MONMOUTH MP David Davies has been quizzing the Agriculture Minister about new welfare standards for laying hens, which are due to come into force at the end of the year.
The new European rules ban the use of conventional ‘battery cages’ from 1st January 2012 and make certain requirements on all egg production systems across the EU.
Speaking from Westminster, Mr Davies said: “Everyone welcomes higher welfare standards, but now there is a possibility that some EU countries could apply for an exemption from following them.
“British farmers have gone to enormous expense to comply with the new regulations and it would be utterly wrong if they were then to be undercut by foreign egg imports which have been produced to much lower standards.
“Local producers are saying that if the EU wants to impose higher regulations on the farming industry, it should see that the rules are followed by everyone – not just the British. We had a similar problem a few years ago when we enacted higher standards in pig farming, then saw British bacon losing out to competition from Denmark which hadn’t insisted on the same rules.
“I have asked the Minister for Agriculture to do everything possible to ensure that every EU country follows the new directive. If they fail to do so, then I have asked the Government to make sure public sector organisations are expected to buy food that has been produced to the standards which are legally required in Britain.”