WAV Comment:  We all want to see all farm animals liberated from their prisons over the next few days – of course we do; that is us.  But we have to accept that this wonderful news is a vote from people that can press for change, and that will happen now.

Changes like this, sadly, do not come overnight.  Production methods of farming throughout the EU have to change for the better; a phase out period has to be introduced to allow the farming community to change and get the old cages where they have always belonged; on the scrap heap or passed into the hands of the scrap metal dealer.

This is monumentous news for the citizens of the EU.  They have demanded that their parliament; elected by them, the people; undertake change to give them what they require – a cage free system for animals in the EU.

Take time out today and think what a huge chage started in the EU Parliament yesterday. Even better is the requirement that all products placed on the EU market  – including imported ones – must comply with future cage-free standards. 

The world is beng sent a message; go cage free or we don’t want you.  A good day for animals in the EU; the start of major change.

Regards Mark

European Parliament urges to ban the caging of farmed animals!

10 June 2021

The EU moved closer to ending the cage age today, with the European Parliament urging the European Commission to ban the use of cages in animal farming by 2027.

The EU Parliament passed a resolution on the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with an overwhelming majority, with 558 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in favour to 37 against, and 85 abstentions. 

The resolution urges the Commission to revise the outdated EU Directive on farmed animals in order to phase out cruel cage systems in animal farming. This will prevent more than 300 million farm animals – like hens, pigs and rabbits – from being kept in cramped cages every year.

It also emphasises that all products placed on the EU market – including imported ones – must comply with future cage-free standards. 

Additionally, the resolution stresses the need to provide adequate incentives and financial programmes to support farmers through the transition to cage-free systems. 

Today the European Parliament showed a groundswell of support to end the barbaric cage systems in animal farming. EU citizens, scientists, companies and now also democratic representatives want to end the animal farming dark ages. Now it’s up to the European Commission to make these voices heard, not only to relieve the suffering of billions of animals but also to honour the EU’s democracy and civilisation. We count on a positive decision.

Reineke Hameleers

In addition, the EU Parliament called on the Commission to “put forward proposals to ban the cruel and unnecessary force-feeding of ducks and geese for the production of foie gras.” 

MEPs also pushed the Commission to speed up the review of the EU animal welfare legislation, asking for it to be completed by 2022 instead of 2023, as currently planned. This can ensure that the ban on cages in animal farming will be introduced within the mandate of the current Commission, which will leave office in 2024.

MEPs endorse EU citizens’ call for gradual end to caged farming

Press Releases

Yesterday 

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• Alternatives to cage farming exist and should be encouraged
• Ban to be based on impact assessment and species-by-species approach
• Transition period and proper support for farmers and livestock breeders
• Full compliance of imported animal products with EU rules on cage-free farming

Caged animal farming could be phased out in the European Union by 2027, say MEPs.

In their response to the “End the Cage Age” European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), MEPs asked the EU Commission to come up with legislative proposals to ban caged farming in the EU, possibly already by 2027, following an appropriate transition period and after a solid scientific impact assessment has been carried out. The resolution to this end was adopted on Thursday with 558 votes in favour to 37 against, and 85 abstentions.

Alternatives to cage farming exist and are being successfully implemented in a number of member states, MEPs say. These alternative systems should be further improved and encouraged at member state level, but to ensure a level-playing field for farmers across the European Union, MEPs agreed EU legislation is needed.

Species-by-species approach and properly funded transition

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, MEPs say. Before any legislative changes are made, farmers and livestock breeders must be given a sufficiently long transition period and proper support. This could include adequate advisory and training services, incentives and financial programmes to avoid farmers losing their competitive edge and prevent the relocation of EU agricultural production to places where animal welfare standards are lower than in the EU.

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.

Same standards for all imported products

A fair trade policy that ensures a level playing field is a precondition for higher European standards, the Parliament says. The Commission and member states should therefore focus more on putting effective controls and customs checks in place to ensure that imported agri-food products meet EU animal welfare standards.

MEPs want all animal products imported into the EU to be produced in full compliance with relevant EU legislation, including the use of cage-free farming systems. They insist existing trade deals should be re-evaluated to ensure that the same animal welfare and product quality standards are met. They also call on the Commission to promote animal welfare internationally.

