Compassion in World Farming today expressed concerns and vowed to step up its campaign after the 2026 Work Programme published today (21 October), failed to include the promised and long-overdue legislative proposals to modernise the EU’s animal welfare legislation and ban caged animal farming.

The move comes despite repeated confirmations by Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi that legislative proposals would be presented in late 2026.

This commitment followed the successful 2019 End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative, signed by more than 1.4 million people and supported by a coalition of 170 NGOs, led by the animal welfare and environmental NGO. In response, the Commission promised to publish proposals to improve animal welfare by 2023. The public’s overwhelming support for this legislation was once again reiterated in 2023 by the Eurobarometer poll which showed that a resounding 89% of EU citizens believe farmed animals should not be kept in individual cages.

As a result of the EU executive’s failure to introduce proposals as promised, in 2024 the Citizens’ Committee of the EtCA ECI launched a landmark legal action seeking a new and clear timescale for the proposals to be delivered.

The only animal welfare measure announced in the 2026 Work Programme is a non-legislative initiative on “livestock including elements of animal welfare.”

Vinciane Patelou, Head of EU at Compassion in World Farming, said:

The Commission has repeatedly insisted that it will present proposals to End the Cage Age in late 2026, in line with the EU’s Vision for Agriculture and Food. Then why not include this legislation in the 2026 Work Programme? This sends a worrying message to the millions of EU citizens who support it and expect this legislation to be delivered as promised.

Millions of animals are still trapped and suffering in cages across Europe, farmers and food businesses still need urgent clarity, and EU citizens want their voices to be heard and for the EU to keep its promise. There can be no further delays.

This failure to include these reforms in the Work Programme makes the outcome of the End the Cage Age legal action against the European Commission more important than ever. It’s time for them to deliver. And while we will continue to work with them on the revisions, we will also step up our campaign to hold them to account - until every cage is an empty cage.

~ENDS~

EU leaves promised animal welfare reforms out of Work Programme