Consultation on cages for laying hens
008/02
24 July 2002
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs today launched a three-month public consultation on banning all cages for laying hens in England.
Under an EU Directive implemented in England last month, conventional battery cages for laying hens will be banned from 1 January 2012. No new conventional battery cages for laying hens can be introduced by farmers after 1 January 2003.
But farmers will still be able to use enriched cages which are slightly larger and have a perch, nest and litter. Germany has decided to go further than the Directive by implementing the ban on conventional battery cages earlier and banning enriched cages too.
Last month, Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley said he wanted to see if there was a case to follow suit by banning enriched cages too.
A consultation letter will be sent to all stakeholders and is available on the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare
The consultation asks for views on:
- The proposal that enriched cages for laying hens should be banned in England from 2012 along with conventional battery cages, resulting in egg production solely from non-cage systems;
- The continued use of enriched cages in England subject to revisions found to be necessary to improve the welfare of hens (based on current and future research to be taken into account in the Review of Council Directive 99/74/EC in 2005); and
- A Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment which assesses the impact of the proposed ban on enriched cages.
The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 came into force on 25 June. They implement Council Directive 99/74/EC banning conventional battery cages from 1 January 2012 and lay down minimum standards for hens kept in other systems including enriched cages. The Directive is due to be reviewed in 2005.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
- The consultation can be found on the DEFRA website at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/enrichedcages/index.htm. The intention to launch a public consultation on banning all cages for laying hens in England was announced in press release 242/02.
Page published: 24 July 2002