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Rabbits Investigation
Around 300 million farmed animals—including hens, pigs, calves, rabbits, geese, and quail—are kept in cages across the EU every year.
Our recent undercover investigation, EU Caged Rabbit Farming in the EU, 2024 (PDF), reveals the immense suffering of approximately 70 million rabbits still confined in cramped cages across Europe. This investigation highlights the urgent need for the European Commission to fulfill its promise of a cage ban.
Undercover in Europe
Filmed on farms in Italy and Poland, the footage shows rabbits unable to stretch, biting cage wires in frustration, and even sharing cages with deceased animals. This must stop. Show your support by sharing this video. #EndTheCageAge
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People have spoken
EU Citizens have shown outstanding support for animal welfare. Our aim is to remind new MEPs that they’re democratic representatives of the people, and the people are speaking loud and clear: 86% of EU Citizens support going cage-free and 94% support providing farm animals enough space to move around, lie down and stand. These voices cannot be left unheard.
Use Your Voice
We want empty cages, not empty promises. You too can use your voice to reach the European Commission. Tweet President Ursula @vonderLeyen a reminder about the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative. Click below and personalise the tweet for more impact.
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World Cage Free Day
World Cage Free Day occurs yearly on or around the 13th of October to raise awareness of the miserable lives of farmed animals confined in cages, crates and pens. A day that we soon hope to celebrate knowing that this obsolete and cruel practice is no longer in use globally.
Upcoming World Cage Free Days:
- Monday 14th October 2024
- Monday 13th October 2025
- Tuesday 13th October 2026
- Wednesday 13th October 2027
Follow the conversation, find out what action you can take and share your support by searching for and using #WorldCageFreeDay
End the Cage Age History: How We’ve Fought to Ban Cages
2018
This was the year when seven European citizens initiated End The Cage Age; a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with a mission to ban cages in the farming industry. Over 170 organisations and caring citizens across Europe joined forces to raise awareness and mobilise the public.
2019
In September 2019, End the Cage Age marked its first success, gathering more than 1.4 million verified EU citizens’ signatures. This was an incredible achievement.
2021
On 30 June 2021, the European Commission announced its historic commitment to revise the current EU legislation promising to:
1 ) 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
2 ) Phase out the use of cages for farmed animals across Europe by 2027
3 ) Ensure that all imported products in the EU comply with future cage-free standards
4 ) Implement systems for incentives and financial support to European farmers during the transition to cage-free farming
This was a groundbreaking announcement that sparked hope towards animal welfare, and also towards the power of democracy within the EU.
2023
By the end of October 2023, the EU Commission missed its own deadline to publish the proposal to ban cages, to the disappointment of millions of European Citizens. But we never stopped fighting and made sure to be seen and heard.
2024
In March, the Citizens’ Committee launched a legal action against the European Commission for not complying with its ECI obligations, and for failing to publish its proposals for a cage ban on time. Success in the European Court of Justice will bring the cage ban one step closer.
This is a fight not only for our animals. This is a fight for our democracy too. That’s why our voices are important.
We want!
We want to gather thousands of voices so the European Commission gets the message loud and clear: release the cage ban proposal NOW. Every voice counts. Show your support by sharing this video #WeWant4Animals and #EndTheCageAge
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Partners and Supporters of the End the Cage Age Movement
The network for the 'End the Cage Age' European Citizens’ Initiative unites organisations under a common banner—to eliminate the use of cages in animal farming.
This movement is representative of the 94% of people in Europe who believe protecting the welfare of farm animals is important, and 82% who believe farm animals should be better protected. Cages are a desolate reflection on our society.
Together we will End the Cage Age.
