Germany can support farmers with around one billion euros to implement greater animal welfare. The main focus is on better conditions for pigs, as the EU Commission announced on Tuesday in Brussels. More than half of the money, around 675 million euros, will go to farmers as a subsidy for investments. This means the state can contribute up to 60 percent of the costs for better stables. According to the EU competition authorities, this funding will run until the end of 2030. The second pillar of aid – around 325 million euros – is also intended as a subsidy. The money could be used to cover up to 80 percent of additional costs incurred for greater animal welfare. These include additional bedding or higher electricity bills for air conditioning and better ventilation. This aid should run until the end of 2031. According to the information, both measures can be extended to other animal species. According to the commission, the funding is open to small and medium-sized livestock farming operations in Germany. In the EU, the authority ensures, among other things, that member states do not give their companies undue advantages through state support. For example, the aim is to prevent an economically strong country like Germany from helping its companies push competitors from smaller EU countries out of the market. In this case, the competition watchdogs concluded, among other things, that the aid was proportionate because it was limited to a necessary minimum and would have only a limited impact on competition. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) was pleased about the green light from Brussels: “Animal farming should have a future in Germany – and that will only be possible if we make the consumer desire for more animal welfare a business model,” said Özdemir, according to a statement. “Our funding program to convert animal husbandry can now start soon.” One billion euros will be made available to boost the conversion of pig fattening.
EU approves billions in German aid for more animal welfare – economy
