Brussels, 04/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - On 16 December 2010, the European Parliament (EP) called on the Commission to maintain the requirement for a ban on battery cages by 1st January 2012, as laid down in the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive (1999/74/EC), and strongly to oppose any attempts by member states to secure a deferral of that deadline.
MEPs are concerned that a substantial number of member states and 30% of EU egg production may not be ready to comply with the ban by the 1st January deadline. They point to a “risk of egg shortages and significant price increases”. Eggs not produced in compliance with the directive will not be legally marketable in the European Union, they point out.
The EP felt that postponement of the ban or derogations from it “would seriously harm the welfare of laying hens, distort the market and penalise those producers who have already invested in non-cage or enriched-cage systems”.
MEPs called on the Commission urgently to clarify the state of play in the member states and reveal, by 1st March 2011 at the latest, the measures it plans to take in order to ensure compliance with the directive. The EP stated that such measures should, first and foremost, “maintain a level playing field and protect producers who are compliant by 1st January 2012 against unfair competition from producers inside and outside the EU who continue unlawfully to use battery cages after that date”. According to the EP resolution, the Commission should also submit, by 31 December 2011, a list of egg and egg-product producers, processors and retailers not complying with the provisions of Directive 1999/74/EC.
MEPs called on the Commission to monitor progress at frequent intervals and to take “urgent action” towards member states to make sure that their egg producers comply with the ban by 1st January 2012 and to urge them to develop national action plans, including dissuasive sanctions, with a view to ensuring that the use of battery cages is brought to an end on their territory by 1st January 2012.
MEPs believe, nevertheless, that a solution should be found for those producers who have started to change their rearing systems but who will not have completed this process by the 1st January 2012 deadline.
The EP urges the Commission to take measures to avoid trade distortions and prevent non-compliant producers from exporting beyond their national territory.
Lastly, it urged all member states to include measures in their rural development programmes to help the poultry sector comply with the directive. (L.C./transl.rt)