Urgent action needed to stop battery hen cheats
Posted, September 02, 2011 @ 09:00
Conservative MEPs, who have repeatedly warned about the dangers of unfair competition for British egg farmers, welcomed today's British parliamentary committee report on the EU's Welfare of Laying Hens Directive.
New EU rules, which come into force on January 1, are designed to improve conditions for battery hens. But the report warns that about a third of Europe’s egg production will not comply with the new welfare standards by then.
Richard Ashworth, MEP for South East England and Conservative spokesman on agriculture and rural affairs, said: "British farmers shouldn't have to face unfair competition from non-compliant member states which have had 12 years notice to get their house in order.
"British farmers have done the right thing and banished battery cages. Now the EU must not let other countries dodge their responsibilities. Otherwise they will gain a grossly unfair commercial advantage by flouting the new welfare rules."
Robert Sturdy, Conservative MEP for East Anglia and himself a farmer, has previously highlighted rumours in the industry of defunct British battery cages being bought up by famers in Eastern Europe to be used in defiance of the directive.
He said: "While the UK egg industry has followed European rules banning battery cages, other countries in Europe have been dragging their feet for years.
"This is a classic case in the European Union. The UK dutifully follows the rules, while many other EU states pick and choose when to comply. The Commission must stop being chicken and enforce the January 2012 deadline."
Today's report, published by the Commons Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs warns that the European Commission is sleepwalking into a commercial disaster which could result in unfair competition for UK egg producers.
It calls on the UK Government to press for an intra-community trade ban on the export of eggs and egg products and presses the EU Commission to initiate infraction proceedings against member states where egg producers fail to comply with the new directive once in force.