Czech Republic bans Polish eggs

The Czech Republic has banned the import of eggs from Poland as the country failed to comply with the new EU laying hen welfare regulations.

The Czech Government has enforced the requirements, which prohibit small, cramped enclosures, and stopped the imports of nearly half a million eggs produced by eggs kept in such cramped conditions. According to the government, the ban is also seen as a way to protect the interests of the country’s local egg manufacturers and has accused not only Poland but also France, Spain and Romania of failing to introduce the new legislation against chicken cages.

Polish chicken farmers have objected to the new recommendations, primarily due to the high cost of transition.

The new EU legislation, which came in effect on 1 January, requires egg producers to use cages that will provide enough space for birds to spread their wings, perch and be able to move around.

The law was introduced in 1999 but came into force only after a 12-year phase-out period to give egg producers enough time to implement the costly transition from battery cages to enriched cages. It is estimated that UK egg producers have spent nearly £400m to shift from battery cages to roomier enclosures.

Some of the EU countries, however, failed to implement the new law, which led to a price discrepancy between locally produced eggs in countries that enforced the law and cheaper imports from countries that failed to comply with the regulation. The European Commission has announced that it will take legal action against 13 countries that have not implemented the rule: Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, some UK retailers have decided not to sell eggs produced through battery cage facilities, which may account for nearly 51 million eggs per day or 25% of the total egg production in Europe.

Image: The EU laying hen welfare regulations legislation, which came in effect on 1 January, requires egg producers to use roomier cages. Credit: Mnolf.