Egg Industry to sue Defra over battery eggs
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has begun the first stages of launching Judicial Review proceedings after informing Defra that it would be challenging the government's response to the EU battery cage egg ban.
The British egg industry has invested ￡400 million in upgrading facilities to phase out battery cages and meet the requirements of the new EU legislation, which came into force on January 1st 2012. All British Lion eggs now come from chickens housed in “enriched colony” cages.
However, more than 50 million hens across thirteen non-compliant EU countries are still being kept in battery cages. The British egg industry is objecting to the fact that the government will not be imposing a unilateral ban on the 40 million eggs per day that are illegally produced in these battery cages.
Farming Minister Jim Paice, speaking in December, cited ‘very significant legal and financial implications’ and practical difficulties in enforcing such a ban. The government has instead called for a voluntary boycott by retailers, food service companies, processors and other manufacturers.
However, the BEIC argues that the government has ‘incorrectly interpreted the law’ and suggested it was ‘condoning the importation of illegal battery cage eggs and egg products into the UK’.
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.”
“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.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
