Dutch motion against EU bullfighting subsidies adopted
21-05-2026Today, the Dutch House of Representatives adopted a motion submitted by MP Ines Kostić (Party for the Animals), calling on the government to actively work toward ending European subsidies going to the bullfighting sector.
Dutch motion against EU bullfighting subsidies adopted | Picture: Own image (AI-generated)
House of Representatives Motions
The motion refers to a motion adopted by the House in 2021, which stated that EU support for breeders of bulls destined for bullfighting should come to an end. At the time, then-Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) was asked to advocate at the European level for the termination of these subsidies. According to the motion, insufficient follow-up has been given to this request.
Common Agricultural Policy
According to Kostić, the primary purpose of breeding the “toro de lidia” breed is connected to bullfights and bullfighting festivals, and a significant amount of European agricultural subsidies still flows to this sector through the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The adopted motion calls on the Dutch government to advocate in Brussels for the exclusion of this type of breeding from direct CAP payments and rural development funds, with special attention to the negotiations on the CAP for the 2028–2034 period. When submitting the motion, Kostić pointed out that the European Union had previously abolished specific production subsidies for tobacco. This demonstrates that it is possible within the CAP framework to exclude certain sectors from financial support. According to Kostić, the same should apply to bullfighting.
Kostić stated that it is unacceptable for European agricultural funds — partly financed by Dutch taxpayers — to contribute to animal suffering in the bullfighting sector.
By adopting the motion, the Dutch House of Representatives supported a stricter Dutch position in the European negotiations on agricultural subsidies. All parties except Forum for Democracy voted in favor of the motion. We would like to thank all parties that supported the motion, and especially the Party for the Animals as the submitting party, for their support.
Petition
It is estimated that around €200 million per year reaches the bullfighting sector through European agricultural subsidies. We believe this must stop. That is why we, at CAS International, together with the support of the animal welfare organizations AnimaNaturalis (Spain) and ANIMAL (Portugal), have launched a petition aimed at ending European agricultural subsidies for bull breeders.
Petition: Stop European agricultural subsidies for bullfighting
Help us so we can continue with our impactful campaigns and protests! Donate one time or become a sponsor.
