Defra Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: Mandatory Proposals

**This is an England only consultation.**

Defra launched a public consultation on these proposals, which is available to access here:

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/legislative-solutions-universal-participation-for-the-animal-health-and-welfare-review-and-mandatory-eradication-schemes/animal-health-and-welfare-pathway-mandatory-propos/

The consultation covers a mandatory animal health and welfare review, flock health plan, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) control and eradication programme. The proposals are designed to build on the current voluntary and funded phase of the Pathway, facilitating collaboration between farmers and vets to enhance livestock health, welfare and biosecurity.

We’d like to take the opportunity to say a big thank you to everybody who has contributed to this work and that of the wider Pathway through the co-design process. Through that process it was recognised that there are a range of different approaches that could be taken, rather than a single perfect solution, and this consultation provides the opportunity to gather views and input from a wider audience so that the final approach is informed by the experience of those across the sector.

The consultation is open for 12 weeks and will close on 18th May 2026.