Document type: Answer to question no 7524, published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française
Authors: question : Mme Cyrielle Chatelain (Isère (2nd district) - Écologiste et Social). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.
Question: Ms Cyrielle Chatelain draws the attention of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry to the situation of caged laying hens on French farms. Following the adoption of the so-called EGalim law in 2018, it is now forbidden to install new caged layer hen farms or increase the capacity of existing farms. This ban, specified by Decree no. 2021-1647 of December 14, 2021, applies to both the creation of new buildings and the conversion of existing buildings for cage rearing, as well as to any redevelopment intended to increase the number of hens reared in cages in existing facilities. Logically, these regulations should lead to a gradual reduction in the proportion of eggs from cage-based farms, unless there is an overall drop in national production. However, according to figures from the Comité National pour la Promotion de l'Oeuf (CNPO), while total egg production has risen by 4% in 2023, the proportion of eggs produced in cages has also paradoxically increased, rising from 23% to 27% from the end of 2022 to the end of 2023. In view of this unexpected development, she would like to know whether any breaches of the regulations have been reported since the decree came into force, and what steps have been taken to remedy the situation. She would also like to know what control mechanisms have been put in place to ensure compliance with these legal obligations.
Answer: The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) "End the Cage Age", calls on the Commission to bring forward legislation to ban the use of cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, broiler breeders, breeder laying hens, quail, ducks and geese, farrowing crates and stalls for sows, and individual pens for calves. In its response to the ECI, the Commission undertook to present, by the end of 2023, a legislative proposal to phase out and eventually ban the use of cage systems for all animals mentioned in the initiative. The improvement of animal welfare and combating animal abuse are priorities for this government. There is a strong and growing societal expectation on the part of consumers and citizens regarding animal welfare issues, and this expectation must be met. Improving animal welfare is a key factor for the future of the European livestock industry. France supports the Commission's proposal to determine the ways in which cages are to be phased out, based on scientific advice and an impact analysis. The approach adopted, which takes into account social, economic and environmental impact assessments, as well as changing consumer needs and expectations, is highly appropriate. On March 10, 2023, the French government launched a preliminary stakeholder consultation as part of the review announced by the European Commission of its existing legislation on animal welfare and protection. Its aim was to identify the points of convergence between the many players involved in animal protection in France, and to promote the practical experience and particular needs of the French population. Several principles underpin the government's action. A first, key challenge lies in the prevention of distortions to the level playing field. To this end, we are focusing on two levers: support for European harmonization, and a way to ensure that animal welfare requirements within the European Union are matched by equivalent rules for animals whose products are imported. Second, transition has a cost. This additional cost must be shared between all those involved in the livestock industry production and distribution chain, including distributors and consumers. Last, the government wishes to provide sufficient future visibility for operators, particularly those who are starting out, to enable them to plan ahead and invest. To this end, the government is supporting a number of research projects, some of which aim to bring the use of cages to an end. One example is the project led by the Institut Technique des Filières Avicole, Cunicole et Piscicole (ITAVI) to develop group enclosures for rabbit farms, which is supported by public funds as part of the sum of 500,000 euros per year allocated since September 2023 by the Ministry to animal welfare associations and professionals in the rabbit farming industry. In June 2023, "cage-free" farming was estimated to represent between 10 and 12% of total farming activity in this sector. Another such project is the CAREFUL project, which aims to create a cage-free industry for fattened palmipeds. These projects complement the progress achieved through industry plans to reduce the number of hens kept in cages, a practice that has been steadily declining since 2018. As early as October 2019, the Comité National pour la Promotion de l'Oeuf (CNPO) announced that it was ahead of schedule in meeting its commitment to a situation where 50% of chickens are raised on farms using approaches other than intensive cage-based production. To date, poultry farms have continued the transition process, with less than 33% of laying hens in France still in cages in 2022. In other words nearly three-quarters of hens were being farmed in alternative systems by then, while the overall figure for Europe was 58% in 2021. France is this ahead of its European partners, and well on the way to ending the use of cages. No inspections specifically directed at chicken farms are currently carried out, but they do occur during animal protection and health inspections, since farmers of laying hens are required to declare the arrival of each new batch of birds to the departmental directorates responsible for population protection (DDPP). In most départements, animal protection inspectors in the poultry sector know of caged laying-hen farms, it is one of the methods that can be declared in CERFA 13989* 04 applications, and such farms are regularly inspected under the health charter.
