This cross-border investigation examines the situation in Romania, France, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Through field reporting in flood-affected rural areas and interviews with farmers, veterinarians, disaster specialists, NGO representatives, and officials, as well as the analysis of public records and crisis plans, the project reveals how different countries record -or overlook - animal fatalities following disasters.
Although animals are legally recognised as sentient beings at the EU level, this principle is disregarded in practice during disasters. Although EU funding mechanisms provide financial relief to regions affected by floods, there are no common standards for including animal welfare and livestock losses.
This project documents these discrepancies and examines how agricultural policies are failing to protect animals and support farmers in the face of increasingly extreme weather conditions.
