EU Residents Call for Prohibition of Animal Cages; Feel Disappointed by Outcome
EU residents possess a significant, yet scarcely recognized, instrument for voicing their opinions: the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). Essentially, an ECI is a highly potent petition. If at least a million individuals from seven nations endorse it within a year, the European Commission is mandated to act (though not necessarily institute policy based on it). As Carsten Berg, the director of the ECI Campaign, an NGO, mentions, "It's unique from a global standpoint."
ECI's power extends beyond policy participation, as it transcends borders. According to Berg, "Democracy must be transformed to address real challenges."
Animal welfare has been a primary area where ECIs have gained traction. Concerning the European Commission's responses, most ECIs revolve around the welfare of animals in some capacity. Berg believes that topics such as enhancing animal lives--although many EU policy areas may appear dry and abstract--are "very specific, emotional and tangible subjects" that engage citizens.
Images of chicken exploitation in battery cages have garnered significant attention in narrowing the complexities surrounding animal welfare, says Christine Nicol, a professor of animal welfare at the Royal Veterinary College in London. As a teen, she was herself affected by the appalling images of cramped chickens. These images are visceral. While a definitive definition of a cage may not exist, she explains that "most people would consider a cage as an enclosure that a human can't enter, which severely restricts an animal's movement." Cage-free systems can be indoor or outdoor, and both the European public and numerous food companies have expressed their support for cage-free environments.
The Campaign to End the Cage Age
The ECI "End the Cage Age," registered in 2018, represents a notable example of mobilization regarding caging. The EU already implements partial cage bans, such as the 2012 ban on caging laying hens during egg production, which drew on Nicol's research. The End the Cage Age ECI called for expanding and formalizing the current regulatory framework surrounding caging, to prohibit cages for various species, across the EU. This included crates for pregnant pigs, individual pens for calves, and cages for rabbits and several types of birds (quails, ducks, geese, and numerous kinds of chickens).
"We knew it was a daunting task," says Annamaria Pisapia, the head of Compassion in World Farming Italy. She was a part of the endeavor from the outset, as a member of the Citizens' Committee of the End the Cage Age ECI. This group laid the groundwork for the initiative as early as 2016. Pisapia credits the abundant public sentiment as her motivation during the lengthy process.
Approximately 170 NGOs were involved, led by Compassion in World Farming. Pisapia refers to this as "the largest campaign ever undertaken in Europe for farm animals." It required significant grassroots mobilization, celebrity endorsements, and signature collectors.
According to Berg, a massive amount of strategizing, fundraising, and alliance-building is necessary to overcome the linguistic and cultural barriers of a cross-border EU campaign of this magnitude. This necessitates perseverance; he advises organizations to plan for at least a year before launching their ECI.
Failure is a possibility; since the inception of the system in 2012, 133 ECIs have been submitted. Of these ten, only two have collected enough signatures to be partially implemented.
End the Cage Age managed to surpass the challenging thresholds: approximately 1.4 million EU citizens signed. There was significant support, proportionate to population size, from the Netherlands and Germany, two nations with robust animal-welfare movements (though also powerful farming cultures).
The stakes are high, and so are the sensitivities. "There is no quality of life for an animal in a cage," Pisapia emphasizes. However, "We understand that farmers must be allowed time to adapt. We want farmers to support the changes. We don't want to force farmers out of business." She acknowledges the importance of compensating farmers, alongside the need to offer animals fulfilling lives, and the need to implement citizens' will.
Delay Upon Delay
Despite the widespread support for the ECI, little concrete action has been taken. In 2021, the European Parliament supported it. The European Commission also agreed to revise cage-related legislation by 2023, with implementation by 2027. These revisions included financial support and training for farmers to gradually transition away from cages, along with import rules. "It was an incredible day," Pisapia recalls, describing the first-ever public commitment to implement an ECI. However, 2022 and 2023 passed without any action.
A delay was initially expected due to the Covid-19 pandemic; the European Commission is meant to respond within six months of a successful ECI. In October 2023, when further delay appeared imminent, civil society organizations issued an open letter demanding that the European Commission uphold its commitment. In January 2024, the European commissioner responsible for health and food safety responded, referencing unrelated animal welfare proposals, and mentioning that efforts to phase out cages were continuing.
Disappointed, activists chose to take legal action against the European Commission in the EU's top court. In April 2024, the Citizens' Committee for the End the Cage Age ECI initiated a lawsuit at the Court of Justice of the European Union, marking a first for an ECI. Some time later, the ECI Campaign, Eurogroup for Animals, Foodwatch International, and Animal Equality sought to join the lawsuit, but they're yet to receive a response from the court (a court spokesperson announced, "no hearing date has been set.").
