EU warns on 'enriched cages'
Twelve EU Member States have been warned that they must comply with new welfare rules for laying hens mandating the use of 'enriched cages' instead of battery cages or face referral to the European Court of Justice. Approximately one in seven European laying hens, which is 47 million out of a total of 330 million, are still kept in battery cages despite this being made illegal as of January 1st 2012.
Of thirteen countries instructed to achieve compliance with the new legislation two months ago, only one (Romania) has done so. The other twelve countries are Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Latvia, Cyprus, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Belgium. Continued failure to comply will result in the delivery of a 'reasoned opinion' as a last warning some time before this summer and, if the countries are then found to still be in breach of the law, referral to the courts.
The legislation mandating 'enriched cages', which was passed in 1999, states that hens should have access to 750 square centimetres of cage area per hen or better, perches, a nest, litter to permit scratching and pecking, claw-shortening devices and access to at least 12cm of feed trough per hen.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
