The European Commission presented its 2026 Work Programme to the European Parliament today, outlining the EU’s political priorities for the coming year. The tone could not be clearer: competitiveness, market efficiency, and security dominate the agenda. Sustainability, social justice and any vision for a systemic transformation of the agri-food sector appear, at best, as secondary considerations, when they appear at all. This narrow focus raises deep concerns about the direction the Commission intends to take.
Animal welfare is not mentioned as a standalone priority anywhere in the document. The only indirect reference appears buried in a vague line on a future “livestock strategy”, which is said to “include elements on animal welfare”. Such language is worryingly evasive. It suggests that the European Commission may be preparing to bury long-promised reforms under broader agricultural or market-focused frameworks, a move that risks diluting, delaying or even derailing essential legislation.
This omission comes despite overwhelming public demand for stronger animal-protection laws and the Commission’s own previous commitments to update outdated EU rules. Current legislation fails to reflect the latest scientific knowledge on animal welfare, leaving millions of animals trapped in systems that do not meet ethical or societal expectations.
Crucially, the work programme makes no mention whatsoever of a phase-out of cages for laying hens, a commitment the Commission explicitly made after the success of the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative, supported by more than 1.4 million EU citizens. The silence on this long-awaited legislative proposal undermines public trust in the EU’s democratic instruments.
Equally concerning is the narrow framing of agriculture and food policy in the Work Programme. The Commission approaches these areas almost exclusively from the angle of competitiveness, simplification and market performance, with no meaningful vision for sustainability, animal welfare or the transformation of our food systems. The repeated claim that this is “not a deregulation agenda” is hard to believe when the only concrete initiatives are those designed to cut red tape and boost industrial efficiency, not to raise standards or protect sentient beings.
At a time when citizens are demanding stronger animal-welfare action, today’s plenary debate marks a critical moment to hold the Commission accountable. Sticking words like “sustainability” and “strategy” onto empty shells is not enough. The EU must deliver real, concrete legislative proposals that reflect both science and public will.
Europe cannot claim global leadership in animal welfare while continuing to postpone or quietly abandon its long-promised reforms. What is needed now is clear action not empty rhetoric.