Large poultry and pig farms across the EU will face a single set of operating rules to cut emissions under new measures adopted by the European Commission on Thursday.
The new framework sets EU-wide requirements for how larger farms rear pigs and poultry in order to reduce emissions of ammonia, nitrogen and phosphorus, pollutants linked to respiratory disease, nature degradation and water contamination, the Commission informed.
The rules sit under the Industrial and Livestock Rearing Emissions Directive, which applies to the biggest pig and poultry farms and covers around 30% of such farms in the EU.
The Commission said the framework was developed with input from member states, livestock farmers, experts and environmental non-governmental organisations.
When the rules will start to apply
The new operating rules will apply at farm level between 2030 and 2032, depending on farm size, giving farmers time to adapt, the Commission noted.
It added that the framework is intended to reduce administrative burden for farmers while setting common minimum environmental standards across the EU.
The Commission also said the new rules are compatible with a proposal it made in December 2025 to simplify rules on industrial emissions, and could be amended depending on the final text.
