The Government of the Netherlands has approved new measures to progressively improve the welfare of farm animals until 2040. Among the measures specifically planned for the pig sector is ending tail docking in pigs.
The new provisions are part of a General Administrative Order (AMvB) approved by the Council of Ministers and submitted to Parliament by State Secretary Silvio Erkens of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). The rules will apply to dairy and beef cattle, calves, pigs and chickens, and will establish how these animals are to be raised in the future to improve their welfare.
The measures will be introduced gradually until 2040 and each will have its own implementation schedule. According to the Dutch Government, their practical feasibility, the economic consequences for livestock farmers and the available permitting options will be taken into account. Wherever possible, targets will be set, giving livestock farmers leeway to decide how to meet them on their farms.
The new rules will also distinguish between farms with new and existing facilities. The aim is for new facilities to meet both the emissions requirements and the animal welfare measures from the time they are built. For this reason, some provisions will not apply immediately or will have longer transition periods.
The Government also considers it necessary to prevent the new requirements from causing production to shift to other countries with lower animal welfare standards. The independent Authority for Animal Welfare in Livestock Farming will also participate in evaluating the measures that require it, analyzing, among other aspects, their practical feasibility.
The transition will also involve supermarkets, processing companies, the food service sector and other operators in the supply chain. At the beginning of 2027, the Government expects to reach specific agreements with these stakeholders to promote the marketing of products produced to higher animal welfare standards and explore new export markets.
The legislation must now be submitted to Parliament and continue through the legislative process. The first rules are expected to enter into force in 2028 and the various measures would be implemented in stages until 2040. The source does not specify the exact date by which pig tail cutting must end.
11 September 2026/ Rijksoverheid/ Netherlands.
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/