Austria – the implementation of the cage ban by an integrated

concept

Claudia WöhryAustrian Federal Ministry of Health

12.6.2012

Overview of the relevant Austrian legislation pertaining to laying hens:

• § 18 (3) Animal Protection Act • Annex 6 of the 1. Animal Keeping Regulation

(3) The following shall apply to cages and other systems for keeping laying hens: 1. Cages in accordance with Art. 5 of Directive 1999/74/EC laying down minimum standards for the

protection of laying hens, OJ No. L 203 of 3rd August 1999, p. 53, as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 806/2003, OJ No. L 122 of 16th May 2003, p.1:

a) Their building or bringing into service is prohibited. b) The operation of cages built before 1st January 2003 is permitted until expiry of 31st December 2008. Operators can be offered financial incentives for changing to an-other system of keeping the animals. 2. Cages in accordance with Art. 6 of Directive 1999/74/EC: a) Their building or bringing into service is prohibited as of 1st January 2005. b) The operation of cages built before 1st January 2005 is permitted until the expiry of 15 years to be

counted from the initial taking into operation. 3. Keeping systems exceeding the requirements under Art. 6 of Directive 1999/74/EC and not complying

with the requirements under Art. 4 of the abovementioned Directive, but being an improvement to existing keeping systems according to § 13 and § 24 may only be placed on the market and used if such improvement as compared to existing keeping systems has been confirmed in an expert opinion by the Agency referred to in para 6.

Concept for the implementation of the ban before 2009

• The ban was legally stipulated in the Animal Protection Act 2005

• 2005-2008: the food store chains abandoned eggs from hens in battery cages

• 2008 CCA discussed the issue with heads of provincial veterinary services

• Adoption of enforcement measures • Aids paid to farmers by the Federal Ministry of

Agriculture • Registering of all laying hen establishments

Measures after 1.1.2009

• Inspections of all farms which used to have unenriched cages

• Two farms required enforcement action

Effects of the ban

Source: Semmelmeyer, Ernst (2011): Aktuelle Marktsituation des österreichischen Eiersektors im europäischen Vergleich

Statistics of Laying hen farms 2010

• 1,856 registered farms with laying hens• 782 free range (42%)• 747 barn (40%)• 17 enriched cages (1%)• 310 organic (17%)

Enriched cages may be used no later than 2020.

The Animal Welfare Committees

Minister of Health

Animal Welfare Council

Advisory Committee on Enforcement

Animal Welfare

Commission

Thank you for your attention!