Unanswered calls

This comes after months of unanswered calls by the ETCA Citizens’ Committee to meet with President von der Leyen and make a clear and compelling case on behalf of the 1.4 million Europeans who supported the ETCA European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI).

Ignoring this request raises serious concerns about transparency and the Commission’s commitment to the citizens they serve.

An overwhelming 89% of EU citizens – around 400 million people – believe animals should not be farmed in individual cages. Yet, nearly 300 million pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks, quail and geese still spend most of their lives in cages every year across the EU.

Making waves across Europe

The event is part of a coordinated wave of actions across Europe, counting down to the last quarter of 2026, when the Commission has promised to introduce legislative proposals.

With the Commission having already delayed once, the coalition wants to send a clear message to the EU’s executive that we expect nothing less than ambitious, comprehensive proposals to ban cages, for all species.

Annamaria Pisapia, Head of Compassion in World Farming Italy and spokesperson for the Citizens’ Committee of the EtCA ECI, said:

Five years ago, the European Commission made us and 1.4 million Europeans who supported the End the Cage Age ECI believe it was ready to make history by banning the use of cages in all animal farming. And yet, we’re still waiting. This makes a mockery of participatory democracy.

Five years of broken promises have condemned nearly 1.5 billion farmed animals to a life of suffering in cages and have eroded the trust citizens have in the EU. And the fact that the Commission has been refusing to meet with us for months raises serious concerns about transparency.

This must be the year Europe acts decisively: no more delays, no more cages.