End The Cage Age was launched in September 2018 by CIWF in partnership with Eurogroup for Animals, and promoted by 170 NGOs. It closed exactly one year later, having gained over 1.4 million signatures. The ECI easily exceeded the required threshold of 1 million signatures, with a total of 1,397,113 validated signatures across the EU. It also outstripped the minimum number of signatures threshold in 18 EU Member States. This makes the End the Cage Age the:

• 1st successful ECI on farmed animal welfare
• 3rd with the highest signature count
• 6th to succeed among 75 registered initiatives in the last eight years

Today’s hand-in of the End the Cage Age is the culmination of a great effort by 1.4 million European citizens who came together to call on the EU to end the cruelty of confining farmed animals in cages. The massive public backing for the Initiative confirms the overwhelming level of interest EU citizens have in animal welfare. Now, the EU Commission must listen and come forward with substantive legislative proposals to phase out the use of cages in EU animal farming.

Commented Reineke Hameleers, CEO at Eurogroup for Animals.

The aim of the End the Cage Age is to end the use of cages for farmed animals across the continent, where over 300 million pigs, hens, rabbits, ducks, quail and calves are imprisoned. Most cages are barren, cramped, and deny animals the space to move freely. Cages are cruel and completely unnecessary since alternatives are available.

Making history for farmed animals has been a collaborative effort, with Eurogroup for Animals joining forces with 170 NGOs from across Europe: environmental, consumer rights and animal protection groups formed a broad-based coalition to rally citizens from every corner of the continent.

Today, we crossed the finish line of the biggest political push in the farmed animal welfare history. We are extremely proud of this collaborative victory. Of all the terrible contraptions used to farm animals, cages are one of the worst. It is high time for the EU Commission to evolve past such cruelty and free farmed animals kept behind bars. A life in a cage is no life worth living.

ENDS

Press contact:
Agnese Marcon, Communications Officer, Eurogroup for Animals
a.marcon@eurogroupforanimals.org
+32 (0) 456 078 038 

Eurogroup for Animals
Eurogroup for Animals represents 70 animal advocacy organisations in 26 EU Member States, Switzerland, Serbia, Norway, Australia and the USA. Since its inception in 1980, the organisation has succeeded in encouraging the EU to adopt higher legal standards for animal protection. Eurogroup for Animals reflects public opinion through its membership organisations’ affiliations across the Union, and has both the scientific and technical expertise to provide authoritative advice on issues relating to animal welfare. 

Notes 

1. For more information on the End the Cage Age ECI, visit End the cage age website
2. For more information on how close we are to a cage-free Europe, check the country stats. 
3. Number of signatures per country