The Dutch delegation drew the attention of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on Monday 23 January to the effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Outbreaks of this disease have been discovered in several EU countries since October 2016, on the health of poultry, animal welfare, commercial poultry farmers and trade.
The Netherlands highlighted the harmful consequences of prolonged compulsory confinement of poultry on organic and free-range egg production. It called on the Commission to consider a one-off derogation to Regulation 589/2008 (on marketing standards for eggs) to facilitate an extension of the 12-week confinement period without the consequent compulsory labelling of eggs as barn eggs (rather than “free-range”). Many countries (Austria, Finland, Hungary, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark et al) supported the Dutch request so that the economic consequences of compulsory confinement imposed because of bird flu are not too serious for free-range egg producers.
Croatia also called for an exceptional derogation. The European Commission did not look with favour on either request for fear of damaging consumer confidence. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)