Ban on unnecessary force-feeding of ducks and geese

MEPs also call on the Commission to come up with a proposal to ban the cruel and unnecessary force-feeding of ducks and geese for the production of foie gras.

Background

The “End the Cage Age” European Citizens’ Initiative was registered with the EU Commission on 5 September 2018. By the time it was submitted, the initiative had gathered support from almost 1.4 million signatories from across the EU, with the required threshold for signatures met in 18 member states. MEPs debated the citizens’ initiative together with its organisers, Commissioners and representatives of other EU bodies during a public hearing on 15 April.

MEPs endorse EU citizens’ call for gradual end to caged farming | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)

Regards Mark

Today, on 10 June 2021, the European Parliament urged the European Commission to make cages for farmed animals illegal across the European Union by 2027, adopting a resolution on the ‘End the Cage Age‘ European Citizens’ Initiative.

The resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority, with 558 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in favour to 37 against and 85 abstentions. It urges the Commission to revise the outdated EU directive on farmed animals, Directive 98/58/EC, in order to phase out cruel cage systems.

In the EU, at present, laying hens and rabbits are confined to spaces about the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Adult female pigs have to spend nearly half of every year inside crates, in which they cannot even turn around. Calves, geese and quail are also caged, preventing them from performing basic natural behaviours.

Parliamentarians agreed on the need to end these practices. They also highlighted the need to ensure that all products placed on the EU market – including imported ones – comply with future cage-free standards. They stressed the need to provide adequate incentives and financial programmes to support farmers through the transition.

In addition, the EU Parliament called on the Commission to “put forward proposals to ban the cruel and unnecessary force-feeding of ducks and geese for the production of foie gras.”

Parliamentarians also pushed the Commission to speed up its review of the EU’s animal welfare legislation, asking for this to be completed by 2022 instead of late 2023 as currently planned. This would help ensure that the ban is introduced within the mandate of the current Commission, which will leave office in 2024.

In today’s morning session, the Parliament also debated the resolution, with an extraordinary number of 45 MEPs taking the floor. The debate was attended by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who expressed support for the ‘End the Cage Age’ Initiative. She stated that the Commission’s commitment to improve the welfare of animals “does remain a moral, a health and an economic imperative.” “And for me, it is a personal commitment to strive for change,” she added.

Earlier, during a Parliament hearing in April, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski highlighted that the Commission promises to work intensively to end the cage age — a clear indication that a proposal is in the making.

The Commission is expected to announce what steps it will take regarding the issue on 30 June this year.

Commenting on today’s resolution, Olga Kikou, Head of Compassion in World Farming EU and one of the citizens leading the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative, said: “Citizens have been waiting for years to see the cages ban materialise. We are delighted that the European Parliament has taken a firm stance against cages. The time has come now for politicians to put words into action. From today on, the ball is in the Commission’s court. We expect nothing short of an ambitious timetable for ending the use of these outdated torture instruments called cages. Once this happens, the EU could truly claim global leadership in animal welfare.”

MEP Anja Hazekamp, Co-chair of the MEP working group on cage-free farming, added: “Hundreds of millions of animals are locked up in cages for farming purposes in Europe every year. They live under horrible conditions, without any chance to exercise their natural behaviour. After the successful citizens’ initiative, signed by 1.4 million citizens, the European Parliament now joins the widely supported call to free animals from their cages. The Left emphasizes that a legislative proposal must now be put forward without delay. All animal-cages in Europe must disappear at the latest by 2027.”

When animals are concentrated in large numbers in confined spaces, they do not experience a life worth living. There is a great deal of scientific evidence that farmed animals suffer in cages, yet every year in the EU over 300 million still spend all or part of their lives in cages, pens or stalls.

The ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative was signed by 1.4 million people across Europe and is only the sixth successful Initiative since the EU launched this democracy tool ten years ago. It is the very first successful Initiative for farmed animals.

The Initiative is also supported by over 170 organisations, a group of cross-party Members of the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions, a group of over 140 scientists, representatives of the business community, organisations campaigning for environmental protection, health and farming, as well as veterinary students and vets.

Overwhelming support by EU Parliament for ban on cages for farmed animals | Compassion in World Farming (ciwf.eu)

The EU citizen has spoken;

now they want action;

Regards Mark

More to come on this very soon – a wonderful result !