The European Union has approved a new regulation to improve the welfare of pets that will oblige animals to be identified with a microchip and their data to be registered in a national system connected at a European level.
The regulation will come into force in 2028 and will affect both owners and sellers, breeders and shelters. The objective, according to the European Union itself, is to guarantee minimum animal welfare standards across the continent.
Microchip and connected registration throughout the EU
The new regulation establishes that animals must be identified with a microchip and that this information will have to be recorded in an interoperable national register within the European framework. With this, Brussels aims to unify criteria among states and strengthen control over the ownership and traceability of pets.
In Spain, microchip identification has been mandatory since 2023, so the community regulation consolidates a system that was already in place. The European Union also maintains that the measure will serve to reinforce actions that in countries like Spain have already been applied for some time.
Different periods for dogs and cats
Adaptation will not be immediate for all cases. Dog owners will have a period of 10 years to adjust to the new requirements from the entry into force of the European standard.
In the case of cats, the margin will be greater. The adaptation period is extended to 15 years starting from 2028.
Also reaches breeders, stores and shelters
The regulation is not limited to individuals. It will also affect sellers, breeders, and shelters, who must adjust to the new community framework regarding identification and registration.
The European Union defends that the measure seeks to guarantee minimum standards of animal welfare throughout the continent and to reinforce measures that in some member states were already implemented previously.