Decree 132/2026, of 8-4-2026, approving the Regulation relating to the granting of aid for the improvement of animal welfare on cattle farms.
Country
Type of law
Regulation
Abstract
This decree repeals the previous 2021 regulation and establishes a new legal framework for granting animal welfare bonuses to bovine farms.
The regulation pursues several interconnected objectives: creating the bonus itself, setting access conditions, establishing a calculation methodology, and incentivizing farms to achieve higher welfare standards. Eligible farms must be registered, comply with traditional mountain farming practices, and submit to an external biennial evaluation based on the Welfare Quality® protocol, which assesses criteria across four principles (good feeding, good housing, good health, and absence of pain).
A key procedural innovation is the introduction of a preliminary evaluation report, allowing farm owners a one-month period to submit allegations before a final, binding report is issued. The bonus amount is calculated through a specific formula that considers budgetary availability, the farm’s previous year’s receipts from other agricultural aid programs, and a distribution factor (FD) based on the farm’s welfare category (excellent, good, sufficient, or unclassified). Notably, the required minimum score to receive aid increases from 46 points (2026) to 55 points (2027–2028).
Finally, the regulation includes transitional provisions and mandates a government study by 2028 to evaluate the sector’s overall progress and decide whether to extend the current system or shift to a model based on independent external audit and internationally recognized animal welfare labeling.
The regulation pursues several interconnected objectives: creating the bonus itself, setting access conditions, establishing a calculation methodology, and incentivizing farms to achieve higher welfare standards. Eligible farms must be registered, comply with traditional mountain farming practices, and submit to an external biennial evaluation based on the Welfare Quality® protocol, which assesses criteria across four principles (good feeding, good housing, good health, and absence of pain).
A key procedural innovation is the introduction of a preliminary evaluation report, allowing farm owners a one-month period to submit allegations before a final, binding report is issued. The bonus amount is calculated through a specific formula that considers budgetary availability, the farm’s previous year’s receipts from other agricultural aid programs, and a distribution factor (FD) based on the farm’s welfare category (excellent, good, sufficient, or unclassified). Notably, the required minimum score to receive aid increases from 46 points (2026) to 55 points (2027–2028).
Finally, the regulation includes transitional provisions and mandates a government study by 2028 to evaluate the sector’s overall progress and decide whether to extend the current system or shift to a model based on independent external audit and internationally recognized animal welfare labeling.
Attached files
Web site
Date of text
Repealed
No
Serial Imprint
Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra Núm. 40 any 2026 (16 d'abril de 2026).
Source language
English
Legislation Amendment
No
Original title
Decret 132/2026, del 8-4-2026, d’aprovació del Reglament relatiu a la concessió de l’ajut a la bonificació del benestar animal de les explotacions ramaderes bovines.