In 2021, the EU promised to ban cages – but years later, nothing has changed

Over 300 million animals across Europe remain trapped in cages every year, enduring unimaginable suffering. Hens, mother pigs, calves, rabbits, ducks, and geese are confined to small, barren spaces – unable to move freely, properly nurse their young, or express their natural behaviours. While cage-free doesn’t mean cruelty-free, it is a vital step towards a world where animals are no longer exploited for human consumption. This cruelty was supposed to end, yet the EU’s promise to ban cages has been broken.

Let’s rewind to the beginning

In 2018, Compassion in World Farming launched the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘End the Cage Age’ to urge the European Union to ban cages for farmed animals once and for all. With support from Animal Equality and over 170 other organisations, the initiative garnered more than 1.4 million signatures by 2019, making it one of the most significant citizen-led campaigns in EU history. After all, this is the sixth successful ECI out of the 75 initiatives registered in the past ten years, the third with the highest number of signatures, and most importantly, the first successful ECI focused on the welfare of farmed animals.

Animal Equality played a vital role in this campaign, collecting thousands of petition signatures, participating in events, distributing informational materials, and countless other actions.

Broken promises, delayed action

In response to the overwhelming public demand, in June 2021, the European Commission committed to revising the current EU legislation. The Commission promised to:

1. Put forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and finally prohibit the use of cages for hens, sows, calves, rabbits, ducks, geese and other farmed animals
2. Phase out the use of cages for farmed animals across Europe by 2027
3. Ensure that all imported products in the EU comply with future cage-free standards
4. Implement systems for incentives and financial support to European farmers during the transition to cage-free farming

These commitments were celebrated by millions of animal activists, including Animal Equality, who saw them as a significant step forward.

However, since 2021, very little has happened. The promised legislative proposal by the end of 2023 never came, and it seems the European Commission has failed to take any meaningful action to fulfill its commitment.

Animal Equality joins historic legal action

In response, the Citizens’ Committee, which endorsed the End the Cage Age initiative, first tried to hold the European Commission accountable by turning to a European mediator. However, this intervention yielded no results. And so in March 2024, the Citizens’ Committee sought legal action against the Commission, appealing to the Court of Justice of the European Union to hold the Commission accountable for its failure to act.

The appeal is asking for two key things:

1. That the European Commission sets a specific deadline for the release of the cage laws
2. That it grants access to the many legislative documents (currently requested and denied) submitted in relation to the End the Cage Age initiative to the European Citizens’ Committee

As an organisation that has been at the forefront of the End the Cage Age initiative since the beginning, Animal Equality has decided to join this historic legal action and add our voice to those of citizens fighting for change. The Court of Justice of the European Union has accepted our request – along with those of other organisations like Eurogroup for Animals and LAV – to join the lawsuit.

Now, we have the opportunity to present more detailed arguments to the Court, explaining the negative consequences of the Commission’s delays on animal welfare.

As always, Animal Equality will continue to do all we can until justice is achieved for animals. We – along with over 1.4 million European citizens and millions of animals – deserve to know exactly when the laws we have fought so hard for will finally be made official. The EU’s decision not to act risks condemning 300 million animals to a life confined in a cage and represents a serious lack of respect for democracy. 

We will keep you updated as the appeal progresses.

Beyond the European Union

In the meantime, remember – it’s not just Europe where animals are trapped in cages. In the UK, millions of animals are suffering in similar conditions every year. By exposing the miserable reality of hens and mother pigs confined in cages across the country and securing widespread media coverage, Animal Equality is inspiring the public to choose plant-based alternatives and calling for an end to cage systems here too.

You can help make this change a reality. Sign the UK Government petition to ban cages for farmed animals. It’s currently at 69,300 signatures, but to bring it to Parliament and spark a debate, we need to reach 100,000.