Squabble over eggs scandal

EU member states are squabbling over who knew what and when with regard to the contaminated eggs scandal. The European Commission says production units were affected in four member states and the eggs were sold and subsequently withdrawn in 11 member states.

Products were also recalled from Switzerland and Hong Kong.

At issue is the suggestion that national authorities in some of the countries where the eggs were produced knew about the problem well before they told Brussels or other member states.

Against that background, the commission has called a meeting for the end of next month to discuss whether its rapid-alert system for food scares worked effectively.

It says this is not a crisis meeting, but an attempt to establish what lessons can be learned from what happened as a result of the use of an insecticide that has no veterinary approval. Land legislation calls rejected The European Commission has rejected calls for legislation on the acquisition of farm land.

This was sought by some French politicians who believe buying of land by farming companies drives up prices to the disadvantage of the traditional European family farm model.

In France, national legislation imposes transparency on the sale of shares in these businesses.

Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan says there is no case for EU-wide legislation, and land acquisition and ownership rules are the responsibility of individual member states.

Meanwhile, the commission has announced a three-month consultation on plans for new rules and possibly even legislation to make the food supply chain operate in a fairer way.

It wants to protect farmers, as the weakest players along the chain.

The consultation will end in midNovember, and the commission will then decide the best way ahead.

Any legislation or rule changes will not come into force until after Brexit. Italian concession plea rejected Mr Hogan has rejected calls from Italy for concessions over 1.3 billion euro it owes in milk superlevy payments, some of which go back to the mid-1990s.

Italy never fully implemented the milk quota regime, and when it was forced by the European court to meet superlevy bills it secured approval to pay these on behalf of farmers, and to then claim the money back.

To date just 7% has been paid back, and the Italian authorities sought to claim that the calculations for superlevy due are wrong and should be abandoned. This has been rejected. Brussels says the Italian government must put in place a mechanism to ensure farmers pay the fines due.