Project 1882 and 280 researchers, experts, and organizations call for a cage ban

Project 1882 and over 280 researchers, experts, and organizations have signed the letter. The signatories call on the European Commission to propose a ban in 2026 on the caging of hens, pullets, breeders in the chicken and egg industries, quails, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs, and calves.

The letter was sent on 8 September, the same day as FOUR PAWS along with partners of the End the Cage Age Coalition that Project 1882 is part of, arranged an event in Brussels. Neither Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, or any representative of the commissioner, was present to receive the letter.

“The overwhelming support demonstrated by this letter sends a strong and clear message to the European Commission. There is a broad consensus that a cage ban must be introduced urgently. Keeping animals in cages has no place in the future”, says Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882.

What has happened

The background to this letter is the “End the Cage Age” citizens’ initiative, which was submitted to the European Commission in October 2020. With 1.4 million signatures from 18 countries, the initiative was the first one focused on strengthening animal welfare that made it all the way to the European Commission.

On June 30, 2021, the Commission announced that a legislative proposal for a cage ban would be presented in 2023. That did not happen. Project 1882 criticized this broken promise and has continued to work toward the introduction of the cage ban as soon as possible. Since the European Commission’s promise to phase out cages has still not been fulfilled, the European Court of Justice took up the first legal case in March this year, examining the Commission’s responsibility for failing to act on a citizens’ initiative that it itself had promised to address.

The letter can be read here.