Italy must comply with a 1999
European Union directive establishing minimum standards for the
protection of egg laying hens, the Court of Justice ruled on
Thursday.
The ruling came in response to a case brought by the
European Commission in 2013 against Rome over its failure to
implement a ban on battery cages from January 1, 2012.
Under the directive all laying hens are now required to be
kept in "enriched cages" measuring at least 750 cm² with extra
space to nest, scratch and roost, or in alternative systems.
"Having failed to guarantee that laying hens are no longer
kept in un-enriched cages, Italy has fallen short of its
obligations under European law," wrote the judges, adding that
it must now comply with the sentence.
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