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Agriculture and rural development

Overview

There are more than 350 million laying hens in the European Union. The laying hens produce close to 6.7 million tonnes of eggs each year. The EU supports egg producers through marketing standards and occasionally through some market support measures.

Eggs are covered by the common market organisation and have never been subject to linked payments or production quotas.

Marketing standards

The EU has marketing standards for eggs. These are designed to ensure that the quality of the product stays high, that consumers are protected and that standards are consistent through the EU market place.

EU regulations lay down detailed rules that eggs must fulfil to be marketed in the EU. In general, it specifies how:

  • eggs and packs of eggs should be marked;
  • eggs should be graded by quality and weight;
  • packing stations must function;
  • eggs must be packaged, stored, transported and presented for retail sale.

Trade

Eggs imported from third countries are subject to import duties. Within the framework of international and bilateral trade agreements, the EU operates a system of import quotas with specific country allocations open to all producers (erga omnes).

The import of eggs for consumption from non-EU countries is allowed, but they must fulfil specific conditions regarding animal health and food safety. For table eggs, they must also fulfil rules related to marketing standards.

Legal bases

Eggs are one of the products covered by Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 on the common organisation of the agricultural markets. Marketing standards are further developed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 589/2008, while the criteria for practices in market monitoring is indicated by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185.

Market monitoring

At the monthly committee for the common organisation of the agricultural markets, the European Commission presents the market situation in the eggs sector. The EU monitors the eggs market in order to identify market instability, provide accurate information to farmers and processors on the market situation, and help public policy decision making.

Market monitoring in practice

Each EU country must submit to the Commission, by no later than 12:00 (CET) each Wednesday, the wholesale price for Class A eggs from caged hens (the average of large and medium sized eggs), which currently applies per 100 kg.

Prices are provided for products in packing stations. Where production in cages is no longer representative, the EU country concerned shall provide the wholesale price of Class A eggs, produced by laying hens kept in barn systems, which applies per 100 kg.

This is specified in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185.

Related information

Market situation for eggs (English, PDF)

Weekly market prices for eggs (English, XLSX)

13 MARCH 2024
Dashboard: Eggs
English
(866.87 KB - PDF)
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10 MAY 2022
Laying hens by way of keeping
English
(913.08 KB - XLSX)
Download

Committees

Various committees, composed of government representatives and chaired by a Commission representative, meet regularly to ensure that the Commission's responsibility for adopting implementing acts is exercised under the control of EU countries.

The Expert Group on Agricultural Markets meets regularly to discuss areas such as the evolution of market prices, production and trade in EU and non-EU countries.

The civil dialogue group on animal production assists the Commission in maintaining a regular dialogue on all matters related to eggs.