During the plenary session (7-10 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the European Citizens' Initiative "End the cage age": opening statements by Norbert LINS (EPP, DE) AGRI, Chair,Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV) PETI Vice-Chair and Stella KYRIAKIDES , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

European Citizens' Initiative "End the cage age": opening statements by Norbert LINS (EPP, DE) AGRI, Chair,Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV) PETI Vice-Chair and Stella KYRIAKIDES , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

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SOUNDBITE (Original), Dita CHARANZOVÁ, EP Vice-President, So the first point on our agenda is European citizens' initiative and the Cage age. I should like to remind members that for all debates of this part session, there will be no catch the eye procedure and no blue cards will be accepted. Furthermore, as during the last part sessions, remote interventions from Parliament's liaison offices in the member states are foreseen. And I would like now to give the floor on behalf of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to Mr. Lins. The floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), Well, good morning, everybody. Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, 1.4 million citizens and 170 organisations from all 27 member states signed up to the European citizens' initiative to end the cage age. So 1.5 million signatories. I think they probably all sent me emails. I feel like I've received them. But they want to improve animal welfare standards and end the cage age.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), So they haven't only well surpassed the 1 million minimum signatures, but they've also managed to get signatures from 18 countries of the EU and well surpassing the minimum of seven. So it's the most successful ECI and in the ECI, we're very pleased to see that people are getting involved. On the 17th of April, the initiators were given a voice in Agriculture Committee to take the stand and they put forward their case.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), The Commission is called on to come up with legislation to bring to an end caging of animals where that is not already banned. I'm very pleased that citizens are fighting for increasing and improving animal welfare, and it shows that we as parliamentarians have to assume responsibility here. But also as Chair of the Agriculture Committee, I have a responsibility of representing our farmers. We mustn't forget that every single day these people are doing things to improve things and standards are improving every single day.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Norbert LINS (EPP, DE), It is a question of striking the right balance. So in 2027, we're suggesting that's a possible date that should be explored to end the cage age. Also, an impact assessment needs to be carried out for vetinary. A secure approach. That's something we would support. And we know that those who are husbanding animals, they need incentives, they need compensation. And it's a question of competitiveness of agriculture in Europe. Also [...] third countries. Hence this resolution, I believe, will be good for animals, good for our farmers, and sends out a good signal for more citizens participation in the future. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Dita CHARANZOVÁ, EP Vice-President, Thank you very much. Now, let me give the floor on behalf of the Committee on Petitions to Mrs. Zdanoka. The floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV), Dear Chair, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, our petitions committee is receiving a large number of petitions from citizens and associations who are very concerned about the various aspects of animal welfare from ending the breeding of cattle in captivity to the protection of animals kept for breeding purposes, from the conditions of transport of animals to the burning of the cage system.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV), Today we are presenting the collective petition. In fact, the citizens' initiative supported by over 170 organisations and no more than 1million people across Europe asking to put an end to the cage age. This initiative has been submitted in the time with intensive animal husbandry, is seeing greater public scrutiny as the European level than ever before. Dear Commissioner Kyriakides, this initiative is the first valid for farmed animal welfare and in general, this seeks of successful initiatives amongst 78 registered since the instrument was launched.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV), When representing the last December, the previous initiatives in minority safe pack, I ask the Commission not to disappoint over a million people waiting for legislative aspects and steps. To our regret, these steps were not undertaken and the optional character of the Commission section is a response to an citizens initiative is maintained. A lack of response to successful initiatives undermines the European participatory democracy. And we know very well that trust in the European institutions is measured in their ability to listen and to act in a manner consistent with the will of the European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Dita CHARANZOVÁ, EP Vice-President, Thank you very much. And now I would like to invite Commissioner Kyriakides. Commissioner, the floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Chair, honourable members, less than two months ago, I joined many of you at the hearing you hosted on the European Citizens' Initiative "End of cage age". I then listened with great interest to the organisers of the initiative, explaining its aims and aspirations, as well as the very interesting views and ideas expressed. The hearing clearly showed that the end of cage age initiative enjoys broad support. Our citizens care about animal welfare.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, The question for us, therefore, is not whether its aims should be addressed, but rather on how the EU should respond to achieve a phasing out of cages for certain animal species. The draft resolution you are due to vote on today listens to the concerns of our citizens and shows the path to transition to cage free farming as soon as feasible. Our rules need to change and that is a very clear call from our citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, During the hearing, the organisers of the citizens' initiative also called for measures to accompany the phasing out of cages such as financial support for farmers in respect to the transition they will go through and an application of the same standards for imported products. The Commission is looking at these requests, taking into account the need for a science based approach and the EU's obligation under the WTO.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Of course, the Commission's commitment to improve welfare of animals is nothing new, and it does stretch back decades. I said that during the hearing in April. It does remain a moral, a health and an economic imperative. And for me, it is a personal commitment to strive for change. A promise under the farm to fork strategy to undertake a thorough review of existing EU animal welfare legislation will be delivered into action.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Work on this has already started, even if the EU has truly done a lot in the area of animal welfare, there is no doubt that more needs to be done and can be done. And we are determined to join forces with you towards this direction. We have completed the evaluation of our 2012-2015 animal welfare strategy. The findings are now available online. They reveal an overall improvement in animal welfare across the EU in recent years. We have come a long way since the first EU legislation of animal welfare in the 1970s.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Equally, the evaluation points to areas where we could perform better, including simplifying the legislative framework. In addition, the fitness check of existing EU animal welfare legislation is underway and the Commission will be reporting back to this end of this year. So your views in today's debate, the resolution we are discussing and the follow-Up we will give to this initiative later this month will be valuable inputs when we review legislation and decide on future action.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Independent scientific research and an analysis of the social and economic impact will be our compass when developing legislation and addressing citizens' concerns. It's clear that in this endeavour we need to adapt to measures that will mitigate the impact on farmers when they need to make structural adaptations to the way they produce. And at the same time, we acknowledge the need for sustainable food systems, the ethical dimensions around farming animals and the need to find solutions for farmers, but society at large.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, In your resolution, you have highlighted the need for a more comprehensive food policy and well functioning supply chain, where all steps in the chain take the responsibility for more sustainability. It is what set in motion with the farm to fork strategy and the actions we are discussing today are taking in the area of animal welfare, are very important building blocks in our sustainable food policy.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, So in ending, honourable members, I am waiting to hear with great interest the issues you would raise, which will feed into our work. Acting to improve the welfare of animals is an ethical, social and economic imperative. We should listen to our citizens voices and make this transition to more sustainable approaches as smooth as possible. This is European democracy in action at its best, and as such, it deserves our support and our attention. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Dita CHARANZOVÁ, EP Vice-President, Thank you very much, Madam Commissioner.

European Citizens' Initiative "End the cage age": opening statements by Norbert LINS (EPP, DE) AGRI, Chair,Tatjana ŽDANOKA (Greens/EFA, LV) PETI Vice-Chair and Stella KYRIAKIDES , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

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