The European Union Ban on Conventional Cages for Laying Hens: History and Prospects

Since the publication of Animal Machines (Harrison, 1964), there has been wide-spread public pressure in Europe—supported by European institutions—to “ban the battery cage. ” The European Union (EU) and national governments (particularly in Northern Europe) funded research on noncage systems for egg production and en-riched cages. In 1986, the EU passed a Directive specifying a minimum size for cages, but public opinion—again particularly in the North—continued to require more. A market sector emerged that would pay more for noncage eggs. Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland passed more stringent legislation than the rest of Europe. A 1999 Direc-tive with details based on advice from the EU’s Scientific Veterinary Committee will phase out conventional laying cages but allow enriched cages. Implementation de-pends on various factors, including negotiations in the World Trade Organization. In the next 10 years, however, major changes to the housing of most laying hens in Eu-rope almost certainly will occur. Similar changes in other countries will follow. As in Europe, change probably will be piecemeal, affected both by public pressure and by all sectors of society: producers, retailers, consumers, legislators, and the media. On June 15, 1999, the new European Union (EU) Directive on welfare of laying hens was passed, which requires conventional laying cages to be phased out by 2012. Enriched laying cages will still be allowed. In this article, I outline how this came about and the scientific, social, economic, and political issues in-volved. I consider prospects for the future, both within and outside the EU, and implications for animal welfare in other countries