This week (7 July), the European Commission published its Livestock Strategy. If delivered, it will be a significant victory: set to free over 160 million farmed animals from cages each year.

Cage ban for hens and pigs

The Commission announced that it will present long-overdue proposals to ban cages for hens by the end of 2026 and for sows (mother pigs) by mid-2027. A boost for cage-free products has also been proposed through supply chain agreements with retailers and via the EU promotion policy. If these policies are delivered, it would set a historic precedent for phasing out caged systems.

However, the strategy failed to set a timeline for presenting proposals to End the Cage Age for other species, leaving millions of rabbits, quail, geese, and ducks trapped in cages across the EU. It also alludes to long transition periods for phasing out cages for hens and sows.

Animals have waited long enough and deserve a swift action. The Commission must now maintain momentum and give a clear, ambitious timeline for banning cages for every species.

Missed opportunity to ban live exports

When transported on long journeys, farmed animals often face overcrowding, extreme heat, hunger, dehydration, injury, and severe stress. The Livestock Strategy missed an opportunity to ban the live exports of animals for slaughter outside of the EU to end this cruelty. Instead, it announced that the Commission will exchange with relevant stakeholders and consider alternatives.

With clear evidence pointing to the trade in carcasses and meat as a cheaper, safer, and more humane alternative, the Commission must finally recognise that it’s time to ban live exports.

Animal welfare revision still pending

Other positive elements of the Livestock Strategy include:

an upcoming ban on the culling of day-old male chicks
measures to improve welfare standards for chickens farmed for meat
a commitment to introduce animal welfare requirements for imported products.

Sadly, while the strategy explains that animal welfare rules are currently being reviewed, it failed to announce measures that would ban cruel and outdated practices such as mutilations, inhumane slaughter or tethering.

Factory farming remains unquestioned

Despite clear recognition that animal farming is a major source of emissions, the strategy fails to move away from factory farming. It instead pushes for technofixes. Worryingly, one of which would involve measuring livestock methane emissions in a way that would reduce the sector’s reported climate impact.

A boost for plant-based food

Alongside the Livestock Strategy, the Commission released its Protein Plan. Positive recommendations include promoting extensive farming to reduce animal feed imports and encouraging the uptake of plant-based food.

The plan falls short of stating that current overconsumption of animal-sourced food is incompatible with a food system that operates within planetary boundaries. Our food security will remain at risk if we keep wasting resources to grow feed for farmed animals, rather than food for people.

Philip Lymbery, Global CEO at Compassion in World Farming, said:

After years of delay, this could be the breakthrough Europe’s farmed animals desperately need. A ban on cages for hens and sows would transform the lives of more than 160 million animals and show that public pressure can lead to real change.

However, this must not be where the Commission’s ambition ends. It promised to End the Cage Age for all animals. It must now maintain momentum and give a clear, ambitious timeline for banning cages for every species.

The Commission must also go beyond tinkering with how factory farms operate and confront the urgent need to transform the system itself. With ecological collapse already unfolding, business as usual in Europe’s farming sector is no longer an option.

Building Global cage-free Momentum

Alongside our campaigns to secure legislation to End the Cage Age in the EU and beyond, we’re working with food companies to accelerate the transition to cage-free farming.

Our latest Egg Track report monitors the progress of companies with cage-free pledges.

EU Commission set to ban cages for hens and pigs