Members of the European Parliament have issued an open letter pressuring major supermarket chains, food service companies and manufacturers to end sourcing of products from confined poultry and livestock.  The open letter was circulated by the Lever Foundation and the Green Rev Institute, both NGOs advocating for welfare.  The program manager at the Lever Foundation stated, "we applaud the members of the European Parliament forcalling attention to this important issue.  There is strong and increasing availability of cage-free eggs globally and increasing concern from consumers everywhere about how animals are treated".  The representative added "setting a timeline to end the use of cages globally is now both practical and expected from responsible food companies".

Timelines have been established by major supermarkets Metro, Aldi, Marks & Spencer and Lidl in addition to Unilever, Nestle and Danone, major manufacturers of packaged foods.

In Europe, welfare is regarded as an important component of SGE, and the popularity of welfare is clearly recognized by politicians hence the open letter signed by MEPs representing ten EU nations.