Just 21 cents a year to make imported eggs cage-free, new analysis finds
New analysis by Animal Policy International finds that requiring imported eggs to meet the same cage-free standards as EU-produced eggs would add an estimated €0.21 per person per year to an EU citizen's egg spending. The report finds that the measure could help close a significant welfare gap at very little cost to people, with around nine in ten eggs and egg products imported into the EU currently coming from caged hens.
The findings come as the European Commission prepares new legislation on the welfare of poultry. A leaked draft, reported by Agra Facts on 6 November, indicates that the Commission is considering a phase-out of cages for laying hens and other poultry, alongside requirements for imported products to meet equivalent animal welfare standards. The draft remains under inter-service consultation and may change before the Commission formally adopts its proposal.
Ensuring that these requirements apply to imports in that final proposal will be essential to making the transition effective. Without equivalent standards for imported products, eggs produced in cages could continue to enter the EU market even as European producers move away from cage systems.
Extending cage-free requirements to imports would have little effect on prices
The report estimates that applying equivalent cage-free requirements to imports would increase overall EU egg prices by around 0.3% in its central scenario.
The limited impact reflects the relatively small share of EU egg consumption supplied by imports, which account for around 3% of the market. The actual increase could be lower if exporters absorb some additional costs to remain competitive or EU buyers switch to suppliers already producing cage-free eggs.
EU imports of eggs and egg products increased more than eightfold in value between 2021 and 2025, rising from around €40 million to €336 million. Behind these imports are an estimated nine million or more caged hens – a population larger than the entire national laying-hen flock of 20 of the EU’s 27 Member States. An interactive map showing the share of caged hens in each country supplying the EU is available.
Almost a quarter of the caged hens behind these imports produce eggs for processing rather than sale in their shells. Their eggs are broken at origin and exported as liquid or dried products used in everyday foods, including bakery products, sauces, confectionery and ready meals. Once incorporated into these products, their origin and production method can be difficult for consumers to identify.
In 2025, the EU imported around 786 tonnes of dried egg white alone, equivalent to more than 100 million eggs.
Previous EU approaches linking market or tariff access to production standards have not always covered processed products. Under the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, the relevant provisions cover shell eggs but not egg products. Animal Policy International warns that repeating this approach in the forthcoming legislation would leave a large part of the trade outside the new welfare requirement.
Tashi Thomas, Head of European Affairs at Animal Policy International, said:
“The EU can protect millions of hens without imposing a significant cost on consumers. Our analysis estimates that applying cage-free requirements to imported eggs would add around 21 cents per person per year to egg spending”
The report argues that including processed egg products should be feasible within the EU’s existing import-control framework. Imports of these products are already subject to controls, including restrictions on eligible exporting countries and certification requirements.
“The Commission must make sure the requirement covers liquid and dried egg products as well as shell eggs. Almost a quarter of the caged hens supplying EU imports produce eggs for processing. Leaving these products out would create a loophole through which millions of caged-hen eggs could continue entering the EU.”
Animal Policy International recommends that the Commission establish the import requirement in the final laying-hens legislation, explicitly covering shell eggs and processed egg products.
Key facts
Around 90% of eggs and egg products imported into the EU now come from caged hens, up from roughly 50% in 2021.
The report estimates that applying equivalent cage-free requirements to imports would increase overall EU egg prices by around 0.3% in its central scenario.
This equates to an estimated additional €0.21 per person per year in egg spending. Even in a deliberately high-cost scenario, the estimated increase is €0.34 per person per year.
Imports account for around 3% of EU egg consumption, helping to explain the limited estimated impact on overall prices.
EU imports of eggs and egg products increased more than eightfold in value between 2021 and 2025, reaching €336 million, and increased by a further 99% year on year in the first quarter of 2026.
Five suppliers – Ukraine, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Argentina and China – account for more than 95% of imports from caged hens.
24.5% of the caged hens supplying EU egg imports are estimated to produce liquid and dried egg products rather than shell eggs.
The report recommends that the Commission place the import requirement in the laying-hens legislation and define its scope by customs code to cover shell eggs and egg products.
It calls on the European Parliament and Council to ensure that the proposal is extended to include egg products if they are not explicitly covered.
Read the full report here.
