In a depressing repeat of the run-up to January’s battery cage ban, the European Commission yesterday announced that fewer than half of Europe’s 27 member states are on track to meeting deadlines on a ban on sow-stalls set to come into force in January.

The ‘partial stall ban’ ban will make it illegal to keep sows in stalls after the first four weeks of pregnancy.

As with the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive, which came into force on 1st January 2012, the Commission revealed that only 12 member states will be compliant with the new rules when they come into force in January next year. The UK and Sweden have been compliant for over a decade and Luxembourg has announced t is also already fully compliant.

In addition to this, a further seven member states expect to be 90 per cent compliant by the end of the year, however, states have had since 1999 to prepare for this legislation. Although the largest pig producing countries in the bloc are expected to meet or narrowly miss the deadline, farming bodies and animal welfare groups in compliant states have said the situation remains unacceptable.  

Stewart Houston, director of the National Pig Association said the revelation was disappointing but not unexpected. Mr Houston called on the Commission to take “Swift and Decisive action” against states which remain non-compliant on 31st December.

Scottish MEP George Lyons also urged the commission to act. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Lyons launched a campaign to encourage non-compliant states to boost their efforts for reform. He said measures are needed to “Ensure that the market is not flooded with illegal pork products in a re-run of the fiasco over the introduction of welfare standards for caged hens.”

He is encouraging retailers to enter into dialogue with politicians and agree to source only pork from compliant systems. He praised the Commission’s approach to the upcoming ban, saying it compared favourably with action taken on the Laying Hens Directive.

Mr Lyon said, “The Commission has learned its lesson from the eggs fiasco where they were seen to be dragging their heels on action to enforce the ban on battery cages. A year out from the ban on sow stalls coming into force they are already naming and shaming the countries that will not be compliant with new welfare laws when the ban comes into force.”

Tweet