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END THE CAGE AGE:
MAKING IT HAPPEN Imagine more animals living without brutal confinement, free to move, free to live a life worth living. Well, you are making this happen.
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Like you, everyone who signed the ECI believes that over 300 million caged farm animals across Europe deserve better. So, too, do over 170 organisations who’ve backed the petition and spread the word: the biggest network ever for animal welfare. And the momentum continues to build…
he signature collection phase of our European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to End the Cage Age closed last September. The petition was a record-breaker for animal welfare, with 1.6 million statements of support.
HERE’S JUST SOME OF WHAT COMPASSION AND OUR NETWORK PARTNERS (ALL 170+ OF THEM!) HAVE BEEN UP TO ON BEHALF OF ANIMALS:
Czechia hand in 56,401 signatures
MAKING EVERY SIGNATURE COUNT After the ECI closed, Compassion’s teams across Europe, alongside other NGOs, began sorting, boxing and preparing signatures for submission. This was no mean feat – and it was vital to get right, because an ECI is not a normal petition, it’s more like a voter referendum.
Poland hand in 70,556 signatures
France hand in 106,062 signatures
SECURING OFFICIAL APPROVAL With the signatures prepared, we then submitted them to the authorities in all 28 EU Member States. It is their job to ‘validate’ the petition, checking that real people have signed, and that they aren’t being counted twice. Each Member State then confirms the number of signatures they have verified – and we look forward to revealing the final total figure later this year.
Netherlands hand in 163,192 signatures
GETTING YOUR MESSAGE TO THE TOP Whilst we prepare to formally hand-in the validated signatures, we’re also keeping up the pressure on Member States, though open letters and local campaigns. The more countries who back the spirit of the ECI, through their own policies or at EU level, the bigger the chance of securing a pan-European cage-free future.
LOBBYING PRESSURE STEPPED-UP Meanwhile, we’re lobbying Europe’s scientists and retailers. And, in November, Compassion’s Olga Kikou made the case against cages to Europe’s Chief Veterinary Officers. We’ve also commissioned a report into the economics of banning caged farming – to fight any suggestion that the EU can’t afford to End the Cage Age.
UK ECI signatures were submitted early due to Brexit, and a whopping 54,144 were validated! Thank you to everyone who signed. 16
