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The European Commission has adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1734, amending Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing by authorising new stunning and killing methods for specific categories of pigs.
One of the main changes is the authorisation of the use of the non-penetrative captive bolt as a killing method for piglets weighing up to 5 kg live weight and as a simple stunning method for piglets weighing between 5 and 10 kg. The regulation also lays down specific operating requirements, including restraining the animal, placing the head on a hard surface and applying a single shot on the midline between the frontal and parietal bones.
The regulation also authorises the use of high-expansion nitrogen foam as a new stunning and killing method for pigs weighing between 15 and 41 kg live weight in situations other than slaughter. According to the regulation, animals must be placed in specially designed containers and exposed to an atmosphere with a residual oxygen concentration below 2% for at least seven minutes. It also establishes technical requirements covering, among other aspects, foam expansion ratio, foam homogeneity, container filling time, uniform foam distribution and stocking density.
The authorisation of both methods is based on scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which concluded that, under the specified conditions of use and for the animal categories assessed, they provide a level of animal welfare at least equivalent to that achieved by the currently authorised methods.
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1734 will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and will be directly applicable in all Member States.
July 17, 2026 / OJEU/ European Union.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu
