Only 10 EU member states are now fully compliant with the implementation of the group sow housing rules, while 17 countries continue to flout the law, according to the EU Agriculture Council. Germany, France, Cyprus and Portugal still remain less than 75 percent compliant. Belgium, Greece and Ireland are less than 90 percent compliant. Large-scale pig producers, such as Denmark and the Netherlands still remain a short way off.
As of January 1, 2013 all European Union countries implemented a sow stall ban. Under these new rules, sows and gilts in all holdings with at least 10 sows must be kept in groups during part of their pregnancy.
Overall, 75 percent of the EU’s 13 million sows are held on compliant holdings. Urging non-compliant countries to finalize the implementation of the ban, Member States must provide regular updates of relevant data and Farm Ministers to apply dissuasive sanctions to non-compliant pig producers.
Warnings under infringement proceedings will be distributed at the end of February. With regard to some delegations deploring the unfair competition between compliant
and non-compliant countries. The council opposes any unilateral restrictions on trade of pig meat products from noncompliant countries.
