Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AGRI |
LINS Norbert ( EPP)
|
DE CASTRO Paolo ( S&D),
DECERLE Jérémy ( Renew),
GUERREIRO Francisco ( Verts/ALE),
JURGIEL Krzysztof ( ECR),
HAZEKAMP Anja ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2, RoP 222-p8
Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2, RoP 222-p8Events
The European Parliament adopted by 558 votes to 37, with 85 abstentions, a resolution on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the cage age’.
The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) ‘End the Cage Age’ - which received 1.4 million validated signatures from all the then EU-28 Member States - is the first valid ECI for farmed animals. The proposed ECI refers to the hundreds of millions of farmed animals in the EU that are kept in cages for most of their lives. It aims to improve animal welfare.
Given the importance of the ECI but also the lack of action and follow-up to successful ECIs so far, Parliament called on the Commission to ensure the proper transposition of the demands of the ‘End the Cage Age’ ECI into the current revision of Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of animals used in agriculture, in line with the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy.
Phasing-out cage farming
The resolution noted that the market for free-range and organic animal products is growing in the EU and that alternatives to cage farming are being successfully implemented in a number of Member States. Alternative systems should therefore be developed, improved and promoted.
In particular, the Commission is invited to:
- develop a more comprehensive food policy , in order to support the transition to a more sustainable food system and to avoid, in particular for small and medium-sized farms, further reductions in animal production and its further concentration;
- propose a revision of Council Directive 98/58/EC which aims to phase out the use of cages on EU farms, possibly with a view to complete phasing out by 2027; this phasing out should be based on a scientifically supported impact assessment and provide for a sufficient transition period;
- remove bureaucratic and regulatory burdens to allow farmers to make the necessary structural changes to their facilities to incorporate the new animal welfare provisions;
- adopt a species-by-species approach, taking into account the characteristics of each animal, which should have a farming system adapted to its specific needs;
- propose specific EU legislation on minimum standards of protection for farmed rabbits and put forward proposals to ban the cruel and unnecessary force-feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras production;
- support farmers in their efforts to improve animal welfare, in particular in the framework of the European Green Deal and the strategic plans under the CAP, in order to avoid a loss of competitiveness and a subsequent relocation of EU production to third countries with less ambitious animal welfare standards.
Fair trade policy
Parliament reiterated the importance of including enforceable trade and sustainable development chapters in all EU trade agreements . Such chapters should also take account of equivalent production standards, including animal welfare. Members called for all animal products imported into the EU to be produced in full compliance with the relevant EU legislation, including the use of cage-free systems.
The Commission is called upon to: (i) step up its efforts to control imported food products; (ii) reassess trade agreements with third countries to ensure that the same animal welfare and product quality standards are met; and (iii) promote animal welfare at international level.
Informing consumers
Members considered that the Commission must help farmers to educate consumers and communicate the high animal welfare standards currently in force.
In order to adapt to changing legislation as well as consumer preferences, the livestock sector should be rewarded for its efforts with direct aid. Members consider that a voluntary animal welfare label would demonstrate the food chain's commitment, from farm to fork, to contributing to the aims of the ECI ‘End the cage age’, while ensuring adequate pricing.
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2021)570
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0295/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0296/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0302/2021
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE692.590
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE692.590
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0296/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0302/2021
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2021)570
Activities
- Eric ANDRIEU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dita CHARANZOVÁ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Eleonora EVI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jytte GUTELAND
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Balázs HIDVÉGHI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Stanislav POLČÁK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Anne SANDER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Pedro SILVA PEREIRA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Róża THUN UND HOHENSTEIN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Tom VANDENKENDELAERE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sira REGO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Benoît LUTGEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Caroline ROOSE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Benoît BITEAU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mazaly AGUILAR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Leszek MILLER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Nicola BEER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Krzysztof JURGIEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Andrey SLABAKOV
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Claude GRUFFAT
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Initiative citoyenne européenne «End the Cage Age» (Pour une nouvelle ère sans cage) - European Citizens' Initiative "End the cage age" - Europäische Bürgerinitiative mit dem Titel „End the Cage Age“ - B9-0296/2021 - Am 9 #
ID
PPEB9-0296/2021 - Am 10 #
B9-0296/2021 - Am 11 #
B9-0296/2021 - Am 26 #
B9-0296/2021 - Am 27 #
B9-0296/2021 - Am 28 #
| PT | DE | MT | CY | SK | DK | SE | LV | AT | BE | FI | IE | LT | NL | SI | LU | HR | CZ | EL | FR | EE | HU | BG | RO | IT | PL | ES | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total |
21
|
94
|
6
|
6
|
14
|
14
|
20
|
7
|
19
|
20
|
13
|
13
|
10
|
26
|
8
|
6
|
12
|
20
|
21
|
76
|
7
|
20
|
17
|
33
|
73
|
50
|
57
|
|
| S&D |
140
|
Portugal S&DFor (9) |
4
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
Netherlands S&DFor (6) |
2
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
France S&DAbstain (1) |
2
|
5
|
Bulgaria S&D |
Romania S&DFor (10) |
Italy S&DFor (16) |
Poland S&DFor (7) |
Spain S&DFor (1)Against (15)
Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ,
Alicia HOMS GINEL,
Clara AGUILERA,
Cristina MAESTRE,
Domènec RUIZ DEVESA,
Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL,
Inma RODRÍGUEZ-PIÑERO,
Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ,
Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ,
Javier MORENO SÁNCHEZ,
Jonás FERNÁNDEZ,
Marcos ROS SEMPERE,
Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ,
Nacho SÁNCHEZ AMOR,
Nicolás GONZÁLEZ CASARES
Abstain (3) |
||
| Verts/ALE |
71
|
1
|
Germany Verts/ALEFor (25)Alexandra GEESE, Anna CAVAZZINI, Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG, Damian BOESELAGER, Daniel FREUND, Erik MARQUARDT, Hannah NEUMANN, Henrike HAHN, Jutta PAULUS, Katrin LANGENSIEPEN, Manuela RIPA, Martin HÄUSLING, Michael BLOSS, Nico SEMSROTT, Niklas NIENASS, Patrick BREYER, Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA, Rasmus ANDRESEN, Reinhard BÜTIKOFER, Romeo FRANZ, Sergey LAGODINSKY, Ska KELLER, Sven GIEGOLD, Terry REINTKE, Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
France Verts/ALEFor (13) |
4
|
1
|
3
|
||||||||||
 The Left |
39
|
4
|
Germany The Left |
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
Greece The LeftFor (6) |
France The LeftFor (6) |
Spain The LeftFor (6) |
||||||||||||||
 NI |
37
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
Greece NIFor (1)Against (3) |