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‘End the Cage Age’ - An historic day for animal welfare

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Věra Jourová, Vice President for Values and Transparency

Today (30 June), the European Commission proposed a legislative response to the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) supported by over one million Europeans from 18 different states.

The Commission will adopt a legislative proposal by 2023 to prohibit cages for a number of farm animals. The proposal will phase out, and finally prohibit, the use of cage systems for all animals mentioned in the initiative. It will include animals already covered by legislation: laying hens, sows and calves; and, other animals mentioned including: rabbits, pullets, layer breeders, broiler breeders, quail, ducks and geese. For these animals, the Commission has already asked EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to complement the existing scientific evidence to determine the conditions needed for the prohibition of cages.

As part of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission has already committed to propose a revision of the animal welfare legislation, including on transport and rearing, which is currently undergoing a fitness check, to be finalised by the summer of 2022.

Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: “Today is an historic day for animal welfare. Animals are sentient beings and we have a moral, societal responsibility to ensure that on-farm conditions for animals reflect this. I am determined to ensure that the EU remains at the forefront of animal welfare on the global stage and that we deliver on societal expectations.”

In parallel to the legislation the Commission will seek specific supporting measures in key related policy areas. In particular, the new Common Agricultural Policy will provide financial support and incentives – such as the new eco-schemes instrument – to help farmers upgrade to more animal-friendly facilities in line with the new standards. It will also be possible to use the Just Transition Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Facility to support farmers in the adaptation to cage-free systems.

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