"Time to stop playing chicken with the EU" says Eastern region MEP

Vicky Ford, Member of the European Parliament for the East of England, has today written to all major supermarkets in the UK requesting information on the labelling of their own brand products, following the news that from the New Year millions of eggs will be laid illegally in Europe.

As a result of widespread public indignation at appalling battery conditions, ten years ago the European Parliament introduced legislation banning cramped battery cages for chickens. UK farmers have since invested over £400 million in new equipment and facilities to comply with the new directive, which comes into force on the 1st January 2012. However, ten other countries have not complied with the legislation, and so experts predict that some 83 million eggs will be laid illegally across the EU every day from January 1st.

Recent discussions in Brussels with regards to this non-compliance have resulted in the proposal to ban the sale of all illegal shell eggs outside the country of origin, however, this proposal does not cover the use of illegal eggs in other products, such as mayonnaise, cakes, quiches and biscuits.

Mrs Ford commented: "There is nothing more simple than a chicken laying an egg – the poor chicken has no idea it is falling foul of EU law. If member countries won't implement this simple law then what hope is there for more complex issues like international bank liquidity standards, or preventing cross border trade in counterfeit medicines. We need to look closely at what will happen to these illegal eggs. If they came into the UK in any guise it would undermine the market with disastrous consequences for poultry farmers in the East who have been diligent and have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in new equipment and facilities to comply with the new directive. I would like to know how all the major supermarkets will be policing or labelling their own brands to ensure that this doesn't happen. It's time to stop playing chicken with the EU and people who want to help should be able to act by choosing what they put in their shopping trolleys."

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