Italian livestock cage ban initiative

An animal welfare initiative in Italy has reached a legislative milestone with the official submission of a popular initiative law to the Italian Senate. The proposal, organized by the group Essere Animali under the ‘Gabbie Vuote’ (Empty Cages) campaign, seeks to ban the use of cages in all food-producing livestock farming.

The petition collected 62,498 certified signatures via the Ministry of Justice’s digital platform. The initiative is supported by a coalition of organizations, including LAV, ENPA, and OIPA, and aims to transition Italian agriculture toward cage-free systems to reduce the suffering of approximately 40 million animals, such as chickens, rabbits, and sows.

Proponents of the law noted that while certain cage types have faced EU restrictions since 2012, a comprehensive national ban is necessary. The campaign also expressed frustration with European institutions, citing a lack of a definitive legislative path following the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens' Initiative. The proposal is currently awaiting assignment to the relevant parliamentary commission.