MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/25A8D237/WEBBatteryCage2012DemoBrussels190307.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" 14 March 2007

Sunday 18th March 2007<= /p>

Press Release from Compassion in World Farming - Ireland=

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ANIMAL WELFARE DEMONSTRATION TOMMORROW IN BRUSSELS -

COMMISSIONERS KYPRIANOU AND FI= SCHER BOEL AND EU AGRICULTURE MINISTERS  SWEETENED UP TO KEEP HENS O= UT OF BATTERY CAGES!

 

At a demonstration in Brussels tomorrow (Monday 19t= h March), Commissioners Kyprianou and Fischer Boel will receive  chocolate eggs from animal welfare campaigners who are urging the EU not to postpone the 2012 ban on battery c= ages for laying hens.  EU Agricultu= re Ministers, including Minister Coughlan, have als= o been invited to receive chocolate eggs.  <= /span>

 

The demonstration is organised by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and the European Coalition for Farm Animals (ECFA)*.  CIWF-Ireland will be represented a= t the demonstration by its Director, Mary-Anne Bartlett.    

 

CIW= F and ECFA want the ban on battery cages to come into force in 2012, which is the date set by the 1999 Laying Hens Directive. But many EU egg producers and s= ome EU Member States are pushing for the ban to be delayed, or even dropped.

 

The Laying Hens Directive was a landmark agreement that looked set to raise the welfare standards and quality of life for millions = of hens across Europe. It sent a clear message that industry profit should not come before animal welfare.

 

Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland says:<= /o:p>

“Three quarters of the 300 million laying hens in = the EU still live in battery cages. There are about 2 million laying hens in the Republic of Ireland, of which approximately two thirds are in battery cages= .  Hens suffer in battery cages becau= se they cannot carry out their natural behaviours, such as scratching at the ground, spreading their wings, building a nest or sitting on a perch.  CIWF believes that the EU ban on b= attery cages should come into force in 2012, which is the date set in the Laying H= ens Directive.  The EU must not bo= w to pressure from those pushing for the ban to be delayed or dropped.  We hope that Minister Coughlan wil= l come out and accept her chocolate egg, and we urge her to do all she can at EU l= evel to keep the 2012 battery cage ban in place.

 

Details of the demonstration:

The demonstration will take place at Council of Minister= s, Justus Lipsius Building, Rue de la Loi, 1048 Brussels on Monday 19 March from 13.30pm. Commissioners will receive chocolate eggs between 15.00 and 15.30. Journali= sts and photographers are welcome to attend

 

= For further information, please contact Mary-Anne Bartlett at 021 4639038

 

 

*ECFA members:

GAIA (Global Action in the Interests of Animals), Belgium; Verein gegen Tierfabriken (VgT), Austria;   Animal Responsibility Cyprus (<= span class=3DSpellE>Kyvotos), Cyprus; Společnos= t pro zvirata/Society for Animals, Czech Republic= ; Danish Consumer Group for Animal Welfare, Denmark; Animalia - Federation for the Protection of Animal, Finland; Protection Mondiale des Animaux de <= span class=3DSpellE>Ferme  (PMAF), France; Mens= chen für Tierrechte= , Germany; Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF), Greece; EFAP, Greece; Compassion= In World Farming (CIWF) Nederland; Fauna Society and Foundation, Hungary; Comp= assion In World Farming - Ireland (CIWF) Ireland; Anonymous for Animal Rights, Isr= ael; Lega Anti Vivisezione (LAV), Italy; Animal’s Friends (Dzivnieku= Draugs), Latvia; Lithuanian Society for the Protectio= n of Animals (LISPA), Lithuania; International Animal Rescue Malta, Malta; Og ó lpolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Zwier ą t OTOZ , Poland; Animal, Portugal; Advoc= ates for Animals, Scotland;    Sloboda Zvierat, Slovak Republic; ADDA, Spain; Forbundet Djurens Rätt (Animal Rights Sweden), Sweden; Schweizer Tierschutz STS (Swiss Animal Protection), Switzerland; Compa= ssion in World Farming (CIWF), UK.

 

ENDS