A European Union-wide ban on keeping laying hens in small battery cages will come into force as planned in 2012, the European Commission said on Jan. 8.
The commission pointed to a new report showing the ban will benefit animal welfare without significantly harming farmers' incomes.
"There is scientific and economic support for the ban on conventional battery cages," said EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou. "We are maintaining the deadline of 2012." EU nations agreed in 1999 to phase out the cages by Jan. 1, 2012, after lengthy campaigning by animal rights groups who claimed that farming hens in small cages was cruel.
PHOTO: AP
After the deadline, laying hens will have to be raised in the open air or barns, or be kept in cages of at least 750 cm2 per bird equipped with a nest, litter, perch and clawing board.
In a statement, the European Commission cited a report which said that the cost of switching to the so-called "enriched cages" could be less than one percent per egg. The EU's executive branch said improving conditions for hens could boost sales, as consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare.
Animal rights campaigners welcomed the statement.
"This is the right decision for the welfare of millions of hens kept for egg production across Europe," said Sonja Van Tichelen, director of the Eurogroup for Animals.
The Brussels-based federation of animal welfare organizations said some battery hens are currently kept in wire cages no bigger than a sheet of A4 paper.
Some leading supermarket chains in the UK announced last week they were planning to phase out sales of eggs from battery hens before the ban.(AP)
歐盟委員會於上星期二宣佈,歐盟計畫自二○一二年起全面禁止雞農使用層架式小格籠養殖蛋雞。
該委員會在一項新報告中指出,這項禁令將有利於動物福利,但不會嚴重影響雞農的收入。
「這項傳統層架式雞籠養殖蛋雞的禁令是有科學和經濟論據支持的,」歐盟衛生專員馬科斯.基普里亞努說:「我們仍維持二○一二年是最後的期限。」
在動物保護團體長期抗議,聲稱將母雞飼養在小籠子裡是非常殘忍的行為後,歐盟國家於一九九九年一致同意在二○一二年前,逐步淘汰層架式雞籠。
禁令實施後,蛋雞將必須飼養在露天開放空間或農場,或者飼養在至少七百五十平方公分大小的籠子裡,籠內有可供下蛋的巢、乾草、棲息的木樁和磨爪板。
歐盟委員會在一項正式聲明裡,引用一篇報告說明更換至「改良版雞籠」所需的花費,讓每粒蛋成本增加不到原來的百分之一。歐盟執行部門說,改善蛋雞生活環境品質可以促進銷售,因為消費者越來越關心動物福利議題。
動物保護人士對於該聲明表示歡迎。
「就歐洲各地幾百萬隻蛋雞的福利而言,這是一項正確的決定,」歐洲動物保護聯盟執行長索尼亞:凡:提契倫說。
這個總部設在布魯塞爾的動物福利團體聯盟說,有些層架式雞籠蛋雞被飼養在大小不到一張A4紙張的鐵籠裡。
英國某些大型連鎖超市上星期也宣布,他們計畫在該禁令實施前,停止販售層架式雞籠蛋雞所生產的雞蛋。
(美聯社�翻譯:楊鴻泰)
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