While we wait for the European Commission to officially ban cages in the EU – a change we hope is imminent, due to the huge success of the “End the Cage Age” ECI, and the subsequent declaration by Commissioner Varhelyi that a ban on caged farming will be included in the revised animal welfare legislation – a couple of Member States have been making noteworthy progress towards phasing out cages in their national contexts.
99% of laying hens in Sweden are free from cages
According to the latest statistics from the Swedish egg industry, the number of hens kept in cages in the country has fallen dramatically.
When Project 1882 started its mission to phase out cages 17 years ago, roughly 40 percent of laying hens were caged in Sweden. This figure has now fallen to less than one percent, in large part thanks to the several companies that have committed to stop using eggs sourced from caged hens.
Due to this significant decrease, spurred along by Project 1882’s campaigning efforts to get wholesalers, restaurants, and consumers to exclude eggs from their purchases, it is estimated that over two million hens have been saved from a life of confinement since 2008, with 90,000 in the past year alone.
Reflecting this excellent development, Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882, surmises Sweden should “lead the way” when it comes to addressing a phase-out of cages at EU level, adding that “a comprehensive EU ban” is something we have been promised.
The Slovenian government has announced it will phase out cages
Over in Slovenia, the government has officially committed to phasing out cages by 2028, and will now work on putting this into law.
This advancement is owed to the work of our member, the Animal Enterprise Transparency Project, which has been advocating tirelessly for a ban on cages. Through its 2024 “Slovenia Against Cages” campaign, it amassed signatures calling for an end to the cage age and shared informative materials on the experiences of caged animals. It also called on the Ministry, coordinated investigative releases, and worked with influencers and allies to spread the word about the need for a cage ban.
As the results from the 2023 Eurobarometer showed, 19 out of 20 EU citizens oppose the use of cages, and 94% of Slovenians think it’s important to protect farm animals. This latest government statement is therefore extremely welcome, and bodes positively for the state of animal welfare in the country.
Discussion about this post