% compared to 2007).

  Thus, European citizens are overwhelmingly concerned about animal welfare, which is seen as a shared value worth protecting. It is now up to the Commission to listen to their views and take action by formulating an ambitious new strategy for animal protection for 2016–2020, in accordance with the European Parliament’s resolution from last December.   Download the study summary: click HERE Download the French responses: click HERE* Special Eurobarometer 442, a TNS Opinion & Social survey conducted from November 28 to December 7, 2015, among 27,672 people aged 15 and older who are nationals of one of the 28 European Union member states and reside inone of them, published on March 15, 2016, commissioned by the European Commission and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety.** Special Eurobarometer 270, September–October 2006, published in March 2007, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_270_en.pdf