This Report, which reviews current scientific evidence on the welfare of laying hens under various systems of housing, was presented to the European Council in autumn 1996 by Mr F Fischler, the Commissioner for Agriculture. It was prepared by an international panel of experts under the chairmanship of Dr H K Blokhuis of the Netherlands and was approved by the Scientific Veterinary Committee of the European Commission. It is an update of a 1992 report produced under Article 9 of Council Directive 88/166/EEC (on minimum standards for the protection of laying hens) but on which no action was taken at the time.