The European Commission has proposed a directive or regulation banning all types of caged-housing for egg-laying hens by October 31, 2024. This would require an end to the use of all caged systems for egg-laying hens within the EU. The proposal would need to be made before October 31, 2024, and the Commission's intention is to present a working paper on animal welfare in early 2022, with legislative proposals by the end of 2023. EU member states have already announced their own national restrictions on caging hens, such as Germany's phase-out deadline for existing cage holdings by 2025, Austria's ban on enriched cages in 2020, and France's ban on the sale of whole eggs from caged hens in shops by 2022.