The investigation – released as hearings begin in Brussels to select the new set of Commissioners, including those responsible for leading on this issue – witnessed rabbits:

Cramped in cages so small they couldn’t stretch, hop or lift themselves up on their back feet – all highly-motivated natural behaviours
Confined in individual cages, despite them being social animals
Dead or sick, laying lifeless with their ears chewed off or unable to lift their heads straight up alongside living rabbits
Without materials to gnaw on to grind down their constantly growing teeth – leading to rabbits chewing at the wires of their cage or at each other's ears
Housed on uncomfortable wire floors, resulting in skin cuts, pressure sores or hock lesions
Panting heavily due to high temperatures on two farms
With missing fur over much of their body, on one farm, likely indicating the presence of parasites or infection

In Europe, around 77 million rabbits are slaughtered every year. It is estimated that around 90% of them are confined in cages, including nearly all breeding does.

Broken promises

In 2021, the Commission made a legally binding commitment, in response to the successful End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative, to introduce a legislative proposal to end caged farming by the end of 2023. However, the EU’s executive failed to deliver on its promises.

An overwhelming nine out of ten EU citizens demand an end to the use of individual cages and the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture reflects a wide-spread consensus across the agrifood sector that cages must be phased out, calling for a proposal to revise the Animal Welfare legislation by 2026 at the latest.

Vital action needed

Anthony Field, Head of our UK Office, said: “This investigation clearly shows the systemic cruelty of caged farming across Europe. This is not about a couple of bad farms mistreating animals in certain countries, this is representative of caged rabbit farming throughout the EU in the absence of species-specific requirements for the welfare of farmed rabbits in EU law.

“Cages simply cannot meet the physiological and behavioural needs of farmed animals, and their use is unnecessary.

“Now more than ever, we are calling on the Commission to act and fulfill its commitment to present proposals to ban caged systems for rabbits and all other farmed animals as soon as possible. It’s also vital that here in the UK, the Government publish their promised consultations on cages and take action to End the Cage Age. A life in a cage is no life at all.”

Cruelty exposé reinforces crucial need for EU cage ban