
Undercover Investigation


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In June 2021, the European Commission committed to presenting a legislative proposal to phase out the use of caged farming across Europe. To ensure this vital legislation comes into force as soon as possible, we need the support of EU Member States. Take action and call on EU Agriculture Ministers to End the Cage Age without delay.
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Give mother pigs, and caged animals across the European Union, a much-needed voice!
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Our campaign to stop caged farming
Mother pigs are a heart breaking symbol of the 300 million animals suffering in cages across Europe, like hens, calves, rabbits, quail, ducks and geese.
Over 170 organisations and caring citizens across Europe joined forces to spearhead the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative.
Hard work spanning the course of 3 years culminated in a major victory and historical decision by the European Commission on June 30, 2021 to revise current EU legislation with a commitment to:
- Put forward a legislative proposal by the end of 2023 to phase out and finally prohibit the use of cages for hens, mother pigs, calves, rabbits, ducks, geese and other farmed animals
- Phase out the use of cages for farmed animals across Europe by 2027
- Ensure that all imported products in the EU comply with future cage-free standards
- Implement systems for incentives and financial support to European farmers during the transition to cage-free farming
This monumental event marked an overwhelming victory for the 1.4 million EU citizens who made their voices heard and took their struggle to the lawmakers of the European Union.
This made the End the Cage Age ECI the:
- 6th ECI to succeed among 76 registered initiatives in the last eight years
- 3rd highest ECI signature count
- 1st ECI for farmed animal welfare to achieve the required threshold of 1 million signatures
- 1st ECI for animal welfare that has successfully led to a commitment from the EU Commission to overturn EU legislation and to implement revisions which will take over 300 million animals out of their cruel cages by 2027
Our mission now is to monitor the legislative process and to ensure that the Commission sticks to its word and delivers on its commitments.

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How close are we to a 100% cage-free Europe?
Our ECI, with 1.4 million citizens calling to end the inhumane treatment of farmed animals in cages, is proof that ending the cage age is a priority for Europeans.
To secure an EU-wide ban on cages we must put pressure on each EU Member State to embed a ban into their national law. We built a ‘League Table’ that ranks EU Countries in terms of how far down the legislative road they are in phasing out cages for farmed animals on a national level.
Even if there are some countries with slightly better national legislation than others, the only acceptable percentage, for any country, is 100% cage-free.

We have created a table ranking Member States based on the percentage of cage-free farmed animals in each country. Check out your country and send a tweet to your Agriculture/Health Minister, asking for their support of the End the Cage Age Initiative.
Our network
The network for the 'End the Cage Age' European Citizens’ Initiative unites organisations under a common banner—to eliminate the use of cages in animal farming.

We worked together to secure 1.4 million signatures for the European Citizens’ Initiative against cages.
This movement is representative of the 94% of people in Europe who believe protecting the welfare of farm animals is important, and 82% who believe farm animals should be better protected. Cages are a desolate reflection on our society.
Together we will End the Cage Age.

