UK EGG producers reacted with fury this week at the possibility that their European competitors will miss the deadline for the switch to welfare-friendly hen cages.

UK producers have already made huge investments to fall in line with EU-wide legislation banning the use of conventional cages for laying hens from January 1, 2012 – but, according to the British Egg Industry Council, many other EU member states are ‘highly unlikely to meet this deadline’.

The BEIC now anticipates that the governments of these non-compliant member states will be granted a last minute derogation to extend the deadline, leaving the UK industry at a long-term disadvantage to imports of cheaper, lower welfare eggs from eastern and southern EU member states.

The BEIC’s concerns were echoed by Scotland’s shadow rural affairs secretary, John Scott, who tabled a parliamentary motion highlighting the problem.

“Given the investment already made, and still being made, by Scottish and UK egg producers to improve the welfare of their hens, and in line with agreed EU standards to be introduced in 2012, it would be outrageous if post-2012 other EU member state producers were able to supply UK markets with eggs produced to a lower welfare standard,” said Mr Scott.

“This happened in 1992 when our pig producers similarly, and as it turned out unilaterally, improved the welfare standards of pork production, and the competitive advantage given to other EU pork producers then decimated our UK industry.

“This scenario must not be allowed to happen to our egg producers after 2012,” said Mr Scott.

For its part, the BEIC has called on the European Commission to implement an intra-EU trade ban on eggs and egg products produced by hens house in battery cages after January 1, 2012.