What happened?
On the 26th of June, the EU Subgroup on Animal Welfare Policy Indicators officially presented its conclusions, which were formally endorsed by the Members. This contained a set of recommended indicators for each key farmed animal category - and keel bone lesions was included in the indicators for laying hens.
On the 7th of July, the European Commission published the Livestock Strategy. Within this, lies a commitment to propose revised laying hen and broiler regulation by the end of 2026. Stronger Flocks understands that this proposal will include welfare indicator collection for laying hens.
- 26 June 2026 EU Subgroup on Animal Welfare Policy Indicators presents its conclusions; keel bone lesions included for laying hens.
- 7 July 2026 European Commission publishes the Livestock Strategy, committing to propose revised laying hen and broiler regulation by the end of 2026.
- August 2026 Focus group gathers to confirm which indicators will be included in the forthcoming proposal.
- By end of 2026 Legislative proposal expected, followed by a period of negotiation before regulation is adopted.
What happens next?
A focus group will gather in August 2026 to confirm which indicators will be included in the forthcoming proposal. Stronger Flocks understands that keel bone lesions is likely to be included, and most likely this will be recommended to be collected at the slaughterhouse.
Following this, a period of negotiation will take place before regulation is adopted. This will need to decide precisely how keel bone lesion monitoring would be conducted - such as by palpation, or use of automated camera systems. For more details on what options may be considered, see our article on different monitoring techniques.
How could this work, in practice?
The most established protocols for measuring keel bone damage include the Welfare Quality Assessment or the LEGMONI system currently operating in Flanders. Both of these systems rely on manual palpation to collect data, which is inaccurate, time consuming, and inconsistent. Stronger Flocks firmly recommends that the EU and its Member States consider the use of automated systems to collect welfare indicators. This has been tested for broilers and pigs through the EU-funded aWISH (Animal Welfare Indicators at the Slaughterhouse) project and has significant advantages in speed, accuracy, and long-term cost.
Changes to the welfare regulations are also likely to include a transition period. This gives time for producers and slaughterhouses within Member States to trial and implement automated systems before they are mandated to measure manually.
Get involved
Stronger Flocks is working now to encourage and fund development and implementation of these systems. If you are a producer, slaughterhouse, or policy professional interested in ensuring accurate and affordable measurement, we urge you to contact us now.
