Defra Secretary of State pledges UK egg support

New Defra Secretary of State pledges to protect UK egg market

Following the election of the new coalition government and the appointment of new Ministers, British Free Range Egg Producers Association has written to The Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Defra Secretary of State to reconfirm our position on the need to protect our egg producers after the Europe wide ban of the traditional cage in January 2012.

BFREPA wrote initially to the previous Minister, Hilary Benn, in support of the NFU and BEIC who were seeking a new European marketing identity (a number ’4’) for enriched eggs and a trade ban on any cage eggs that might be subject to transitional arrangements in other member states i.e. if another member state achieved a derogation to the ban for any reason, the UK industry wanted those eggs kept within the boundaries of that member state. Hilary Benn replied to say that Defra officials would continue to work with the EU Commission and industry to ensure UK producers who had invested heavily in converting out of conventional cages would not be disadvantaged if other countries do not meet the 2012 deadline and also that everything would be done to maintain a ban on eggs and egg products produced by hens housed in conventional cages.

With the change in Government, BFREPA Council agreed that this issue is so important that we should write to our new Secretary of State to reaffirm our position.

BFREPA is encouraged to see that the Commission is being reminded of its enforcement duties and that our new Government would also "aim to prohibit non-compliant eggs from entering the UK from another Member State."

BFREPA will continue to keep this issue high on the political agenda and will be joining the NFU and BEIC in lobbying our MPs and MEPS during the summer recess.