Keep in touch
The success of the campaign was down to each and every individual who signed the ECI and the collaboration between the 170 NGOs across Europe. Please contact one of these groups if you’d like to hear more from an organisation that’s based in your country: View the full list of organisations here.
Or sign up to receive emails from Compassion in World Farming about End the Cage Age and other campaigns:
Together we will end the cage age. Forever.
Full list of NGO partners by country
Pan-EU:
Arc 2020 | Compassion in World Farming International | Eurogroup | HSI | Slow Food | SumOfUs | Vier Pfoten/Four Paws | WeMove | World Animal Net
Österreich (AT):
animal.fair | Ferkelfroh | Vier Pfoten International
Belgie/Belgien/Belgique (BE):
CIWF EU | DierAnimal | GAIA | Sans collier | Venizi
България (BG):
CAAI | Four Paws Bulgaria | Intimate with the Nature Society (IWNS)
Κύπρος (CY):
Cyprus Voice for Animals
Česká republika (CZ):
Advokátní kancelář Robert Plicka | Hlas zvířat | Home 4 Pets | Nadace na ochranu zvířat | NESEHNUTÍ | OBRAZ! | Platforma pro udržitelný rozvoj a etiku | Slepice v nouzi | Společnost pro zvířata | Svoboda zvířat
Deutschland (DE):
adopTIERE e.V. | Aktion Fairplay | Aktionsbündnis Artgerechtes München | Aktionsgruppe Tierrechte Bayern | Albert Schweitzer Stiftung für unsere Mitwelt | Amelies Lebenshof e.V. | Animal Equality Germany e.V. | ANIMALS UNITED e.V. | AWF (Animal Welfare Foundation) in Germany / Tierschutzbund Zurich TSB | BAG Tierschutzpolitik von BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN | Berlin-Vegan | Besitzerhunde e.V. | Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. | Deutsches Tierschutzbüro e.V. | DIE LINKE | Erster Freier Tierschutzverein Leipzig und Umgebung e.V. | foodwatch e. v. | Förderverein für den Tierhof Stade-Cuxhaven e.V. | Fraktion UFFBASSE | GRÜNE LIGA Berlin e.V. | GUTuN | Hamburger Tierschutzverein von 1841 e. V. | Heldenmarkt (Forum Futura UG) | Hundehilfe Russland e.V. | Initiative für Tiere in Not e.V. | Internationaler Tierschutzverein Grenzenlos e.V. | Kölner Tierschutzverein 1868 | Lebenshilfe Kuh & Co. e.V. | Lobby pro Tier Mienenbüttel e.V. | mensch fair tier | Menschen für Tierrechte - Bundesverband der Tierversuchsgegner e.V. | Menschen für Tierrechte – Tierversuchsgegner Baden-Württemberg e.V. | Netzfrauen | NOAH Menschen für Tiere e.V. | Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei (ÖDP) | PARTEI MENSCH UMWELT TIERSCHUTZ | Pro Animale für Tiere in Not e.V. | PROVIEH e.V. | Rettet das Huhn e.V. | Robbenzentrum Föhr | Rüsselheim e.V. | Schüler für Tiere e.V. | Schutzengel für Tiere e.V. | Slow Food Deutschland | Sozis für Tiere | Stiftung Hof Butenland | TASSO | Tierärzte für verantwortbare Landwirtschaft e.V. | Tierauffangstation Meiningen | Tierfreunde ohne Grenzen e.V. | Tierhuus Insel Föhr e.V. | TiernotHilfe Gutlindenhof e.V. | Tierschutz Hildesheim und Umgebung e.V. | Tierschutz Spanien e.V. | Tierschutzverein Bamberg e.V. | Tierschutzverein Ditzingen e. V. | Tierschutzverein Dresden e.V. | Tierschutzverein Gera und Umgebung e.V. | Tierschutzverein Hof und Umgebung e. V. | Tierschutzverein Meiningen | Tierschutzverein München e.V. | Tierschutzverein Noris e.V. | Tierschutzverein Nürtingen-Frickenhausen | Tierschutzverein Tierheim Falkensee und Umgebung e. V. | Tierschutzverein Weißenhorn e.V. | Tierschutzverein Worms Stadt und Land e.V. | Tierwork e.V. | TSV Nestwerk Münsterland e.V. | Vegane Powerfrauen e.V. | Verein Gegen Tierfabriken (VGT) | Verein Tierfreiheit e.V. | Vier Pfoten - Stiftung für Tierschutz | Voice for the Voiceless e.V. | V-Partei³ | Wildtierhilfe Lüneburger Heide e.V.
