The RSPCA warns that as the UK Government signs up to a new Trans-Pacific trade deal this weekend, it has missed a crucial opportunity to prevent imports of low welfare battery hen eggs -  illegal to produce in the UK - appearing on our supermarket shelves.

The UK generally has higher legal animal welfare standards than virtually all of the 11 member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). UK membership of CPTPP now risks opening the doors to imports of low welfare egg products and pork produced from sow stalls from those countries.

UK Government negotiators had the opportunity to exclude the import of pork and eggs from systems that are illegal to use in the UK from the Trans-Pacific deal, by agreeing to only allow them in if they were produced to at least our own welfare standards - but shockingly chose not to do so.  

The RSPCA is now calling for the UK Government to reconsider its strategy and to exclude lower welfare egg products and pork completely from any new negotiations.  

RSPCA head of public affairs David Bowles said: "Animal welfare is about to suffer another knock-out blow with the UK's new Trans-Pacific deal. The UK Government has dropped the ball by deciding not to draw a red line around our high animal welfare standards and, in particular, pork and eggs.  

"We would urge Ministers to reconsider, because without an exclusion, pork and eggs produced to very low welfare standards from countries like Mexico and Canada could enter the UK and be found on our supermarket shelves. 

"This would not only put our own producers at a disadvantage, but also severely disadvantage UK consumers. The UK public has made it clear they do not want lower welfare imports like eggs from hens reared in barren battery cages - but battery hen eggs could be back under this deal.

"The deal could also directly impact RSPCA standards on laying hens and pigs, which account for over one in two eggs and one in four pigs produced in the UK by undercutting on price, leaving farmers prioritising higher welfare struggling to compete with cheap imports. 

"Worryingly, we fear the problems could be set to get even worse as the UK now starts negotiating a new bilateral agreement with Canada, which will be seeking new opportunities to send the UK their pork from sow stalls, banned here nearly 25 years ago and their beef raised on barren feedlots."

The RSPCA's new Animal Kindness Index suggests 67% of UK consumers always or sometimes buy higher welfare meat, eggs or dairy products - highlighting how important higher welfare standards are to UK consumers. However, the animal welfare charity fears the UK Government has done little to safeguard higher welfare in this latest trade agreement. 

David continued: "Despite the UK having over 40 specific animal health and welfare standards, the UK Government has claimed joining the CPTPP would not compromise these standards and that any imported product would have to comply with UK import standards. But negotiators know that the UK's animal welfare standards are not safeguarded by import standards so without tariff conditionality, we really struggle to see how our standards will not be compromised.  

"We had high hopes that things might change after the disappointing Australian trade agreement. But by deciding not to exclude battery eggs or sow stall pork from this Trans-Pacific deal, the UK Government has missed a real opportunity to get its manifesto commitment back on track, where it promised to maintain and where possible, improve standards of animal welfare in the UK as new free trade agreements were negotiated."

Ten of the eleven the CPTPP members, including Canada and Mexico, use methods of production that are illegal in the UK and will want to use the Trans-Pacific Partnership to open up exports to the UK in sectors such as lower grade beef, pigmeat and laying hens. 

As the UK has permitted lower tariffs without animal welfare conditionality in joining the CPTPP, there is also nothing to stop low welfare animal products from member countries being imported into the UK. While the RSPCA fears egg products from low welfare battery cage hens are likely to be the biggest animal welfare problem with this deal, pig meat from pigs housed in sow stalls could also enter the UK market. 

More information on the RSPCA's stance on farm animal welfare can be found online.