Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová (ECR) has questioned the European Commission on the proportionality of EU rules requiring strict handling of blood from farm animals slaughtered on the farm of origin, arguing that the same blood from hunted wild game is not subject to equivalent controls. The written parliamentary question, submitted on 8 July 2026, targets Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and related hygiene legislation, which classify blood from farm slaughter as an animal by-product subject to controlled handling, even for the occasional slaughter of one or two animals on a small family farm. Vrecionová contrasts this with hunting, where blood can remain in the wild despite the meat being intended for human consumption.
first, on what scientific or hygiene basis blood from occasional farm slaughter is treated more strictly than blood from hunted game; second, whether the Commission assessed the proportionality of these requirements for small family farms when drafting the legislation; and third, whether the Commission is considering, in a future revision of hygiene or animal-by-product rules, a more proportionate regime for small farms that would not compromise food safety, animal health, or environmental protection.
The question reflects a tension between EU-level standardisation and the practical realities of small-scale, traditional farming. Vrecionová's intervention suggests a push for regulatory differentiation that would ease the administrative and operational burden on micro-enterprises without undermining public health objectives. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it sees scope for exempting or simplifying rules for occasional farm slaughter, or whether it considers the current uniform approach justified on hygiene grounds. Stakeholders most directly affected include small family farms, which face disproportionate compliance costs; the broader livestock sector, which may seek similar exemptions; and public health authorities, who must balance food safety with regulatory proportionality. The question also touches on the interests of hunters, who currently benefit from more lenient blood-handling rules, and of EU regulators, who would need to assess any revision's impact on the internal market and disease control.
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