Brussels, 15/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - “More than 51 million hens in 11 member states will still be being kept in unenriched cage systems on 1 January 2012”, possibly leading to infringement procedures against these countries (which include Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Hungary, Poland and Cyprus), Health Commissioner John Dalli announced at a meeting of European agriculture ministers in Brussels on Monday 14 November.
The commissioner said that he would not allow countries any further time to comply with the directive on the welfare of laying hens. From 1 January 2012, if hens are kept in cages, these cages must be designed so that the birds have at least 750 cm2 and a nest or perch. Alternatively they may be kept in barns or free-range.
Dalli said that he would send a letter to all member states asking them how well they will comply with the 1 January 2012 deadline in phasing out conventional cages. Those countries which will not be ready will face infringement proceedings. “The letter should be seen against the possibility of infringement proceedings against those countries which indicate they will not be ready”, Dalli's spokesman Frédéric Vincent told Agence Europe.
The Commission has confirmed, too, that the European Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) would, from the start of next year, be carrying out inspections in the countries which do not comply with the directive.
What of the illegal eggs? The Commission has asked EU countries to discuss what is to happen to eggs produced under conditions which do not meet the new standards that will apply from 1 January2012, Vincent said. “There will be no European legal basis on this issue for the moment as we do not have the time to provide one and it would be counter to the internal market. Nevertheless, given the extreme sensitivity of the countries which are ready to comply with the norms from 1 January, the Commission is asking countries the measures they will take - for example, they may decide to keep the eggs within the country or use them in processed products” or perhaps provide them with some special marking, he suggested. From a strictly legal point of view, the eggs will be illegal, the Commission warns.
The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Germany, for instance, stated clearly at the Council meeting that the new rules must be brought in on the due date as their producers had invested in new cages and the credibility of the EU is at stake.
Italy said that it was trying to speed up implementation of the measures. It was critical of the idea of using illegal eggs purely for consumption within the country of production. Spain said that it had the largest number of hens to contend with and that it hoped to comply with EU law as quickly as possible. Portugal said that, if some eggs were taken out of Europe-wide circulation, there was a risk of having to bring in imports from countries where standards were even lower. (LC/transl.rt)