Greeks could lose eggs too
Fortunately, Ireland is not the target. But it will be interesting for us to see if EU regulatory authorities will go easy on countries where the citizens face austere livelihoods controlled by the financial demands of the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund.
In the spotlight is Greece’s egg production industry. Soon, the country’s anti-austerity protesters may not even have eggs to throw at officials.
It is expected that 90% of the country’s egg production will become illegal next January, because Greece has ignored the 12-year run-in to a ban on battery cages for laying hens, which enters into force on January 1 next, having been first politically approved in Brussels in 1999.
European Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli has said the EU will not hesitate to start infringement procedures, in cases of non-compliance.
He will be under severe pressure to lay down the law, from countries where poultry farmers comply with the law, and who would be unfairly disadvantaged if competing countries were left use old, cheaper cages.
Inspectors from the EU’s Food and Veterinary Office which is headquartered in Co Meath, will start visiting targeted member states in January.
They will be looking for battery cages, banned because injuries and even death can be caused in laying hens by features such as the lack of space and natural light.
According to the international animal welfare organisation, Four Paws, the biggest laying hen farm in Greece spent €9.8 million (and €6.86m of EU funding) between 2000 and 2006 on these battery cages, despite the impending ban.
In total, about 90% of Greece’s egg laying hens are in cages which will be illegal in six weeks time. According to Four Paws, it will take at least two years to upgrade Greek poultry farms.
Four Paws have also exposed a non-complying farm spending EU funds in Romania, and Polish eggs from battery cages sold in a German retail chain.
Here in Ireland, the Department of Agriculture is working with laying hen producers to ensure that the January 1 deadline is adhered to, as smoothly as possible.
A poultry welfare scheme to support this process was introduced, which offered €16m to producers to assist in cage conversion.
Ireland was one of the few member states to use EU rural development funds in this way, for upgrading poultry farms.
While Ireland is famous for observing the letter of the law as an EU member state, Greece’s army of about one million politicians and civil servants, equally famous for lavish wages, corruption and mismanagement, had their eye off the ball in the poultry business. As a result, the cash-strapped country may now have to import eggs — unless the EU shows mercy in a country where many citizens would no doubt vote tomorrow to leave the EU, if they could.
