End the Cage Age
Almost 1.4 million citizens have called to end the caging of farm animals in Europe
The reality of cage farming is a large-scale animal cruelty operation far beyond our imagination. Scared, abused and stressed, animals in cages are subjected to often short and extremely miserable lives. From cage to slaughter, many of them never see the light of day. Their dirty, cramped cages barely leave them room to move, to spread their legs or wings and many caged animals have to fight over the little space that they have. In many farms, you would find animals left dead next to their terrified live companions, posing not only a health hazard but proving the inhumanity of this practice.
About the European Citizens Initiative (ECI)
The “End the Cage Age” Initiative asked for a ban on all caged farming and to move towards cage free solutions – the European Citizens Initiative received unprecedented public support. On September 11th 2019, the EU Petition officially closed and following the required signature validation, almost 1,400,000 citizens signed against cages! The hearing saw Members of Parliament across most political fractions endorsing the initiative and calling for a cage-free Europe. In the European Union, 180 million hens, 112 million rabbits, 40 million ducks and geese, 10 million pigs and 1.2 million calves are still confined to cages today, but if the ECI succeeds, this won’t be the case much longer.
Timeline of the ECI
The progressive steps towards the end of cage keeping of farm animals in Europe
October: Legislation revision of cage keeping shelved!
The Commission promised to deliver proposals to ‘End the Cage Age’, in line with the demands of 1.4 million European citizens, by the end of 2023. Yet, in early October Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, wrote to MEPs indicating the European Commission will not deliver fully on its animal welfare legislative reforms. Only 1 of the 4 legislation proposals will go forward this year. We must ensure that the Commission know this is unacceptable! Millions of European Citizens demanded for change and now the Commission must keep its word.
Legislative proposal by the Commission is expected in the second half of 2023
Three major EU legislations effecting farm animal welfare in the EU are under revision and a fourth one will be newly developed by the European Commision. Now that the revision process is ongoing, and we must ensure that the new legislation will indeed bring cage keeping to an end and go beyond just that by establishing high standards for animal welfare in farming and setting a frame for the future of farm animal legislation in the European Union.
September – Cage keeping remains on the agenda: Commission publishes Fitness Check on the EU animal welfare legislation
In September 2022, the Fitness Check was concluded. Its results confirmed the need to revise and modernise the EU animal welfare legislation and provided a basis for this revision. The Components of the Fitness Check were: an Inception Impact Assessment Roadmap presenting the policy options envisaged to be examined in the Impact Assessment. It covered four areas of animal welfare: at farm level, during transport, at slaughter, and animal welfare labelling. Then, a public consultation was held from October 2021 to January 2022 to gather views and experience of citizens and stakeholders on the fitness of the current rules and on how they could be improved.
With almost 60,000 citizens and stakeholders contributing to the public survey initiated by the commission - The fitness check revealed that there is still a sub-optimal level of welfare of animals in the EU and that enforcement of current rules is insufficient to ensure the level of animal welfare expected by today’s citizens. The public survey demonstrates 92% of respondents think that current legislation does not ensure adequate and uniform protection of all animal species in need.
Major EU Member States support ban on cages for farmed animals: position paper on animal welfare legislation revision drafted
The position paper, submitted by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, was discussed in the AGRIFISH Committee and urges the European Commission to take a set of concerns into consideration when revising farm animal welfare legislation in the upcoming fitness check.
EU Commission commits to ban cages in the EU!
The European Citizens Initiative (ECI) End the Cage Age was successful, and the European Commission (EC) promised caged farming will be phased out across the EU, with the revised legislation entering into force latest 2027. The Commission will present a proposal on the phasing out of cages by the end of 2023. A ban of cages should enter into force in 2027. Strategies will be developed to support farmers and producers to transition away from caged farming.
Motion for a Resolution by the Parliament: Non-binding resolution passed as 558 MEPs voted in favour of an end to the use of cages
In response to over one million European citizens demanding an end of the use of cages in the Europeans Citizens Initiative, the European Parliament overwhelmingly agreed to a ban on the use of cages in animal agriculture by 2027. With 558 MEPs voted in favour of the ban, with 37 against and 85 abstentions, EU Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides remarked “Our rules need to change and that is a very clear call from our citizens”.
Big success for the End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative
The European Parliament passed a resolution on the “End the Cage Age” European Citizens Initiative (ECI) and puts further pressure on the European Commission to improve welfare standards across the EU. The Members of the European Parliament join 1.4 million EU citizens, over 170 organisations, scientists and celebrities in demanding an end to caged farming of animals in the EU.
Thank you so much for your support! A historic moment for animals
On World Farm Animal Day (2nd October), The European Citizens Initiative was submitted to the European Parliament with a total of 1,397,113 validated signatures across Europe (exceeding the 1 million threshold). This is the third highest signature count in the history of European Citizens’ Initiatives. Find out more here.
Launch of the European Citizen Initiative End the Cage Age
FOUR PAWS join forces with over 100 other animal welfare and environmental organisations EU-wide to launch the End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative (ECI).