Dänemark (DK):
Anima | Dyrenes Beskyttelse | Dyrenes Venner | World Animal Protection Denmark
Eesti (EE):
Loomus | Nahtamatud Loomad
Ελλάδα (EL):
Adespotologio | Aesop Cultural – Ecological Animal Welfare Organisation | Agapazo Fylis | Animal Care Lefkas | Animal welfare and cultural group Frontizo | Animal Welfare Association of Aigialeia The Friends | Animal Welfare Association of Phthiotis | Animal Welfare Association of Volos Kosmos and Nature | Animal Welfare Paros | Animals’ Voice Astypalea | ARGOS Animal Rescue | Association for the Protection of Animals S.C. Messologgiou Hope | Chios Animal Welfare Society | Eptapsyhes | Filozoiko Somateio Limnou Stray Souls | Filozoikos Omilos Kalamatas | Filozoikos Omilos Karditsas - Filokardi | Filozoikos Syllogos Neas Filadelpheias | Greek Animal Welfare/Animal Action Hellas | H Kivotos toy Thodori | Hydra Ark | Ilioupolis Animal Welfare Union | Kivotos Mytilene | Larissa's Stray Volunteers | Nine Lives Greece | Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environmental Federation | Pan-Hellenic Animal Welfare Federation | PAWS | Samos Animal welfare | SAPT Hellas | SCARS | SOS Adespota Vrilission | Stray Animals Care "Love" Organization | Stray Planet | Zakynthos Animal Welfare Fund | ZAWF | Zofipsi | Zophoros
España (ES):
ADDA - Asociación Defensa Derechos Animal | AnimaNaturalis | APDDA Asociación Parlamentaria en Defensa de los Derechos de los Animales | ASANDA Asociación Andaluza Para la Defensa de los Animales | Asociación nacional para la defensa de los animales (ANDA) | AVATMA | AVHA Sevilla. Asociación para el Vínculo Humano-Animal | Equalia | EQUO | Fundación FAADA | Fundación Santuario Gaia | ICALP | Igualdad Animal | PACMA Partido Animalista Contra el Maltrato Animal
Suomi (FI):
SEY Suomen Eläinsuojelu
France (FR):
30 millions d'amis | Afaad | Alliance Anticorrida | Animal Cross | Animalsace | CACH | C'est assez ! | CIWF France | Collectif Plein air | Confédération Nationale Défense de l’Animal | CRAC Europe | Education Ethique Animale | Ensemble Pour Les Animaux | Fondation Brigitte Bardot | L214 | La Fondation Droit Animal, Ethique et Sciences (LFDA) | La Nuit avec un Moustique | Ligue Pour La Protection Du Cheval | Mouvement pour les animaux | OABA | One Voice | SPA | Welfarm
Hrvatska (HR):
POBJEDE
Éireann (IE):
ISPCA
Italia (IT):
Amici della Terra | Animal Aid Italia | Animal Equality Italia | Animal Law | Animalisti Italiani | CIWF Italia Onlus | Confconsumatori | ENPA | Il Fatto Alimentare | Jane Goodall Institute | LAV | Lega Nazionale Difesa del Cane | Lega Per L'abolizione Della Caccia | Legambiente | LEIDAA | LUMEN | OIPA Onlus | Parito Animalista Italiano | Terra Nuova | Terra! Onlus
Lietuva (LT):
Tušti narvai
Lëtzebuerg/Luxembourg/Luxemburg (LU):
Ligue National pour la Protection des Animaux (LNPA)
Latvija (LV):
Dzīvnieku brīvība
Nederland (NL):
Bont voor Dieren | CAS-International | de Dierenbescherming | Compassion in World Farming Nederland | Eyes on Animals | Foodwatch Nederland | Partij voor de Dieren | Varkens in Nood | VierVoeters | Wakker Dier | World Animal Protection
Polska (PL):
Albert Schweitzer Stiftung Poland | CIWF Polska | Fundacja Viva! Akcja Dla Zwierzat | Klub Gaja | OTOZ | Otwarte Klatki (Open Cages)
Portugal (PT):
Animals de Rua | SOS Animal Portugal
România (RO):
Animals International
Sverige (SE):
Djurens Rätt | Djurskyddet Sverige | Svenska Djurskyddsforeningen | World Animal Protection SV
Slovenský (SK):
Humánny pokrok | Sloboda zvierat
Slovenija (SL):
Društvo za zaščito živali Ljubljana