The ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative calls on the European Union to phase out the use of cages in animal farming. The Initiative received 1.4 million signatures from all across Europe.

The number of signatures, verified by national civil servants, easily exceeds the threshold of 1 million required for a European Citizens’ Initiative to be valid. ‘End the Cage Age’ is only the sixth Initiative, and the first for farmed animals, to satisfy this requirement. The signatures also outstripped the prescribed minimum thresholds in 18 EU member states. This outstanding civic mobilisation was the result of outreach by a coalition of over 170 organisations across Europe.

In June 2021, the European Commission made a historic commitment to phase out cages in animal farming across the EU. It intends to present a proposal for a new law by the end of 2023 to prohibit the use of cages for all the animal species referred to in the Initiative. The Commission will evaluate the details for how the prohibition will roll out by the end of 2022.

Why we need to end the use of cages

The EU has already taken some first steps in improving the lives of farmed animals, such as requiring cages for hens to contain ‘enrichment’ like scratching areas and perches, as well as placing certain limits on the time when cages for female pigs (sows) and calves can be used.