End the Cage Age
The reality of cage farming is a large-scale animal cruelty operation far beyond our imagination. More than 300 million hens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigs and calves are confined in cages across the EU. Anxious, frustrated, and highly stressed, animals in cages are often subject to short, extremely miserable lives. From cage to slaughter, many of them never see the light of day. Their dirty, cramped cages barely leave them any room to move – no space to spread their legs or wings. Many caged animals must fight over the little space that they have. In many farms, you would find animals left dead next to their terrified live companions, posing not only a health hazard but proving the inhumanity of this practice. Together with our coalition partners, we intensify our campaign #EndtheCageAge to end cages for good. To raise public pressure, we need your help!
In the EU, each year approximately
Use your voice on Social Media
Five years after the EU promised to move towards ending cages in farming, millions of animals are still waiting.
You can help keep the pressure visible. Copy one of the messages below and share it with EU leaders on social media.
How to take action
1. Copy a message: Choose one of the ready-to-use messages below.
2. Choose a platform: Post it on your own profile or leave it as a comment on EU leaders’ public posts where possible.
3. Tag EU leaders where possible: Tag the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and Olivér Várhelyi if the platform allows it.
4. Share this page: Help more people speak up for animals.
Where to post
European Commission
- X: @EU_Commission
- Instagram: @europeancommission
- Facebook: European Commission
- LinkedIn: European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen
- X: @vonderleyen
- Instagram: @ursulavonderleyen
- LinkedIn: Ursula von der Leyen
Olivér Várhelyi
- X: @OliverVarhelyi
- Facebook: Olivér Várhelyi
- LinkedIn: Oliver Varhelyi
Ready-to-use messages
- Message 1:
How many more years should animals wait in cages, crates and stalls? Keep your promise. End cages now! #EndTheCageAge - Message 2.
Millions of EU citizens demanded an end to cages. Animals are still waiting. EU leaders must keep their promise and end cages now. #EndTheCageAge - Message 3:
Five years of delay means five more years of animals suffering in cages. When will you present the promised cage ban? #EndTheCageAge
EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi
Postal address: Rue de la Loi 200, Wetstraat 200, Bruxelles/Brussel, 1040, PO Box 1049
President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
Postal address: Rue de la Loi 200, Wetstraat 200, Bruxelles/Brussel, 1040, PO Box 1049
Take Action
Join our calls to the EU Commission to keep its promise and end the unnecessary cruelty of caged farming
or...
- Write to your Members of the European Parliament and ask them to pressure the European Commission, especially Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, to propose legislation banning all types of cage farming. You can find the MEPs of your country here. When you click on their individual profile, you will find their email addresses and social media accounts.
- Tag the @EuropeanCommission on Social Media. It must keep its promise to #EndtheCageAge!
Broken promises
In response to the overwhelming 1.4 million signatures supporting the End the Cage Age initiative, in June 2021, the European Commission promised the revision of the current EU legislation for farmed animals. It announced to put forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and finally prohibit the use of cages for hens, sows, calves, rabbits, ducks, geese and other farmed animals across Europe by 2027. But ever since, nothing much has happened.
In December 2025, the overwhelming results of the EU Public consultation showed that the vast majority of the 190,000 respondents were in favour of ending cage farming. The high number of respondents certainly was a result of good campaigning. We would like to thank our supporters who filled out the questionnaire and gave animals a voice!
FOUR PAWS demands:
- An EU‑wide ban on cages for all farmed animal species, including single calf pens.
- A ban on cruel housing systems like tethering stalls and fully slatted floors.
- A ban on cruel practices such as early weaning, the killing of male chicks and mutilations such as tail docking or beak trimming.
- A ban on the use of torture breeds.
- Better keeping conditions for all farmed animals: more space, appropriate structures and enriched environments, species-specific feeding, and access to outdoors.
Laying Hens
Find out more about chickens.
Pigs
Calves
Ducks
Rabbits
Which animals are covered by the ECI?
The following animals are covered by the End the Cage Age initiative:
- Pigs
- Hens
- Rabbits
- Ducks & geese
- Calves
- Quail
How is a cage defined?
