August 15, 2021
European Union considers end to cages in animal agriculture
The European Union is considering a ban on use of animal cages and stalls in agriculture to produce food sold in EU countries, with a potential target start date of 2027.
In June, members of the European Parliament passed a resolution that calls for the European Commission to develop legislative language that would end caged farming in the European Union. The resolution passed with 558 votes in favor, 37 votes against, and 85 abstentions.
“The gradual end of the use of cages should be based on a species-by-species approach that would take into account the characteristics of different animals and ensure that they all have housing systems that suit their specific needs,” a European Parliament announcement states.
Members of the European Parliament also are considering how EU countries could add customs checks, reevaluate trade deals, and otherwise add controls to ensure imported foods meet EU animal welfare standards, the announcement states.
The members called for scientific assessment of the impact the changes could have as well as transition periods and support for farmers and livestock breeders. That support would include advisory and training services, incentives, and financial programs that could help prevent EU farmers from being at a production disadvantage, compared with farmers in countries with different animal welfare standards.
“MEPs also call for a more comprehensive food policy to support the shift towards a more sustainable food system, but also to prevent small and medium-sized farms from abandoning livestock production and stop its further concentration in the hands of a few large farms,” the announcement states.
The resolution was a response to a European citizens’ campaign, End the Cage Age, which advocates that the EU prohibit the use of cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks, and geese; farrowing crates for sows; sow stalls; and individual calf pens.
The announcement from the European Parliament notes that members also called on the European Commission to write language for a proposed ban on force-feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras.
On June 30, the EU Commission responded to the End the Cage Age campaign by announcing plans to, by 2023, introduce legislation that could prohibit use of cages to house many farm animals. The response indicates that the proposal would concern the same species described in the citizens’ campaign, and the commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority for scientific help to determine the conditions needed for a prohibition on cages.