There will be no 16 week limit to the marketing of free range eggs during a housing order in the EU, according to proposals tabled by the European Commission.
The draft regulation published last month repeals a previous one which originally required that free range eggs must be labelled as ‘barn’ after 12 weeks of housing; this was subsequently extended to 16 weeks.
But following the worst bird flu epidemic ever experienced in Europe, in which countries such as the Netherlands have housed free range hens virtually all year, the Commission has decided to act to save the free range sector from more harm.
The draft regulation includes an amendment which makes clear that free range eggs can be marketed ‘notwithstanding (any) restrictions…imposed (by) legislation” such as a housing order.
In the UK, free range industry representatives are disappointed with Defra after it said that the egg marketing rules were unlikely to be a priority for the new government.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said it would lobby for full alignment with the EU proposals.
"It is likely that the EU will move much faster than Defra which will create severe trade distortions if GB governments don’t align with the EU rules in time," the industry body said.
"If the free range egg marketing rules aren’t aligned between the EU or N Ireland and the GB countries it would lead to ‘free range’ eggs from housed hens from the EU being stocked on retailers’ shelves while GB free range eggs from housed hens are downgraded to ‘barn’."
BFREPA warned that this would be 'intolerable' for producers: "BFREPA would have no alternative but to let consumers and policy makers know the strength of their thoughts."
On 8 September, The Guardian reported on the looming problem: “There have been fears of a collapse of the free-range egg sector if producers could no longer label their eggs as free range, despite the extra costs associated with the meeting the standard, such as reduced stocking density.
"Last year, almost two-thirds of 11.3bn eggs produced in the UK were free range.”
It added: “Egg producers in the UK said it was essential that the UK government now followed suit to avoid British suppliers being undercut by EU imports.
In response to the article, Robert Gooch, chief executive of BFREPA said it was 'very necessary' that the UK aligned with the EU.
"Otherwise retailers would import eggs labelled as free range from housed hens in the EU in the event of an AI epidemic when there are none on the UK market."
Discussions between industry representatives and Defra are continuing.
