Ten member states warned about animal welfare

Commission says countries are not meeting standards on cages for hens.

Ten European Union member states have been warned for failing to improve cages for egg-laying hens.

The European Commission yesterday said the ten countries (Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain) still allow the use of cages that have been banned since January. The next step would be referral to the European Court of Justice.

Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania, who were not in compliance at the start of the year, have since implemented the rules.

The rules, set out in a 1999 directive, say that cages for hens can be used only if they provide each hen with at least 750 cm² of space, a nest-box, litter, perches and claw-shortening devices.

British Conservative MEPs, who have been vocal about the lack of compliance by member states, said the Commission’s action was too little, too late.

Julie Girling MEP said British farmers had spent millions upgrading their operations to meet the new welfare rules, and they were being undercut by farmers elsewhere in Europe who are not reaching the same standards.

“These key animal welfare rules came into force in January, but we have known they were coming for fully 12 years,” she said. “Yet six months on, farmers in these ten countries have done nothing – and their national governments have stood by. Every day that passes without decisive action is another day when British egg-producers face loss of their livelihoods because of unfair competition.”

The ten member states have two months to comply with the law, or the Commission can open infringement proceedings.

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