EU citizens call for an end to cages for animals

On 11 September, the European Commission registered the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘END THE CAGE AGE’. The initiative, launched by European citizens, aims to put an end to what the organisers describe as ‘the most appalling symbol of industrial animal farming’: the cage.

Cages can inflict suffering on hundreds of millions of farm animals, making their lives miserable, cramping them together and denying them the space to move freely. These restrictions can lead to severe health and welfare issues.

The EU treaties recognise animals as sentient beings, i.e. capable of experiencing suffering and joy, and require the EU and its Member States to pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals when legislating across a number of policy areas. While some EU bans on specific types of cages and species exist, little progress has been made on the EU legislative front since then and inhumane caged farming practices persist across Europe.

With the ‘END THE CAGE AGE’ European Citizens’ Initiative, citizens want to urge the European Commission to consider new legislation that will lead to the end of cages in EU farming. The text of the initiative calls on this to apply to all hens, rabbits, pigs, sows, calves, quail, ducks and geese across Europe. Organisers hope it will also raise awareness of suffering endured by animals that spend most of their short lives in cages, inform the public and policy makers about these issues, and mobilise citizens who reject cruel farming practices of the past.

‘END THE CAGE AGE’ advocates the banning of cages in farming as an important step towards dismantling factory farming – a system that, according to organisers, has proven detrimental for the environment, the welfare of animals, human health and the livelihoods of small farmers.

The EU-wide launch of the ‘END THE CAGE AGE’ initiative took place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 25 September 2018 and was accompanied by an exhibition. This will be followed by future events across EU Member States, where the initiative’s organisers will be collecting signatures of support throughout the one-year collection period. The organisers are confident they will surpass the one million mark by a considerable number.

More than nine in ten EU citizens believe it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, according to the latest Eurobarometer public opinion poll on animal welfare. This initiative therefore calls on the EU to turn the page, reject cruelty towards animals and align itself with 21st century principles with the slogan: “together, we can end the cage age.”