Berg labels the European Commission's inactivity as disgraceful and scandalous. He maintains that this goes beyond a singular initiative; the integrity of democratic institutions is at stake. If there's no follow-up to a successful ECI, as Berg forecasts, "the ECI will not survive the long term". There's a risk that citizens may ultimately lose trust in the European Union.
As the European Commission dragged its feet, and farm protests caused turbulence in EU politics, agricultural lobby groups persistently advocated against animal welfare protections. For instance, Lighthouse Reports revealed that partners associated with European Livestock Voice repeatedly pressured the Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety not to limit caged farming throughout 2021-2023 (European Livestock Voice refutes this knowledge).
These organizations raised questions about the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the independent EU agency that delivers scientific advice on food-related risks. EFSA asserts that caging leads to severe consequences for animal welfare, such as limiting a hen's movement, preventing natural behavior, and pushing hens to excessive stress. The agency advises housing hens outside cages.
Professor Nicol, part of EFSA's Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Animal Welfare in 2022, contributed to scientific opinions on laying hens and other farm animals following the End the Cage ECI.
Nicol highlights that shortly after the scientific opinion was submitted, as ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine war arose, oil prices jumped, and the conversation shifted to cost of living. The agriculture industry bodies capitalized on this opportunity to effectively lobby against welfare improvements, fearing additional expenses for EU consumers. Nicol feared that this year-long effort might be rendered useless.
Nicol affirms that the 188-page scientific opinion was grounded in solid evidence, which the team was tasked with summarizing scientifically rather than shaping realistic strategies for the agriculture industry. Though she acknowledges that communication could have been improved, she asserts that there exist practical, humane, and cost-efficient alternatives to cages. Installing an alternative system would be more cost-effective than a cage system due to lower material requirements associated with communal housing.
For example, switching to cage-free systems for rabbits reared for meat could reduce investment by half compared to cage systems, benefiting the rabbits by providing ample space for stretching, standing, and hopping. Besides improving animal welfare, this would increase the convenience for farm workers in handling and observing the rabbits.
Nicol also adds that mortality rates tend to be lower in alternative systems.
When Might the ECI Be Implemented?
Nicol points to the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture as a source of optimism. This consortium, consisting of 29 organizations spanning agriculture and NGOs, was established by the EU to encourage consensus about the agriculture sector's future. In September 2024, the Strategic Dialogue group unveiled its report, recommending that the European Commission present an animal welfare proposal by 2026 and outlining a phase-out of cages. Although some view this as another delay tactic, others see it as a rare demonstration of shared interests.
The new crop of EU commissioners—who assumed office in December—have failed to arouse confidence among ECI observers. Maroš Šefčovič handles a multifaceted portfolio, including trade, economic security, interinstitutional relations, and transparency. The ECI Campaign points out that Šefčovič's mission letter doesn't even mention the ECI.
The figure of Olive Varhelyi, the commissioner for health and animal welfare, stirs more controversy. Under interrogation by European parliamentarians assessing his nomination, Varhelyi admitted that "cages are becoming outdated" and committed to addressing the End the Cage Age ECI. However, he refused to reveal a timeframe and again emphasized farmers' wellbeing—a topic outside his remit. Varhelyi also called for further discussions on implementing the ECI, raising concerns of continuous delays through additional consultation rounds (Varhelyi and the European Commission did not reply to a request for comment).
While many retain hope that the ECI will be carried out eventual, the wait is growing excruciating. A 2027 phaseout of cages, a preliminary goal, now appears unrealistic. Campaigners must cultivate patience to match the institutional procrastination. "It's a very lengthy process," Berg concludes, addressing ECIs in general. "Citizens expect swift and responsive action from their governments."
"Pisapia's not backing down," she declares firmly.
The "End the Cage Age" ECI, led by Compassion in World Farming Italy and numerous other NGOs, aimed to expand and formalize the EU's regulatory framework on caging, calling for the prohibition of cages for various animal species. (ECI, farmers, caging, EU, NGOs)
Despite the European Parliament and European Commission's commitments to revise cage-related legislation by 2023 and its implementation by 2027, including financial support and training for farmers, the European Commission has yet to take concrete action, leading to delays and legal actions. (ECI, European Parliament, European Commission, cage-related legislation, delays, legal actions)
Professor Nicol, part of EFSA's Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Animal Welfare, contributes to scientific opinions on laying hens and other farm animals, emphasizing the cost-effectiveness and positive impact of cage-free systems on animal welfare and convenience for farmers. (ECI, farmer welfare, EFSA, Professor Nicol, cage-free systems, laying hens, cost-effectiveness)