Today (4 February), the Court of Justice of the European Union announced it will hear our landmark  End the Cage Age legal case on 5 March, in Luxembourg.  

Along with the End the Cage Age Citizens’ Committee and intervening NGOs, we will be able to present a clear and compelling case to the judges that  the EU must deliver a clear timescale on its promised proposals.

The Court’s decision to grant an oral hearing recognises the importance of the issues at stake. The case is a huge milestone for animals, citizens, and democracy in Europe.  Launched in March 2024,  it is the first of its kind to hold the EU accountable for not delivering on an ECI commitment.

Commission fails to keep promise

The case comes from the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), signed by more than 1.4 million people and supported by 170 organisations, calling for an end to caged farming for all species. 

In response, the European Commission committed in 2021 to bring forward legislative proposals to ban cages by the end of 2023. But it failed to keep that promise.

As a result, nearly 300 million animals are still confined in cages across the EU every year, unable to move freely or express their most basic natural behaviours. 

Making the case for animals  

At the hearing, we will represent the animals still trapped in cages and call on the Commission to honour its legally binding commitment by: 

publishing a clear and credible timeline to deliver legislative proposals banning cages for all farmed species 
granting access to its End the Cage Age files, to ensure transparency and accountability.

 Annamaria Pisapia, Head of our Italy office and spokesperson for the Citizens’ Committee of the End the Cage Age ECI, said:   

This hearing will give us a chance to explain in detail how the Commission’s inaction is prolonging the suffering of millions of animals and endangering participatory democracy.  

It’s almost five years since the Commission committed to bring forward legislative proposals, yet the 300 million farmed animals suffering in cages every year are still waiting, as are the 1.4 million EU citizens who dared to speak up for them by supporting the End the Cage Age ECI.

Defending an important democratic tool 

In January 2025, major NGOs including Eurogroup for Animals, Animal Equality and LAV joined the case as interveners, underlining how widely the Commission’s failure has affected animal welfare efforts across Europe. 

ECIs exist to give people a real voice in EU decision-making. Ignoring a historic, million-signature call for change risks undermining that promise and damaging public trust. 

An overwhelming 89% of EU citizens – around 400 million people – believe animals should not be farmed in individual cages. 

This hearing brings us a step closer to turning public support into real change. 

Call for action in the UK

The UK Government has launched a consultation to ban cages for hens. This is a huge opportunity to end these cruel systems across the UK. Please use our quick online action to respond to the consultation.

Landmark End the Cage Age legal action takes major step forward