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The European Parliament adopts compulsory microchipping for cats and dogs: focus on breeding, imports, coercive collars and mutilations.
The European Union is radically changing the way pets will be managed in the coming years. The European Parliament has adopted the first major set of laws dedicated to cats and dogs, with common rules on microchipping, registration, breeding, transport and animal welfare. The proposal, agreed with the European Council by the end of 2025, received an overwhelming majority: 558 votes in favor, against only 35 votes against and 52 abstentions. A very strong political message aimed at combating illegal trafficking, abandonment and practices considered harmful to animal health.
Compliance deadlines: progressive obligations over 15 years
The heart of the reform concerns the obligation of electronic identification. All cats and dogs in EU countries, including those owned by private individuals, will have to be fitted with a microchip and registered in interoperable national databases. The new rules will not come into force immediately, but will be phased in according to a precise timetable.
Breeders, dealers and shelters will have four years to comply with the new provisions. For private individuals, on the other hand, the timetable will be more staggered. The obligation will come into force within 10 years for dogs and 15 years for cats, a choice designed to allow gradual adaptation without creating difficulties for families. Europe's aim is to build a single control and traceability system, capable of tracking animals throughout their lives, from birth to eventual transfer or adoption.
An end to practices deemed harmful and cruel
The new European law also introduces a series of very strict animal welfare measures. Inbreeding, such as between siblings or between parents and children, often used to select breeds with particular aesthetic characteristics but associated with genetic problems and pathologies, will be prohibited. It will also be forbidden to breed animals with 'extreme' physical characteristics likely to compromise their health, breathing or mobility.
Among the most striking new features is a ban on mutilation for aesthetic purposes or for competition at shows and exhibitions. The regulations also target certain coercive tools: choke or spike collars without integrated safety systems will be banned. In addition, the law limits the possibility of keeping animals permanently attached to objects or structures, authorizing this only for medical reasons or in situations of strict necessity.
Stricter controls on animals from abroad
One of the most sensitive points concerns the importation of animals from outside the EU. Brussels wants to close the loopholes which, over the years, have encouraged the insufficiently controlled entry of puppies destined for the illegal trade. From now on, all cats and dogs brought into the European Union for commercial purposes will have to arrive already microchipped, and subsequently registered in national databases.
Anyone entering the EU with a pet will have to comply with new rules: pre-registration will be compulsory at least five working days before arrival, unless the animal is already registered in a compatible European system. With this reform, Europe ushers in a new phase in pet management, focusing on traceability, health protection and the fight against mistreatment.
Source : European Parliament
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