October 3, 2003

Malta Steps Up Poultry Restructuring To EU Standards

That the EU's accords great importance to animal welfare does not simply end with animal protection but also to safeguard public confidence in food production.

Malta, a country in the continent pending EU membership, has requested a three-year transitional period for the implementation of EU standards on the protection of laying hens that are kept in battery cages. This involves some 290,000 hens in 30 establishments. Doing so ensures that poultry farms in Malta can have enough time to restructure and control the stock density of hens.