REVIEW URGED ON BATTERY EGG IMPORTS

The egg industry has said it is launching judicial review proceedings against the Government over its refusal to ban imports of illegally produced battery cage eggs and egg products.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) warned that thousands of jobs are at stake and has written to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to challenge its position.

British egg producers have invested £400 million in phasing out barren battery cages to meet the requirements of European Union (EU) legislation that came into force on January 1, and all British Lion cage eggs now come from new colony cages, the council said.

But producers in 13 other EU countries, including Spain, Italy and Poland, have not fully complied with the ban, it claimed.

The BEIC estimates that around a quarter of EU cage egg production will be illegal, with more than 50 million hens still being kept in barren battery cages, producing more than 40 million eggs a day.

It is asking the Government to give "a fuller explanation for its decision and to review its current position that the Government cannot do anything to prevent the importation of illegally produced eggs and egg products".

BEIC chairman Andrew Parker said: "British egg producers have invested heavily to meet their legal obligations and improve animal welfare. We now need our Government to support them by preventing unfair competition from producers in other countries who have not complied with the ban.

"EU member states have had more than 12 years to get their houses in order and comply with the new legislation so there are no excuses.

"We're asking the Government to conduct proper checks of imported eggs, egg products and products containing eggs entering UK ports, egg packing stations, processing plants, importers and wholesalers.

"Otherwise UK consumers could be eating eggs from illegal battery hens and British egg producers will be seriously undermined, with the possible loss of thousands of jobs."


© PA 2012