A partial leak circulated yesterday (15 October) among Brussels-based media, suggests that the European Commission may drop the long-awaited animal welfare legislative proposals, including a ban on cages, from its 2026 Work Programme.

A stark contradiction

This is in stark contradiction with repeated commitments from the Commission to phase out cages in response to the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) – signed in 2019 by more than 1.4 million people.

Despite a European Commission commitment in 2021 to follow up on the ECI, the EU’s executive failed to deliver a ban on cages by the end of the last mandate. However, since December 2024, Animal Welfare Commission Olivér Várhelyi has repeatedly confirmed that proposals to ban cages and modernise the EU’s animal welfare rules would be presented in late 2026.

In response, we have written to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today, urging her to ensure that 2026 will be the year we End the Cage Age.

Long-overdue commitment

Vinciane Patelou, Head of our EU Office, said:

Citizens have been waiting for clear action from the European Commission to end the cage age since 2021. And for nearly a year now, the Commission has maintained that proposals will be presented in late 2026, in line with the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture and as set out in the Commission’s Vision on Agriculture and Food.

Yet, a leaked draft of its 2026 Work Plan raises serious questions about whether this long-overdue commitment will be upheld.

Ensuring this proposal is presented by end of 2026 is vital – not only for the millions of animals still confined in cages, but also for promises made to citizens who signed the ECI, as well as farmers and food businesses who urgently need clear guidance on how to transition to higher-welfare farming systems.

No more broken promises

The Commission’s delays have already prolonged the suffering of millions of sentient animals who continue to be confined in cages across Europe. Every year, nearly 300 million sows, laying hens, rabbits, quail, geese and calves spend most of their lives in cages – unable to move freely and express any natural behaviours. 

European citizens are aware of this immense suffering and, according to the Eurobarometer 2023, an overwhelming 89% of them believe that animals should not be farmed in individual cages.   

For the welfare of farmed animals, the health of democracy, and the predictability of the transition towards higher-welfare farming systems, the Commission must include animal welfare rules in its 2026 Work Programme and deliver ambitious, comprehensive proposals in 2026.

EU cage ban delay sparks citizen outcry