Party for the Animals calls for a EU-wide ban on keeping animals in cages after successful citizens’ initiative
The EU needs to introduce a legal ban on keeping animals in cages as a matter of urgency. This is the call MEP Anja Hazekamp of the Dutch Party for the Animals made during an official hearing in the European Parliament last Thursday, following the successful citizens' initiative 'End the Cage Age’', which was signed by 1.4 million citizens.
MEP Anja Hazekamp of the Dutch Party for the Animals during the hearing in the European Parliament.
Over 342 million animals that are kept in Europe for food production spend their lives in cages. These animals include pigs, chickens, rabbits, ducks, geese, quail and lambs. "These animals have no room to move and are often unable to turn around or stretch due to a lack of space. Their lives are utter misery," Hazekamp said.
According to recent research commissioned by the European Parliament, with contributions from scientists of various universities, it is possible to make live-stock farming entirely cage-free. The research shows that EU legislation is the most effective way to achieve this.
"Experts and scientists have long agreed that using cages is cruel, outdated and unnecessary. And now citizens too are demanding, en masse, to better protect animals and free them from these cages once and for all. So it is up to the European Committee to show that it takes the citizens’ initiative seriously as a democratic instrument and that citizens can effect change not only in theory, but in practice as well," said Anja Hazekamp.