Cyprus still has 39% of farm animals in cages — NGO

In Cyprus, 39 per cent of farm animals are still kept in cages, according to the not-for-profit  organisation End the Cage Age.  This is, however, far better than Austria and Luxembourg where the number is 97 per cent. Malta has the least farm animals in cages at 28 per cent.

“Hundreds of millions of EU farm animals are kept in cages for most of their lives, causing great suffering. We call on the European Commission to end this inhumane treatment of farm animals. Cages inflict suffering on enormous numbers of farm animals every year. They are cruel and unnecessary, as higher-welfare cage-free systems are viable,” End the Cage Age demanded on an EU website.

Aleksandra Terzieva, public affairs advisor to Compassion in World Farming, said that the EU has been slow to take action. The EU has taken some first steps in improving the lives of farmed animals, such as requiring cages for hens to contain ‘enrichment’ like scratching areas and perches, as well as placing certain limits on the time when cages for female pigs and calves can be used.

“The Commission is therefore invited to propose legislation to prohibit the use of:

• cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, layer breeders, quail, ducks and geese;

• farrowing crates for sows;

• sow stalls, where not already prohibited

• individual calf pens, where not already prohibited.”

Farmed animals have never had so many people standing up for the, according to the organisation, which has collected 1.6 million signatures around Europe for its European Citizens’ Initiative.

Over 170 organisations and caring citizens across Europe joined forces to spearhead the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative.

A European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a powerful way to influence lawmakers in Europe.

“From caged hens who long to stretch their wings to sows who want to mother their piglets unconfined, and rabbits who deserve the space to hop – each one of them now has a better chance in life, thanks to you,” End the Cage Age adds.