Witten Ministerial Statement (Correction)

Thursday 10th November 2011 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

On 7 November I made a written ministerial statement summarising discussions at the October Agriculture and Fisheries Council—Official Report, columns 3-5WS. In the paragraph relating to the AoB item on implementation of the laying hens directive I referred to implementation beginning in 2013. This paragraph should have read:

Under any other business Council heard an update from Commissioner Dalli on implementation of the laying hens directive, which comes into force on 1 January 2012. The Commission was clear that there would be no postponement of the ban on battery cages even though at least 11 member states were unlikely to have complied with the directive by the start of next year. The Commission said it would exercise powers, beginning targeted inspection visits at the start of 2012, and would begin legal proceedings against non-compliant member states. While there was an argument that non-compliant eggs should be destroyed, this would not make political or economic sense. Instead, the use of non-compliant eggs would be limited to production of egg products within the member state of origin. There was no opportunity for member states to intervene.