The End the Cage Age (EtCA) coalition has welcomed reports of leaked proposals from the European Commission to ban cages for laying hens but warned that they lack ambition, especially a proposed 12-year transition that would leave millions of animals suffering in cages for years longer than necessary.

If confirmed, the proposals will be a historic moment for animal welfare in Europe, and the first step towards freeing around 143 million laying hens from cages each year. However, the EtCA coalition has flagged concerns with the leaked proposals reported in the media, as follows:

A 12-year transition to cage free is far too long – major food businesses have already successfully transitioned within five years, showing that a much shorter transition period is realistic and achievable. Established supply chains and demand are already in place as around two thirds of the egg sector have already transitioned. Any extended period to transition from cages, would put cage-free laying hen farmers at a market disadvantage.
For meat chickens, a ban on cages will not deliver meaningful welfare improvements, and the plan to merge the Laying Hen and Broiler Directives into a single regulation, as set out in the leak, could weaken and delay protections for each species. It could leave millions of meat chickens without adequate protection for years to come and would not address the most critical issues such as high stocking densities and fast-growing breeds.

Plans for a ban on male chick culling are welcomed by the coalition, as are the equivalent animal welfare requirements for poultry products imported into the EU as an important part of upholding the wishes of EU citizens, strengthening the new legislation and supporting EU farmers and businesses.

Annamaria Pisapia, EtCA European Citizens' Initiative Committee spokesperson, said:

What we’ve seen of the leaked proposals could mark a historic step towards ending the suffering of millions of animals, but a 12-year transition is far too long. It would prolong unnecessary and cruel animal suffering and create an unfair market for farmers who have already transitioned. Across Europe, businesses have shown that they can successfully transition much quicker.

This is an opportunity for the Commission to set an ambitious but realistic timeframe that supports farmers through the change but doesn’t leave millions of animals suffering for years in cages.

The proposals for hens and broilers are in response to the successful EtCA European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) signed by over 1.4 million EU citizens, supported by 170 NGOs, and led by Compassion in World Farming. While the Commission made a clear commitment in 2021 to respond to the ECI by introducing legislative proposals for an EU ban on caged farming by 2023, it failed to bring forward the legislation on time.

The EU Livestock Strategy, published by the EU Commission in July, included a commitment to provide legislation to ban cages for laying hens and broilers by the end of this year, and for mother pigs in the first half of 2027.

In March 2024, the Citizens’ Committee of the EtCA ECI, supported by Compassion in World Farming, launched the landmark EtCA legal action against the Commission. This is the first case to examine the need to follow through on the procedure laid out in the ECI once a commitment has been made to bring forward legislation. The ruling of the case is due on 25 November.

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Leaked EU cage ban falls short for animals and farmers