Council Directive 2008/119/EC as amended, prohibits the use of confined individual pens after the age of eight weeks from 1 January 1998 onwards for all newly built or rebuilt holdings and from 1 January 2007 for all holdings. The Directive sets out minimum dimensions for individual pens and for calves kept in group. Calves are not to be tethered (except under very specific circumstances) and must be fed according to their physiological needs. In particular their food must contain sufficient iron; a minimum daily ration of fibrous food shall be provided for each calf over two weeks old. Calves may not be muzzled.

This Directive also provides that the Commission shall submit to the Council a report, drawn up on the basis of a scientific opinion, on the intensive farming systems which comply with the requirements of the well-being of calves as well as the socio-economic implications of different systems. The scientific opinion in question is already under preparation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) based on a request from the Commission.

ALCASDE Study - Final report

The European Commission launched a Call for tender concerning a "Study on the improved methods for animal-friendly production, in particular on alternatives to the castration of pigs and on alternatives to the dehorning of cattle" (SANCO/2008/D5/018) in 2008.

Please find here the final report of the study:
and the Deliverables of the "Alternatives to cattle dehorning".