Opinion by Michaela Šojdrová originally published in Czech by EurActiv Česká republika on 13 November 2020.

We strongly believe that all animals should be treated with respect to their natural needs. That is why we want to see hen cages banned as soon as possible across the whole of the EU. I warmly welcome the Czech government’s commitment to press for this, writes Michaela Šojdrová in this Opinion.

Michaela Šojdrová is a Czech Member of European Parliament from the Group of the European People's Party. She is a Substitute Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Good news is in short supply these days as Europe battles Covid-19, but today there is something to celebrate: breeding millions of egg-laying hens in cages will be banned in my country, the Czech Republic, from 2027.

The next step must be to move swiftly to ban such cages throughout the European Union. Cages are not only cruel — they are also unnecessary as more welfare friendly alternatives are already in widespread use.

Today’s vote in the upper house of the Czech Parliament, the Senate, confirms the cage ban approved by the lower house in September. The legislation will become law once signed by the Czech President.

Farmers and businesses have seven years to prepare for the ban and adapt, so any financial impact will be minimised.

My party, the Christian Democrats, fully supports the ban. The conditions in which some farmed animals are kept today are simply unacceptable: caged hens have about the same amount of space as an A4 sheet of paper and cannot even flap their wings.

We strongly believe that all animals should be treated with respect to their natural needs. That is why we want to see hen cages banned as soon as possible across the whole of the EU. I warmly welcome the Czech government’s commitment to press for this.

Getting rid of cages is feasible as viable alternatives such as barns, aviaries and outdoor free-range or organic systems are already used widely.

Indeed, Czechia’s ban is not the first. Luxembourg and Austria have already ended the use of hen cages, and Germany and Slovakia plan to do so by 2025 and 2030, respectively.