Party for the Animals seeks ban on slaughter without stunning
Esther Ouwehand wants to send an amended private member’s bill to the Lower House, but it remains unclear when the current text will be made public and when consideration will begin.
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According to NOS, the Party for the Animals is making another attempt to ban slaughter without stunning. Public sources currently available confirm that the party is working on a private member’s bill, but as of this morning do not provide a complete, up-to-date submission or parliamentary consideration.
The Party for the Animals wants to remove the statutory exception for religious slaughter without prior stunning. The party argues that animals must be rendered unconscious before slaughter.
An earlier version of the proposal received support from a broad majority in the Lower House in 2011, but subsequently failed in the Senate. According to earlier parliamentary documents, the current attempt would also amend parts of the ordinary slaughter regulations.
The issue concerns animal welfare and the fundamental right to freedom of religion. A ban cannot, moreover, automatically prevent meat from being imported from abroad that was produced under different rules.
The state secretary for animal welfare has previously said that she wants to assess the proposal seriously once it reaches the government. It remains unclear what the government’s definitive position will be and when a vote will take place.
We are therefore publishing this as a brief service notice. Once the bill has been officially submitted and the text and responses from organisations involved are available, the editorial team can assess the consequences and political divisions more fully.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Party for the Animals wants to end the exception for religious slaughter without stunning.
- An earlier attempt received support in the Lower House but not in the Senate.
- The issue concerns animal welfare and freedom of religion.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that animal welfare should be a general standard and that religious exceptions must not result in additional animal suffering.
Values Animal rights, equal protection and a strict separation between religion and legislation.
Consequences Expects a ban to clarify the statutory standard, but also wants attention paid to affordability and imports.
Centre
Arguments Wants to assess the proposal legally and in terms of feasibility, including its consequences for religious communities, abattoirs and imports.
Values Proportionality, feasibility and the protection of fundamental rights.
Consequences Warns that a ban without transitional arrangements or a European approach may have limited effects.
Right
Arguments Emphasises freedom of religion and the scope for minorities to continue their traditions within legal limits.
Values Freedom of religion, pluralism and government restraint.
Consequences Fears the exclusion of religious communities and doubts whether a national ban would improve animal welfare throughout the chain.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The historical and procedural background has been confirmed, but the precise current submission could not be independently established. The text has therefore been limited to what can be publicly verified.
- confirmed The Party for the Animals is working on a new private member’s bill on slaughter without stunning. — Esther Ouwehand announced this in a public parliamentary debate. source
- confirmed An earlier attempt failed in the Senate after receiving support in the Lower House. — Background information from the Party for the Animals mentions the earlier proceedings. source
- uncertain The proposal was officially submitted today. — No current submission document was found. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: The Party for the Animals is submitting an amended bill today.Now: According to public parliamentary information, the Party for the Animals is working on an amended private member’s bill; the current submission could not yet be confirmed. (The current submission could not be found in a primary source.)
Editor's note
The current NOS headline cannot be fully substantiated by a submission document found publicly today. The status and wording have therefore been kept limited.Sources
- Regeling van werkzaamheden Tweede Kamer, 6 oktober 2026 — ikregeer.nl
- Verbod op onverdoofd slachten — Partij voor de Dieren
- Vragenuur over onverdoofde rituele slacht — ikregeer.nl
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „dierenwelzijn onverdoofd slachten”
- Het Parool — „dierenwelzijn onverdoofd slachten”
- Trouw — „dierenwelzijn onverdoofd slachten”