Five years ago today, on 30 June 2021, the European Commission committed to presenting legislative proposals to ban cages for all farmed animals. Fast forward to today (30 June 2026), the Commission has failed to keep its promise. On behalf of the End the Cage Age coalition, we marked the date by joining Anima International’s demonstration in Brussels.

Uncage the legislation

A giant cage was erected outside the European Commission, calling on policymakers to "uncage the legislation". Inside, activists, dressed as Commission staff, sat around a table with piles of paperwork – a powerful visual representation of five years of stalled legislation. MEPs then took bolt cutters to the cage to call on the Commission to finally act.

MEP Tilly Metz said:

It’s our duty as MEPs to represent the people who elected us, and those people care deeply about animals. Legislation that should already exist still does not, and millions of animals are paying the price. We call on the Commission to bring forward legislation to end cages without further delay.

Unanswered calls

Today’s protest follows months of unanswered calls by the End the Cage Age Citizens’ Committee, which requested a meeting with the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Committee sought to make a clear and compelling case on behalf of the 1.4 million Europeans who supported the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the same ECI which led to the Commission’s promise to ban cages.

Ignoring the request for a meeting raises serious concerns about transparency and the Commission’s commitment to the citizens they serve.

Making waves across the EU

Today's event is part of a coordinated wave of End the Cage Age actions across the EU. The Commission has promised to introduce legislative proposals to ban cages by the end of 2026, but having already been delayed once, the End the Cage Age coalition is sending a clear message. Together we're demanding ambitious, comprehensive proposals to ban cages for all farmed animals.

Annamaria Pisapia, Head of Compassion in World Farming Italy and spokesperson for the End the Cage Age ECI Citizens’ Committee, said:

Five years ago, the European Commission made us and 1.4 million Europeans who supported the End the Cage Age ECI believe it was ready to make history by banning the use of cages in all animal farming. And yet, we’re still waiting. This makes a mockery of participatory democracy.

Five years of broken promises have condemned nearly 1.5 billion farmed animals to a life of suffering in cages and have eroded the trust citizens have in the EU. And the fact that the Commission has been refusing to meet with us for months raises serious concerns about transparency.

This must be the year Europe acts decisively: no more delays, no more cages.

Calling on the UK Government

The campaign to ban cages also continues in the UK. Just last week, we took our call to End the Cage Age for laying hens directly to Parliament.

European Commission: Uncage the legislation