A proposal to ban the use of cages in animal husbandry is causing problems for several EU agriculture ministers, a debate in the EU Council revealed on Monday 19 July.
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides promised at the Agriculture Council that support will be given to farmers to help them stop keeping animals in cages.
The European Commission has committed to presenting a legislative proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and ban the use of cage systems for all farmed animals (see EUROPE 12752/10).
Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called the European Commission’s decision “historic” as it aims to meet citizens’ expectations. She acknowledged that the transition will involve significant changes for operators. “We will assess the social, economic and environmental consequences of the proposal”, she added. She felt that it will be crucial to support farmers in this transition.
Mrs Kyriakides encouraged EU countries to use rural development programmes and future eco-regimes to support farmers in changing their practices towards cage-free farming. The European Commission also foresees “specific support measures” in several areas, including the CAP, trade and innovation.
Luxembourg supported the European Commission’s proposal to end the use of cages, as did Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Greece.
Cyprus has called for a significant transitional period. Romania and Slovakia also requested an impact assessment, transitional periods, and CAP aid to ban cages.
A ban on cages is not necessarily the best solution, said Estonia, which advised reducing the density of farms.
Hungary mentioned very high costs and the risk of reduced production due to the ban.
Several countries, including Italy, Greece, Spain and France, have drawn attention to imports from third countries that do not meet standards as high as those of the EU. Maximum reciprocity must be guaranteed to avoid penalising European production, said Italy in particular.
In addition, Austria, supported by the Belgian, Cypriot, German, Luxembourg and Slovak ministers, has proposed ways to improve the welfare of turkeys. The European Commission has estimated that turkeys will be included in the review of animal welfare legislation in 2023.
Male chicks. “The year 2022 will be the year of the end of the crushing and gassing of male chicks. France will thus be the first country in the world, along with Germany, to put an end to the elimination of male chicks”, French minister Julien Denormandie said on Monday.
The German and French delegations, supported by the Austrian, Spanish, Irish, Luxembourg and Portuguese delegations, asked the European Commission to start work on an EU-wide ban on the killing of male chicks for layer production.
According to France, the in ovo sexing method allows for the selection of only females. Finland supported this Franco-German initiative, as did Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece.
Mrs Kyriakides called the subject “disturbing”. She encouraged the use of in ovo sexing and noted that several EU countries ban the killing of day-old male chicks. The European Commission will consider what changes to the legislation should be made.
Link to the French Ministry’s press release on male chicks (in French): https://bit.ly/3BiYG29 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)