Italy: 62,000 signatures submitted to Senate to ban livestock cages

More than 62,000 certified signatures have been officially submitted to the Italian Senate in support of a popular initiative law to ban the use of cages in all food-producing livestock farming. The proposal, launched in March by the organization Essere Animali as part of the ‘Gabbie Vuote’ (Empty Cages) campaign, utilized the Ministry of Justice’s digital platform to collect signatures.

The initiative aims to transition Italian agriculture toward cage-free systems to reduce the suffering of approximately 40 million animals currently kept in cages. The submission was formally announced during a Senate assembly session on September 22, 2026. The proposal is now awaiting assignment to the relevant parliamentary commission to begin the legislative process.

The campaign follows several investigations into animal conditions in Veneto, specifically regarding rabbit and pig farms. The signature collection was supported by a coalition of animal welfare organizations, including Animal Equality, LAV, ENPA, and OIPA, among others.