Hungary has raised the prospect of a compromise on the implementation of the EU’s ban on conventional laying cages.
It comes despite the UK and other member states combining to defeat the latest attempt to delay the introduction of the ban, which is due to come into force on January 1 next year. That latest attempt was made at meeting of EU agriculture ministers in February. The UK, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands were amongst the member states who insisted that the ban must go ahead as planned.
UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said after the meeting, "To delay implementing this ban would be enormously unfair to all the poultry keepers in the UK and other countries around Europe who have worked so hard to stop using battery cages."
Although British egg producers have invested substantial amounts of money to ensure that they will be able to comply with the new rules when they come into force at the beginning of next year, it is estimated that as much as 30 per cent of the EU laying flock will still be housed in conventional cages when the ban begins. There are fears that some states where producers fail to meet the deadline will be given more time to comply and that ’illegal’ eggs could find their way into the UK and unfairly undercut British egg producers.
EU health commissioner John Dalli insists that the ban will go ahead as planned. An earlier attempt by Poland last year to have the ban delayed for five years was rejected by the EU. It is believed that Poland was again behind the latest attempt to have the ban delayed. It is thought to have asked for more time for member states that joined the EU after the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive was approved in 1999. This request was voted down by the UK and other states.
But Hungary, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union, indicated after the latest meeting of the Agriculture Council that it was seeking to find a compromise to accommodate producers who had failed to prepare for the ban.
It said, "The Hungarian Presidency seeks to find a compromise that suits every country concerned, even those member states that have already improved the welfare of laying hens, at the cost of major investments. At the same time, consideration must be given to producers who lack the financial means to perform the modernisation of cages.
"The Presidency is committed to a community level improvement in egg production. However, according to estimates, 30 per cent of laying hens will still be kept in non-enriched cages by 1 January 2012, a fact that cannot be disregarded. The Hungarian Presidency fears that this deadlock may result in a shortage of eggs, soaring egg prices and the emergence of market inequalities.
"The European Parliament is not in favour of extending the deadline, but agrees that solutions must be found to facilitate the process of cage modernisation for unprepared farmers."
At a meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Rural Development Dr. Sándor Fazekas, the European farmers’ organisation Copa-Cogeca warned that the European Union had to be careful not to risk increased imports of eggs that did not meet EU rules.
Copa-Cogeca secretary-general Pekka Pesonen said, "EU trade policy must consequently ensure that the same rules apply to imports. As some farmers have major difficulties in meeting the standards, member states should allocate more money to animal welfare in their rural development programmes. Moreover, many small farms could disappear altogether as a result of this new EU directive. Copa-Cogeca is also calling on the EU to prolong the current promotion regime in order to inform consumers about the nutritional benefits of eggs," he said.
Dr. Fazekas said at a press conference following the Agriculture Council meeting that many member states had indicated that they could not meet the deadline, partly because of the economic crisis. "There is not sufficient data on the number of farmers who still lack proper hen houses, as data providers failed to perform their duties," said Mr Fazekas, although he insisted that, overall, member states were committed to improving animal husbandry. He said that the Commission would monitor developments.
In November last year the Commission asked member states for up-to-date information about their preparations for the introduction of the cage ban. The submitted data was found to be incomplete. Member states have now been given until April to report on progress made by their respective industries in complying with the legislation.
Despite commissioner Dalli’s insistence that the ban will go ahead as planned, many in the UK egg industry still fear a last-minute climb-down. The Hungarian suggestion of a compromise will only reinforce those fears. If some producers are allowed more time to comply, the UK wants to see the introduction of a separate stamping code to identify eggs from conventional cages, as well as the imposition of an intra-EU trade ban to prevent ’illegal’ eggs finding their way onto the British market
This position has been reaffirmed by the Conservative agriculture spokesman in the European Parliament, Richard Ashworth. He said after the Agriculture Council meeting that farmers who missed the EU’s 2012 deadline for banning conventional cages should be hit with a ban on trading their eggs across the EU’s single market.
He said, "All EU countries have had many years to implement this ban so nobody can argue that there was insufficient warning. It is not fair to those farmers who have made great efforts to remove their battery cages that the market will be flooded with eggs produced to significantly lower welfare standards.
"The EU needs to make it clear now that it will ban any eggs that are produced in violation of EU animal welfare laws.
"Caroline Spelman has secured a strong victory for British egg producers but we now need a strong commitment from the Commission that it will support those farmers in Britain who obey the rules, rather than those who contravene them."
The devolved Scottish Government is also pressing the EU to be firm with egg producers who fail to comply with the deadline for the ban.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, said, "The Scottish egg industry has invested considerable sums converting their systems to ensure we meet the strictest possible welfare standards.
"Some member states are claiming that, despite having had more than a decade to comply, they will not be able to make the changes needed in time. If these states are granted an extension at the 11th hour it could place our industry at a serious competitive disadvantage."
He said that eggs produced from chickens kept in inferior conditions must be banned to protect the Scottish industry from cheap imports.
