End The Cage Age: We demand compliance with the European Commission's Farm to Fork Strategy
The European Commission's Strategic Vision for February 2025 commits to the gradual phasing out of cage use in animal farming, responding to the demands of citizens and organizations regarding animal welfare.
28/03/2025
On March 21, the Animal Welfare Observatory, along with the "End The Cage Age" coalition - Compassion in World Farming, Animal Equality Foundation, and INTERCIDS - sent a letter demanding that Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, support the gradual phasing out of cages in animal farming during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on March 24. This request aligns with the European Commission's Farm to Fork Strategy.
The Strategy, presented in February 2025, serves as a roadmap for the future of the agri-food sector in the European Union, advocating for a more humane and sustainable future for agriculture in Europe.
It outlines the need to continue advancing the elimination of cages, as demanded by 1.4 million EU citizens who signed the European Citizen Initiative (ECI) "End the Cage Age."
“The new societal expectations regarding food are shaping consumer behavior, especially concerning animal welfare and the origin of products. [...] To address this issue, the Commission will maintain close dialogue with farmers, the food chain, and civil society, from which it will present proposals to revise existing animal welfare legislation that reflect its commitment to the gradual elimination of cages” states the Vision.
Additionally, the European Commission's Strategic Vision emphasizes the need to strengthen animal welfare standards for imported products in line with EU standards
Considering that over 85,000 Spanish citizens have signed the ECI to end the Cage Age, the "End The Cage Age" coalition requested the following from Minister Luis Planas:
- To express Spain's support for the phasing out of cage use for all farmed species as a key element of the Commission’s Vision;
- To demand a clear timeline for the proposal presentation, which has been significantly delayed;
- To promote and implement a clear transition plan to financially support farmers who are already investing or will invest in cage-free systems through the Common Agricultural Policy and/or other national and EU funds;
- To prioritize medium and small-sized units (with animal counts below 40% of the average) and guarantee their individuality compared to conventional production in cage-free systems through sustainability labeling, as included in the Vision and Dialogue.
In the words of Blanca Ponce, Head of Institutional Relations at OBA:
“There are regional administrations helping the primary sector transition through European funds. The goal is to implement those aids at the national level to meet European standards”
The coalition continues to work for the abolition of cages to become a reality in Europe. While working on this officially, the Animal Welfare Observatory also highlights the responsibility of other actors in the food chain, such as major supermarkets, to fulfill their commitment and cease the sale of eggs from caged hens.
You can be part of this. Sign now to end the sale of eggs from code 3 in Spanish supermarket chains.
