EC warned illegal imports could threaten egg production in welfare reg compliant states

By Jane Byrne

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags European union

UK egg producers want EU and UK authorities to act now to ensure their £400m (€460m) investment in new cages to meet a pending welfare legislation deadline will not be wasted due to a flood of cheap, illegal egg imports from non-compliant states.

They are calling on the British government to ban imports into the UK of ‘illegal’ eggs from European battery farmed hens from the start of next year or “risk crippling” the UK egg industry.

Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, speaking to the European Parliament’s Agricultural Committee last week, revealed that some member states do not yet comply yet with the Directive, even though it was adopted 12 years ago.

Seven countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Poland, Romania and Portugal have all said they will not have removed all their cages in time. And Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Spain and Greece have still not disclosed to the Commission data on the extent of cage changeover by their egg producers.

The Commissioner remarked that it as ‘clearly unacceptable’ that there will still laying hens in ‘unenriched cages’ on January in some countries, stressing that market distortions ‘must be avoided’ and that the EC would “reallocate the limited resources” of its inspection services to make the issue a priority.

Price distortion feared

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), in a new report, notes that 20% of the UK’s egg needs come from imported eggs, and warns that there is a genuine danger that after this date illegal battery cage eggs will be imported into the UK undermining the market and distorting prices.

Mark Williams, CEO of the BEIC, argues that “the lack of action from the European Commission so far is staggering. EU member states have had more than 12 years to get their houses in order and comply with the new legislation, so there should be no excuses.

He said that British egg producers have invested heavily to meet their legal obligations only to see their efforts “jeopardised by a lack of political will.”

The European Commission needs to act now to ensure that now to ensure that UK producers do not suffer at the hands of illegal eggs and egg products, remarked Williams. He added that the UK government has to “come off the fence and find a practical enforcement solution.”

No postponement of deadline

Dalli added that the Commission does not intend to postpone the deadline of the ban, and will maintain a strong position, in accordance with its legal powers, in cases of non-compliance.

But he claims that the problem is complex as some of the non-complaint egg producer countries are in deep economic crisis and he added that there are knock-on effects for the overall supply, demand and pricing of eggs.

"Therefore there must be a political solution to this…What I am pushing to do is to contain any eggs that are not produced according to the new directive within their own territory, usable only for processing,” ​continued Dalli.

But the Commissioner said he has to investigate whether this is allowed under EU rules.

Caged eggs still account for a good percentage of eggs used in processed products such as cakes and quiches.

From 2012, it will be illegal to produce eggs from traditional battery cages in the EU. Producers must convert to new ‘enriched’ cages with more space, perches, a scratching area and nested boxes.

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