THE Open Wing Alliance (OWA), which highlights progress with Better Chicken Commitment across Europe, has released its latest assessment of retailers and foodservice operators.
Known internationally as the European Chicken Commitment (ECC) the scheme has now been adopted by 394 companies, says the OWA.
See also: E8 RSPCA: How it developed its latest laying hen standards
The report claims that over 1.3 billion chickens are now covered by ECC-aligned corporate commitments across Europe, with more than 260 million chickens already being reared to the standard.
“It’s clear that the European chicken commitment isn’t just the future of broiler production. It’s quickly becoming the present,” says the report.
“The ECC is fast becoming the norm in Europe.,” added Loretta Piare, OWA’s Europe regional lead.
Scaling up
“From France to Norway to Denmark, major producers are scaling up their systems to meet consumer needs—and retailers and restaurants are following suit.”
“This is a wake-up call for companies still sitting on the sidelines. The food industry is evolving, and animal welfare is at the heart of that change. The ECC is the inevitable future for broiler production and it’s time to step up—or be left behind,“ she predicted.
The OWA acknowledges that so far, only a few out of the hundreds of ECC commitments have been completely fulfilled.
Retailers
However, it suggests that the two retailers in Europe that have already transitioned to 100% ECC-compliant fresh chicken — Marks & Spencer in the UK, and Norwegian discounter REMA 1000 — have experienced “significantly above-average market growth following the change”.
Another Norwegian company, integrator Norsk Kylling with an output of 13 million birds, is now producing 100% ECC chicken and reporting dramatic improvements in health, yield, and profitability, the report claimed.
“Norsk Kylling cut mortality by 79%, while Plukon Food Group cut antibiotic use by over 100-fold.”
Waitrose is also singled out for commendation in the report. The supermarket announced that it would be 100% compliant with BCC requirements in just over a month from now (September).
Pricing
“Impressively, Waitrose’s BCC-compliant chicken has not increased in price, challenging the myth that higher welfare means higher costs.”
OWA comments it has shifted to a flexible, case-by-case model that ensures corporate accountability without slowing industry progress.
“While earlier ECC commitments have a universal 2026 deadline, some of the more recent commitments go beyond that.
“Lambert Dodard Chancereul (LDC) Group in France has committed to switching their own brand chicken to ECC by 2028 – impacting approximately 120 million birds annually, accounting for about 12% of all French supply.”
The 2025 ECC Progress Report, including sector-by-sector analysis, country breakdowns, and company case studies, is available here.
