A Structured Map of the Ritual Slaughter Legislation in the Context of the European Union

What is it about?

In recent decades, the international community has become increasingly aware of animal welfare, recognizing animals as sentient beings. This shift has prompted European Union Member States to adopt stricter regulations, including the prohibition of slaughter without prior stunning to minimize animal suffering. However, these laws "conflict" with religious slaughter practices, particularly within Jewish and Muslim communities, who argue that such regulations infringe upon their right to publicly practice and manifest their religious identity. Despite the derogation to prior stunning in case of ritual slaughter (a right enshrined in the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009), European States have a great margin of appreciation and they can be classified into three main categories: countries allowing ritual slaughter; countries prohibiting ritual slaughter; and countries allowing ritual slaughter only if certain requirements are met.

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