51,771 signatures against EU agricultural subsidies for bullfighting handed over

Yesterday CAS International and World Animal Protection Denmark  presented a petition to MEP Niels Fuglsang at the European Parliament, calling for an end to European agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that support the breeding of bulls for bullfighting and cruel bull festivals.

51,771 signatures against EU agricultural subsidies for bullfighting handed over | Picture: CAS International & WAP

CAS International collected 20,120 signatures. These were combined with more than 31,651 signatures collected by World Animal Protection Denmark for the same purpose. The organisations jointly presented 51,771 signatures, with the support of more than 50 NGOs from Europe and beyond. The petition has been signed by people in 93 countries, including all 27 EU member states.

€200 million a year 

Under the current Common Agricultural Policy, approximately €200 million in European agricultural subsidies is estimated to be paid annually to breeders of bulls intended for bullfighting and related bull festivals, where tens of thousands of bulls and cows are killed or harmed each year. The exact amount cannot be determined due to a lack of transparency surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy and the allocation of its funds.

The NGOs argue that these subsidies are unjustified because the bulls are primarily bred for cultural and entertainment purposes involving animal suffering, rather than as part of food production within the EU’s agricultural sector.

Maite van Gerwen, Director of CAS International, said:

“By providing agricultural subsidies to breeders of these bulls, taxpayers’ money from people across the EU is being used to facilitate and perpetuate severe animal suffering. We believe this cannot be justified and must stop.”

Gitte Buchhave, World Animal Protection Denmark CEO:

“In most of Europe, bullfighting does not even take place. Yet European taxpayers are helping to fund the breeding of bulls for this industry. European agricultural subsidies should serve the public interest and support agricultural practices that benefit European citizens—not subsidise animal cruelty for entertainment.”

New agricultural policy after 2027

In the coming months, the European Commission, EU Member States and the European Parliament will make decisions on a new Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2027–2034. The NGOs are calling for a clear commitment in the new policy: no EU agricultural subsidies should be used to support the breeding of bulls for bullfighting or cruel bull festivals.

European agricultural funds should serve the public interest and support farmers and agricultural practices that benefit European citizens, rather than finance animal suffering for entertainment.

MEP Niels Fuglsang receives petition

The petition was presented to Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang, a member of the S&D Group (the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats). During the handover, Niels Fuglsang cut the link between subsidies and bullfighting and tore up banknotes featuring images of bullfighting and bull festivals.

Niels Fuglsang cut the link between subsidies and bullfighting and tore up banknotes featuring images of bullfighting and bull festivals| Picture: CAS International & WAP

Niels Fuglsang:

“More than 50,000 people have sent a clear message: European taxpayers’ money should not be used to support the breeding of bulls for bullfighting and cruel bull festivals. I will take this message into the discussions on the future Common Agricultural Policy and work to ensure that these subsidies are no longer available. European agricultural funding should support a sustainable agricultural sector that is free of animal cruelty.”

Niels Fuglsang tore up banknotes featuring images of bullfighting and bull-running festivals | Picture: CAS International & WAP

Niels Fuglsang tears up a banknote featuring images of bullfighting and bull-running festivals| Picture: CAS International & WAP

Fuglsang is also Chair of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on the Conservation and Welfare of Animals and advocates for improved animal welfare within European politics.

Majority opposed to bullfighting

The call to end these subsidies is supported by public opinion research commissioned by CAS International in 2024 and conducted by Ipsos I&O Publiek on attitudes towards bullfighting in Spain, France and Portugal, the three EU Member States where bullfighting still takes place.

Majority of people in European bullfighting countries against the harmful tradition

A majority of people in all three Member States oppose bullfighting, while 67% believe that public money should not be spent on facilitating it. The perception that bullfighting is inseparably linked to the culture of these countries therefore does not reflect majority public opinion: most people surveyed oppose the practice and do not want public money to be used to support it.

The European Parliament has also previously expressed opposition to these subsidies during earlier Common Agricultural Policy cycles.

About the organisers

CAS International and World Animal Protection Denmark jointly collected more than 50,000 signatures. The petition is also supported by animal protection organisations AnimaNaturalis (Spain), ANIMAL (Portugal) and more than 50 other European and international organisations.

We would like to thank everyone who signed our petition and helped us reach this important milestone.

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