Submission and examination
The ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative was submitted to the Commission on 2 October 2020, having gathered 1,397,113 statements of support. See press release.
The organisers met with the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová and the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides on 30 October 2020.
A public hearing took place at the European Parliament on 15 April 2021. See press release.
The initiative was debated at the European Parliament’s plenary session on 10 June 2021. In the resolution adopted on the same day, the European Parliament expressed its support for the initiative. See European Parliament’s press release.
The Commission adopted a Communication on 30 June 2021 setting out the actions it intends to take in response to the initiative 'End the Cage Age’. See press release and Questions & Answers.
Answer of the European Commission
Main conclusions of the Communication:
In its response to the ECI, the Commission communicated its intention to table a legislative proposal, by the end of 2023, to phase out, and finally prohibit, the use of cages for all animals mentioned in the ECI, under conditions to be determined on the basis of opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the results of an impact assessment and a public consultation.
In parallel to the legislation and to facilitate a balanced and economically viable transition to cage-free farming, the Commission will seek specific supporting measures in key related policy areas, such as trade and research and innovation. In particular, the new Common Agricultural Policy will provide financial support and incentives – such as the new eco-schemes instrument – to help farmers upgrade to more animal-friendly facilities in line with the new standards.
Follow-up
As part of its 2020 Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission had already expressed its intention to propose a revision of the entire EU animal welfare legislation, including on on-farm welfare. This legislation was submitted to a fitness check, concluded in September 2022. Its results were presented in a Commission Staff Working Document. See more information on the revision and related developments.
As announced in the 2021 reply to the Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’, in 2022 and 2023 EFSA published scientific opinions concerning the welfare risks associated with cages for all animal species and categories covered by the ECI (pigs, laying hens, broiler breeders, layer breeders, calves, rabbits, ducks, geese and quail).
In the Vision for Agriculture and Food adopted on 19 February 2025, building on the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, the Commission announced its intention to:
- closely exchange with farmers, the food chain and civil society,
- on that basis, present proposals on the revision of the existing EU animal welfare legislation, including its commitment to phase out cages,
- as part of this legislative revision, pursue, in line with international rules, a stronger alignment of animal welfare standards applied to imported animals and food.
Following the announcement made in the 2025 Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission launched an impact assessment for a revision of the EU’s on-farm welfare legislation. A call for evidence, a public consultation and other consultation activities have been carried out.
Based on these consultation activities and the ongoing impact assessment, the EU Strategy on Livestock, adopted on 7 July 2026, outlines the following actions for a sustainable livestock sector, which follow up on the commitments made in the Commission’s reply to the 'End the Cage Age’ initiative:
- by the end of 2026, the Commission intends to propose a targeted revision of animal welfare rules for laying hens and broilers, focusing on the phasing-out of cages, practical on-farm welfare indicators, ending the systematic killing of male chicks and equivalent import requirements.
- by 2nd quarter of 2027, the Commission intends to propose a targeted revision of animal welfare rules for pigs, including the transition from crates to pen systems, practical on-farm welfare indicators, and equivalent import requirements.
For more details, check the dedicated web page.
