Animal welfare before the Court of Justice of the European Union

This article provides a brief commentary on the landmark judgments of the European Court of Justice concerning animal welfare. In particular, it elaborates on the position of the animal welfare principle in European Union law and its relationship with European Union environmental policy, as well as on the findings of the European Court of Justice concerning the applicability of European Union rules beyond the Union’s borders and on conflicts between the regulation of ritual slaughter and the freedom of religion.