Cage ban under threat as Poland request extension of deadline

Poland are applying to the EU for an extension of 5 years on the current deadline for the use of unenriched cages from the 1st January 2012 to the 1st January 2017.

Jim Fitzpatrick MP, the Defra Minister responsible for animal welfare, will be present at the EU Agricultural Council on 22 February, when Ministers will address this proposal. DEFRA has stressed that the UK opposes any postponement of the cage ban.

Furthermore, to protect UK farmers from imports of battery eggs, Defra wants to change the EU Egg Marketing Regulation which currently prohibits the sale of battery eggs after 1 January 2012 by allowing the sale of battery eggs only within the country of production. This itself will cause confusion amongst EU members and may allow some EU counties to continue producing eggs from cages.

Compassion in World farming have launched a campaign to lobby DEFRA to oppose the Polish governments proposal and have asked people to lobby Jim Fitzpatrick urgently by either writing to the MP or filling in an email on the CIWF website www.ciwf.org.uk

The Polish proposal is published below:-

P r o p o s a l

to extend the deadline for using unenriched cages

Poland proposes to extend the deadline for using unenriched cages referred to in Article 5(2) of Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens and postpone the date of imposing a prohibition on using unenriched cages from 1 January 2012 to 1 January 2017.

J u s t i f i c a t i o n

Article 5(2) of Council Directive 1999/74/EC imposes a prohibition on using unenriched cages with effect from 1 January 2012.

Given the considerable difficulty in adjusting to the requirement laid down in Article 5(2) of the above mentioned Council Directive 1999/74/EC resulting from:

− the large scope of investments which are necessary to meet the keeping standards in enriched cages.

The data presented by the European Commission at the 115th meeting of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets (Animal Products Sector) on 23 July 2009, and based on answers to questionnaires concerning the conditions for egg production submitted by Member States on 23 October 2008, indicate that only 6.9% of laying hens in EU-27 were kept in enriched cages. The data of the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate show

that in Poland out of 591 entities keeping laying hens in cages, as many as 492 entities use unenriched cages and only 99 entities use enriched cages;

− the necessity to eliminate unenriched cages, not yet amortized, for installation of which loans were taken out which will remain outstanding after 2011, including loans taken out in 1997-2003 with the aim of equipping henhouses with this type of cages;

− the relatively short period of time for adjusting to this requirement, which is 5 years shorter compared to the period given to the Member States which belonged to the EU in 2004 (EU-15); 6136/10 OT/hl 3 ANNEX DG B I EN

− the current financial capabilities of producers of eggs, which are significantly limited due to the economic crisis which hit numerous EU countries and directly affects the income earned by

them;

Poland proposes to extend the deadline for using unenriched cages until the end of 2016, i.e. to postpone the date of introducing a prohibition on using unenriched cages from 1 January 2012 to

1 January 2017.

If the prohibition on using unenriched cages, set forth in Article 5(2) of the above mentioned Directive, is imposed with effect from 1 January 2012, the production of eggs by numerous

establishments operating not only in Poland, but also in other EU Member States may stop. A natural consequence of ceasing production by producers, who will not be able to adjust their farms to the requirements of the above mentioned Directive, will be a reduction in the supply of eggs produced in the EU. Thus, it may become necessary to reduce the deficit in egg supply on the EU

market by importing eggs from outside the EU. These eggs will be produced without observing restrictive norms on both the welfare laying of hens and the production of fodder ensuring the safety

of animal products. As a result, the imported eggs may turn out to be of doubtful quality and the method of their production will be outside the control of the EU countries. Sustaining the

prohibition on using unenriched cages as of 1 January 2012 may turn out to be extremely unfavourable for egg consumers.

Moreover, third countries exporting eggs to the Community

market will undoubtedly take advantage of the decrease in competitiveness of EU producers, resulting from higher costs of producing eggs in enriched cages. These countries, unlike the

Member States, will be in a position to increase the production of eggs by raising employment, inter alia, in the poultry sector, which definitely was not the purpose of Directive 1999/74. Furthermore, it can be expected that eggs imported from outside the EU, produced in line with lower requirements and at lower cost, will make it more difficult for EU producers, who already invested in enriched cages, to achieve a good price for their product.