Campaigners take legal action against European Commission over animal cages

The European Commission will face the European Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) after a citizen-led initiative, ‘End the Cage Age’, filed a case over its alleged failure to deliver on a promise to work towards phasing out cages in farming.

In 2021, the Commission decided to respond to calls to ban animal caging from the Europe European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘End the Age Cage’ by promising a legislative proposal by 2023 to prohibit cages for several farm animals – including for hens, rabbits, pigs, quail, duck, geese and calves. 

However, the EU executive’s animal welfare package, presented last December, contained only stricter rules on animal transport and pets.

After the cage ban was not included in the Commission’s work programme for the rest of the mandate, in November 2023, animal welfare organisations filed a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

On Monday (18 March), the “End the Cage Age” ECI Committee, led by the NGO Compassion in World Farming, took their case to the CJEU.

“There is no justification for any further delay,” said Olga Kikou of the Citizens’ Committee of the ECI, adding that the EU executive had failed the 1.4 million EU citizens who supported the initiative.

According to the citizens’ platform, over 300 million pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks, quail, and geese are in cages throughout the EU.

Farm to fork

The expected review of animal welfare legislation includes rules on cages, changes to slaughter rules, and animal welfare labelling. All of these were to be part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU’s flagship sustainable food policy.

When asked about the omission of the original envisaged package in December, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said the work was “extremely technical and demanding” and was ongoing. 

However, with little time left to make further proposals before next June’s EU election, it will be up to the next Commission to decide what initiatives to bring forward.

Animal welfare rules are not the only missing piece in the EU’s farm-to-fork strategy, which has failed to deliver the promised sustainable food systems law, that was seen as a key element of the framework. 

In the name of dialogue

Last week, the Commission told the European Parliament that it had postponed the promised overhaul of animal welfare legislation, because more dialogue with stakeholders was needed. 

According to Elisa Ferreira, the European commissioner for Cohesion and Reform, who replaced Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner in charge of the dossier, the shelved proposals by the EU executive needed “consultation of stakeholders and a sufficient transition period.” 

Ferreira said the ‘strategic dialogue’ initiative launched by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of January, will be “an ideal forum for these discussions,” in this direction. 

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro and Rajnish Singh]

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