On Wednesday 5 September, the College of Commissioners decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled “End the Cage Age”. The aim is to put an end to the “inhumane treatment of farm animals” kept in cages.
The organisers (Compassion in World Farming) call on the Commission to ban the use of: - cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks and geese; farrowing crates for sows; sow stalls; and individual calf pens.
The Commission’s decision to register the initiative concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. At this stage, the Commission has not analysed the substance of tis ECI. The organisers claim nearly 700 million animals are kept in cages on EU farms.
Registration of this initiative will take place on 11 September 2018 and will mark the beginning of a twelve-month process during which signatures of support will be collected by the organisers. If, within one year, the initiative receives one million statements of support from at least seven different member states, the Commission will have to react within three months. It may decide either to follow up the request or not but, in both instances, would be required to explain the reason for its decision. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)