Animal welfare campaigners today (5 March) rallied outside the Court of Justice of the EU as a landmark hearing took place to hold the European Commission to account over its broken promise to publish proposals to ban caged animal farming.

The case stems from the successful End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) - signed by over 1.4 million EU citizens and supported by 170 NGOs led by Compassion in World Farming. In 2021, the Commission made a clear commitment to respond to the action by introducing legislative proposals for an EU ban on caged farming by the end of 2023, but failed to keep its promise.

At today’s lengthy hearing, lawyers representing the ECI’s Citizens’ Committee (CIWF), along with those representing intervening NGOs Eurogroup for Animals, Animal Equality, and LAV presented evidence to the court on behalf of the 300 million animals who remain in cages across the EU.

Together, they showed that the Commission has a clear obligation to fulfil its legally-binding commitment by presenting a clear timeline to deliver legislative proposals to ban caged animal farming for all farmed species, as well as granting access to its EtCA files.

The five-judge chamber quizzed the applicant and the interveners, questioned the legal interpretation of the ECI, and “grilled” the Commission’s representatives by asking them what prevented the Commission from providing a timeline.

The animal welfare organisations made a clear and compelling case and look forward to receiving the judges ruling in due course.

Launched in March 2024 by the Citizens’ Committee of the EtCA ECI and spearheaded by Compassion in World Farming, this is the first case to hold the EU executive accountable over its failure to act on an ECI that it has committed to deliver.

Following the hearing, spokesperson for the ECI Citizens’ Committee and Head of CIWF Italia, Annamaria Pisapia, said:

The ruling on this case is not only crucial for animal welfare and the 300 million animals still suffering in cages, it’s also vital for democracy – it's the first of its kind to hold the Commission to account for its failure to act on a European Citizens’ Initiative that it has committed to deliver.

Today’s hearing demonstrated that the Court is taking this matter very seriously – it was referred to a chamber with a larger panel of judges and they asked highly pertinent questions of our lawyers.

We hope the Court agrees that the Commission must publish a new, clear timeline for proposals - for the sake of both animal welfare and citizens’ trust in participatory democracy.

Led by CIWF, campaigners from the End the Cage Age (EtCA) coalition NGOs rallied outside the court to show compelling video messages of citizens speaking up for animals, and give speeches calling for swift, ambitious action from the EU’s executive.

An overwhelming 89% of EU citizens believe animals should not be farmed in individual cages. Yet, across Europe, around 300 million pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks, quail and geese still spend most of their lives in cages every year. Animals kept in cages are often confined in barren environments, either overcrowded or completely lacking social contact, unable to turn around or express even the most basic behaviours.

EU court hears landmark case on broken promise to End the Cage Age