A British MEP has publicly voiced his concern that conventional laying cages due to be outlawed in the European Union from the beginning of next year are being bought up for use in some other EU states despite the forthcoming cage ban.
The suspicion has been raised by Robert Sturdy, Conservative MEP for East Anglia and a farmer, himself, who is concerned that egg producers in this country could find themselves disadvantaged when the conventional cage ban begins on January 1 2012. Whilst producers in this country have made the investment necessary to switch to either free range or enriched cage production, it is estimated that nearly a quarter of laying hens in the European Union will still be in conventional cages when the ban begins.
There have been rumours within the industry of cage units being taken out of production only to be bought for use in other EU countries. Just recently the Ranger was told that a unit had been dismantled in Scotland and transported across to mainland Europe for use in Poland, although our informant refused to divulge exact locations. Other rumours have persistently emerged, but they have remained just that – rumours. Now Robert Sturdy has publicly raised his concerns.
"It has been reported that other countries have been buying our old battery cages with the intention of continuing to produce eggs under what we consider were appalling conditions, and then sell them back into the EU," he said.
Two countries that have been mentioned by Robert are Poland and Hungary.
Poland has made two unsuccessful attempts to persuade the EU to delay the introduction of the conventional cage ban. Mark Williams, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council, said at Pig and Poultry Live this year that he expected 50 per cent of Poland’s laying hens to be ’illegal’ when the EU ban came into force. Poland is not alone. Mark said figures indicate that 60 per cent of Italy’s hens would be ’illegal’ when the ban began, along with 25 per cent of France’s hens. He also said that 50 per cent of Spain’s flock would still be in conventional cages, although there are now reports that the Spanish government is insisting that the ban will be enforced there as planned.
A report on the Olive Press, the Spain-based English language news site, says the Madrid government has now confirmed that all battery farmers will have to switch to enriched cages or free range by January 2012. The report says the Spanish government made the announcement after receiving 16,000 emails as part of a campaign mounted by the welfare organisation the European Network for Farm Animal Protection (Enfap).
The UK egg industry, with the backing of the country’s politicians, has been pressing the EU to deal with the issue. There are fears that conventional cages will be allowed to continue in production after the deadline and that eggs from those cages could find their way into the UK and unfairly undercut law-abiding British producers.
Robert Sturdy said, "Whilst the UK egg industry has followed European rules banning battery cages, other countries in Europe have been dragging their feet.
"The Commission has not answered the question with regards to what will happen to the eggs produced in the EU which do not conform to the new rules, with some suggesting that they may be able to be sold within their own country but not exported," he said.
"Also, the Commission has not properly addressed the issue of third parties importing battery eggs into the EU, as British battery cages have been bought up as we fazed them out. The danger is that countries outside the EU, could sell eggs into the EU that are not subject to the same standards. This would be extremely detrimental to UK egg producers," he said.
UK Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has said that UK producers should not be disadvantaged by producers in other EU states who failed to make the switch to either free range or enriched. He reiterated his position recently at the Royal Cornwall Show, when he said it was essential that British egg producers were able to compete on a level playing field when it came to welfare standards. "What matters is that the ban is in place across Europe - there should be no derogation for other countries. Our producers deserve protection for their investment, and must not be undermined by imports from those counties that have failed to put the regulations into place."
The Government’s position was reinforced during a recent reception in the Houses of Parliament for a delegation from the British Egg Industry Council. Lord Henley, Parliamentary under-secretary at DEFRA, told BEIC representatives, "I can assure you we will keep up the pressure on the European Commission to find a universal solution." He asked them to provide the Government with evidence on how other countries were performing in relation to the conventional cage ban.
More than 50 MPs and Peers attended the reception, during which they were briefed on the implementation of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive.
Mark Williams told them of a potential disaster for the UK egg industry if the law was not applied properly across Europe. He said the UK egg industry had invested £400 million in ensuring that it would meet the requirements of the directive on time and called on the European Commission to come forward with definite proposals for dealing with eggs and egg products that continued to be produced by hens housed in conventional battery cages.
The BEIC estimates that about 70 million eggs a day will become illegal when the deadline for implementation passes. And while the European Commission has stated that the ban will be introduced on time, the BEIC believes it is clear that many producers in other member states will not meet the deadline and that strong, effective measures are required to stop the potential trade in illegal eggs.
Mark Williams told the MPs and Peers, "Our Government has stated that it stands four square with those producers in this country who have made the investment...and that an effective intra-EU ban on the trade of eggs and egg products produced by hens which continue to be housed in conventional cages after 1st January 2012 should be put in place, to prevent ’illegal’ eggs and egg products entering the UK. We want to see this support turned into action and reflected by the European Commission."
The Scottish Lib Dem MSP Jim Hume has also recently attempted to maintain political pressure on the European Commission by writing to European agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos. He said in the letter, "The use of battery cages for laying hens will be banned from January 1 next year.
Responsible farmers in Scotland and the rest of the UK have been adhering to this directive at considerable expense in order to maintain the proud reputation of our country’s agriculture sector as responsible food producers.
"However, there are many countries which have not gone to the great strides which we have in the UK and will, undoubtedly, still be using battery cages come January next year. This will put British egg producers at a distinct disadvantage and action is required urgently. I am aware that the commission is currently carrying out a legal assessment, but the time for assessments is over and the time for action is now."
He said, "We have known for a decade that battery cages would be banned next January and I fear any continued delay in preventing the import of eggs from countries with inferior welfare practices will severely impact on the success of the egg producing industry in Scotland and the UK.
"In the region I represent, south Scotland, we have a number of successful egg producers who are significant employers in their local area and it is important that they enjoy a level playing field in which to operate. The European Commission must ensure that this is the case."
At the London conference of the International Egg Commission in April, Andrea Gavinelli, the head of the animal welfare section at the European Commission, created more confusion over what would happen when the EU ban on conventional laying cages comes into force at the beginning of next year.
The confusion was created because on the one hand Mr Gavinelli said that the ban would go ahead as planned on January 1 next year, yet on the other hand he seemed to accept that non-compliant eggs would continue to be produced and that the commission was looking at possible measures to prevent such eggs being traded outside the member states in which they originated.
