FEATHERS FLEW in Brussels this week as the row over battery hen cages – and some member states’ failure to phase them out – saw commission officials savaged during a bad-tempered meeting of the EU Agriculture Committee.

Under discussion was a report highlighting concerns that, despite having had years to comply, a number of EU states may not make the January, 2012, deadline for replacing battery egg production with welfare friendly systems.

With the UK egg and poultry sector well on the way to achieving these higher welfare standards – at considerable expense – angry MEPs demanded to know what the commission was going to do to punish the member states who had not made any effort to follow the new rules.

SNP MEP Alyn Smith rounded on a commission official, nominally there to respond to MEP questions on the matter, when it became clear that he was flatly unable to do so. This failure has now provoked an official complaint from Smith both to committee president Paolo de Castro and commissioners Ciolos and Dalli.

Smith called on these commissioners to make a definitive statement on progress towards the deadline – and suggested an export ban on those states unable to comply by the deadline, should they fail to achieve it.

“I’m concerned at this report and the animal welfare issue, and suspect we have a problem coming down the tracks at us. This deadline was agreed by the member states and Parliament back in 1999 – are we going to achieve it? What is plan B?” Mr Smith demanded.

“If, as we fear, as much as 29% of EU egg production were to become illegal in January, 2012, it would make a mockery of the EU to destroy so much food, yet to allow exports from those member states who have not met the standards to those member states that have would be deeply unfair.

“Scots producers would be rightly dismayed, having invested heavily to meet high standards, if the Commission gave laggard member states a bye for another few years. This would allow imports from EU countries with lower standards to undercut our producers, and the whole EU system would look silly.

“Can I suggest that in the event an extension to the deadline is regrettably necessary, then an export ban on those states which do not meet the standards, until such time as they do, is the only equitable solution to maintain the integrity of the single market,” said Mr Smith.

Slamming the attending commission official for his evasive answers, Mr Smith said it was a “gross discourtesy” to elected representatives for a civil servant to turn up unprepared for such key questions.

“We’ve had plenty blah blah meetings with the commissioners themselves where we talk about our good co-operation – today was not it. This was a scrappy meeting, and where the Parliament is back with all cylinders firing after the summer break, it seems the Commission’s mind is still on the beach somewhere,” he added.