Abstract

Against the backdrop of the recently reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), this article considers
the potential for improved standards of farm animal welfare within the Treaty objectives of the European
Union. CAP Reform presents the first real opportunity to assess the impact of the animal welfare Treaty
provision emanating from the Lisbon amendments and the extent to which animal welfare has been
integrated into the CAP. By linking the projected added value of enhanced farm animal welfare practices
with the CAP’s broader priorities, its greening initiative and, essentially, the Europe 2020 strategy, an
evaluation is undertaken of the potential of raised animal welfare standards in agriculture to contribute
towards attaining the CAP instruments’ specified objectives in the period 2014–2020. The reformed
CAP instruments are disappointing in that they do not aim explicitly and directly to improve farm animal
welfare. Acknowledging that the CAP reform process will continue, the improvement of farm animal
welfare should be stated expressly to be a priority of the CAP beyond 2020. ‘In effect, a new social
contract is needed between farmers and society which sees the delivery of public goods as part of a
modern approach to agriculture where food, fibre and fuel are supplied in ways that are resource
efficient, help address climate change and deliver high levels of biodiversity and farm animal welfare,
within the context of diverse and vibrant rural areas.’1