MEP Jessika van Leeuwen (ECR) has asked the European Commission to explain how Chinese slaughterhouses have been systematically violating EU animal welfare requirements for six years without detection, and why imports have continued unabated despite a damning audit. The parliamentary question, submitted on 24 April 2026, targets the Commission's failure to enforce standards that affect EU consumers, producers, and animal welfare.
The question follows Audit CT-2025-0037, published on 12 February 2026, which found that not a single Chinese slaughterhouse using electronic stunning had the mandatory monitoring equipment required since 2019. In one case, a water bath designed for two animals was used for ten. The audit also noted no procedure to reject batches for welfare violations and traceability gaps that allow non-compliant products to reach the EU market, undermining a level playing field.
why imports continued in the three months between the audit's completion and publication under a certification system already deemed unreliable; what objective criteria trigger suspension of imports when welfare guarantees are inadequate; and how the missing monitoring equipment went unnoticed for six years. The question signals a push for stricter enforcement and transparency, with the Commission expected to reply within six weeks. The answer will indicate whether the EU will tighten import controls or suspend Chinese meat imports, impacting trade relations and EU livestock producers who face unfair competition.