In August 2025, the European Commission launched its Call for Evidence on the EU Civil Society Strategy. AAFT took this opportunity to stress the vital role of civil society organisations, and animal welfare NGOs in particular, in defending democratic accountability, ensuring science-based policymaking, and protecting the most vulnerable.
At a moment when civic space is shrinking across Europe and beyond, we underlined the responsibility of the EU to reaffirm itself as a stronghold of democracy, transparency, and rational law-making. NGOs that defend the voiceless, including animals, provide democratic oversight where state institutions often fall short. They expose malpractice, counter disinformation, and ensure that the public interest is not eclipsed by powerful economic lobbies.
In our submission, we drew attention to the increasing pressures faced by animal welfare organisations across the EU. In France, the controversial Cellule Déméter has raised concerns about surveillance and the chilling effect on activists. In Belgium and Switzerland, horse-meat exposés led to lawsuits that were ultimately dismissed as SLAPPs, but not without draining NGOs’ resources. In Germany, courts have denied PETA Deutschland legal standing in animal welfare cases, while in Spain both defamation suits and restrictions on access to farming facilities have obstructed NGOs’ ability to hold industry accountable. These cases are not isolated incidents: they illustrate a broader pattern of attempts to silence or sideline civil society voices.
At the heart of animal welfare advocacy lies the pursuit of justice for beings who cannot represent themselves. Science has long demonstrated animal sentience and the harms caused by industrial farming systems. NGOs translate this knowledge into legal and political action, gathering evidence, exposing abuses, and pressing for change. Yet without proper recognition in law, their ability to act is limited. That is why we highlighted the need for new frameworks that would grant NGOs the right to represent animal interests directly in courts and policymaking processes.
We also called on the EU to strengthen protections against legal intimidation, to ensure full transparency in decision-making, to expand financial and legal support for NGOs, and to take stronger measures against harassment and disinformation campaigns targeting civil society actors. Such steps are essential if the EU is to remain a credible guardian of democratic life. This is not only a struggle for animal welfare organisations only, but part of a wider defense of civil society itself. Protecting space for advocacy and participation is a collective battle for democracy. The EU must demonstrate that it stands with those who defend the public interest, even when that means challenging powerful industrial actors.