A cage is a form of inescapable confinement that severely limits an animal’s freedom of movement and ability to meet essential behavioural, physical and psychological needs, making it wholly dependent on human care for food, water and its living environment.
What is FOUR PAWS demanding from the European Commission?
Together with our coalition partners, FOUR PAWS demands the delivery of the long-promised revision of the EU’s farm animal welfare legislation, which should ban cage farming in the EU. The European Commission committed in 2021 to propose, by end of 2023, legislation to phase out cages by 2027. To date, this proposal has not yet been delivered. FOUR PAWS therefore urges the Commission to honor its commitment to 1.4 million citizens and present the necessary legislative measures without further delay, ensuring a clear and binding transition away from cage systems across the EU.
What else is FOUR PAWS asking for, apart from banning cages?
Beyond ending cage farming, FOUR PAWS calls on the European Commission to ensure a comprehensive revision of EU animal welfare legislation so that all farmed animals are kept in conditions that respect their biological needs and allow the expression of natural behaviours.
Keeping systems should provide:
- Sufficient space and freedom of movement
- A structured, enriched environment for exploration and retreat
- Comfortable, soft lying areas for pigs and cattle
- Elevated perches/elements for species-specific resting for poultry
- Access to outdoor areas for exploration and locomotion
- Species‑specific feeding that meets behavioural and physiological needs
The following keeping systems and practices should be prohibited:
- Tie-stalls
- Cages and crates
- Single calf pens
- Fully slatted floor systems
- Mutilations such as tail docking or beak trimming
- Cruel practices like the killing of day-old chicks
- Early weaning
- The use of torture breeds
What has the End the Cage Age initiative achieved so far?
On 25 September 2018, the initiative was officially launched at the European Parliament in Brussels. More than 170 NGOs from across Europe joined forces, making it the largest coalition ever formed for an ECI on farm animal welfare. The launch included an exhibition showing the reality of animals’ lives in cages, aimed at informing MEPs and other key decision‑makers.
Over the following year, the coalition carried out an EU‑wide signature campaign.
On September 11th, 2019, the ECI officially closed. After validation by national authorities, almost 1.4 million EU citizens were confirmed to have signed in support of ending cage farming – well above the threshold required under EU law.
As a result, the End the Cage Age ECI became one of the most successful European Citizens’ Initiatives to date, triggering a formal response and even a commitment from the European Commission.
For further, more detailed info, please have a look at our chronicle.
How can I support the initiative?
Take action
- You can support our initiative by writing to the responsible EU Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, and to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asking for a ban on cages for farmed animals.
- Write to your Members of the European Parliament, ask them to pressure the European Commission, and especially Animal Welfare Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, to propose legislation that bans all types of cage farming. You can find the MEPs of your country here. When clicking on their individual profile, you will find their email addresses and individual social media accounts.
- Turn to your own national members of parliament or agricultural minister to ask for domestic legislation to ban cage farming and to press the EU to act urgently.
- Support the demands of the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative calling for a ban on cage farming. Share our content and sign up for regular campaign updates at FOUR PAWS.
- Join the ECI-movement to end cages End the Cage Age
Make animal‑friendly food choices
- Every day consumption choices influence how animals are farmed. Reduce your consumption of animal products and replace them with plant-based products. If you buy animal-based products, choose cage-free and higher‑welfare standards, such as labelled products that ensure the animals have better living conditions, such as access to free range and pastures.
- Ask retailers and restaurants to go cage-free. Support calls for clear and honest labelling.
Stay informed and engaged
Follow developments in the revision of EU animal welfare legislation and the End the Cage Age process. FOUR PAWS provides regular updates and will highlight specific moments when public engagement can have the greatest impact, such as consultations or key political milestones.
Follow us and take action on your Social Media accounts!
Source
2 https://corhv.government.bg/
3 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tag00014/default/table?lang=en
4 https://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/media/7458736/food-businesses-paving-the-way-for-a-cage-free-europe.pdf
5 https://www.asic-wrsa.it/documenti/ReportUECommercialRabbitFarming.pdf