Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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273. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is considering reviewing the current regulations regarding the free range or organic status for poultry in view of the current bird flu confirmations here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7928/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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There are EU Regulations that lay down detailed rules regarding marketing standards for eggs and poultrymeat. These Regulations set down minimum requirements that must be met in order to use the term “Free Range”, including rules around access to the range. The EU Regulations also provide for situations where veterinary restrictions are imposed to protect public and animal health, as is the case currently in Ireland and other MS, whereby eggs and poultrymeat may continue to be marketed as “Free Range” for the duration of the restriction but not for more than 12 weeks. In Ireland, the 12 week period expires on the 17 March 2017. 

There are a number of Member States who currently have housing restrictions in place. The issue of what to do after the 12 week period expires was raised at an EU Agriculture Council meeting in January. Since the meeting in January the Commission confirmed their intention not to table a proposal to extend the 12 week period during which time the eggs or meat from birds subject to a confinement order can continue to be marketed as free range stating concerns about the integrity and credibility of marketing standards, which were introduced for the protection of consumers. The Commission acknowledged that the 12 week period is a balance between the interests of the producer and the consumer and that it was regarded as a reasonable period to cover an avian flu epidemic. My Department is in ongoing contact with producers, processors and retailers on the implications of this 12 week period for the designation of eggs and poultry as free-range.

It is acknowledged that this outbreak/epidemic is prolonged in nature and the possibility that prolonged epidemics of this duration may become a more regular event.  In these circumstances the Commission have agreed to undertake a review of the marketing standards with a view to a possible modification of the current rule in light of the prolonged epidemic such are we are experiencing right now.

As regards organic production, the rules applying here are also laid down by EU regulation. While all poultry must have access to the open air, the regulations do recognise that this may not be possible where wider restrictions are imposed on human or animal health grounds. In such cases, operators must ensure that the needs of the birds are met in other ways, until such time as full open-air access can be restored. The regulations thus provide a reasonable degree of flexibility as far as organic production is concerned and my Department is looking at providing additional guidance in this area.