A review

This report evaluates how biologging (electronic devices deployed on individual animals that record movement, behaviour and physiology) can support livestock identification and traceability in the framework of existing EU regulations. The EU livestock sector accounts for 41 % of agricultural output (€218.8 billion in 2024). To maintain high food safety standards and respond rapidly to animal diseases, Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation 2019/2035 require permanent physical identifiers (ear tags, transponders) for certain terrestrial livestock species. Current systems already ingest data at the national level into animal registries part of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) that manage the common agricultural policy (CAP) financial support. The data can feed into cross-national systems (TRACES) for intra-European Economic Area (EEA) trade. However, they lack real-time location data. A range of biologging technologies developed for wildlife, for example Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) collars or ear tags, accelerometers, Internet of Things (IoT)/Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) transmitters, can provide live-tracking, behavioural monitoring and physiological sensing (e.g. ruminal bolus temperature). Mapping these sensors to legal categories shows that electronic ear tags equipped with GNSS or low-power IoT satisfy the ‘additional’ status for cattle, pigs and adult sheep/goats, with identification associated with localisation, while equines remain excluded by the possibility to use ear-tags according to current regulation. The review of scientific literature and commercial products related to Precision Livestock Extensive Farming (PLEF) demonstrates maturity of these technologies and market readiness. This study highlights how biologging can contribute to four of the EU policy objectives reported in the Vision for Agriculture and Food (European Commission, 2025) and in the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture (European Commission, 2024): 1) One Health (via precise mapping of grazing pressure and disease hotspots), 2) Animal welfare (by early detection of stress or injury via accelerometry), 3) Innovation (by ‘self check-in’ of animals, the administrative load is reduced), 4) Reward (by supporting effective checking and verification of grazing patterns, which could lead to policy and market remunerations). Key challenges are data transmission (satellite offers global coverage but high cost; LPWAN is cheap but patchy) including powering, connectivity and interoperability, compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and broader aspects of data ownership, data standardisation for integration with IACS, and acceptance of these new technologies (and the additional costs that these technologies may entail) by farmers. Integrating GNSS/IoT ear tags seems to be the most policy-compatible, cost-effective pathway to modernise livestock monitoring, provided that EU-wide data-infrastructure for data transmission and standards are established, and that unit cost is minimised or supported. Pilot activities, possibly leveraging the several ongoing initiatives on these topics, are needed to test the technical, operational and financial feasibility of an extensive application at EU level, including the creation of infrastructures for data transmission and management, and involving farmers from the beginning.

CAGNACCI Francesca; 

2026-07-02

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC146300

978-92-68-41157-5 (online),   

OP KJ-01-26-282-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC146300,   

10.2760/8082677 (online),