1. The European Egg Industry in Transition
- a status report -
Prof. Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst
WING
University of Vechta, Germany
Paper present at the IEC Berlin Conference
September 23rd, 2015

2. Agenda:
The changing political and economic situation
in Europe
The changing role of European and EU countries
in global egg production
The dynamics of egg production in the European
sub-regions
The present situation of housing systems for
laying hens in Europe
Case studies: the impacts of directive 1999/74/EU
on the egg industry in Germany, the Netherlands
and Spain

3. The changing political and economic situation in Europe1.
The changing political and
economic situation in Europe

4. Indicators of the ongoing transformation:
The political and economic transformation in the former USSR and Eastern Europe
The political crisis in Southern Europe
The instability at the eastern rim of Europe
Directive 1999/74/EU
The animal welfare challenge

5. The changing role of European 2.
The changing role of European
and EU countries in global egg production

6. The development of the global laying hen population
between 2000 and 2013; data in mill. birds
Continent
2000
2010
2013
Increase (%)
Africa
Asia
Europe
N America*
CS America
Oceania
378
3,091
687
496
361 18
505
4,146
788
567
477
515
4,494
913
571
520 21
36.2
45.4
32.9
15.1
44.0
16.7
World
5,030
6,501
7,034
39.8
* Canada, Mexico, USA

7. The changing contribution of the continents to the
global laying hen population between 2000 and 2013
* Canada, Mexico, USA

8. The development of global egg production between 2000
and 2013; data in 1,000 mt
Continent
2000
2010
2013
Increase (%)
Africa
Asia
Europe
N America*
CS America
Oceania
1,916
29,211
9,480
7,159
3,249
199
2,668
37,485
10,472
8,222
4,471
254
3,082
39,982
10,993
8,595
5,355
315
60.9
36.9
15.3
20.1
64.8
58.3
World
51,214
63,572
**68,262
33.3
* Canada, Mexico, USA
** 69,2 mill. t estimated for 2014

9. The changing contribution of the continents to
global egg production between 2000 and 2013
* Canada, Mexico, USA

10. The development of egg production in Europe and the
EU (28) between 2000 and 2013 compared to the
development of global egg production
Region
2000
2013
Production
(1,000 t)
Share
(%)
World
51,214
100.0
68,2621
Europe
9,480
18.5
10.933
16.1
EU (28)
6,662
13.0
7,010
10.3
FAO

11. Note:
The European laying hen inventory increased
by 226 mill. birds or 32.9 % between 2000 and 2013
The contribution of Europe to the global laying hen
inventory decreased from 13,7 % to 13.0 %
in the analysed time period.
European egg production grew by 1.45 mill. t or
15.3 % between 2000 and 2013.
Europe´s contribution to global egg production fell
from 18.5 % to 16.0 % in the analysed time period.

12. The dynamics of egg production in the European sub-regions3.
The dynamics of egg production in the European sub-regions

13. The development of the laying hen inventory in
the European sub-regions between 1990 and 2013
FAO

14. The development of egg production in the European
sub-regions between 2000 and 2013
Region
2000
2013
Production
(1,000 t)
Share
(%)
Eastern E.
3,799
40.1
4.938
45.2
Western E.
2,924
30.8
2,871
26.2
Southern E.
1,789
18.9
1,065
18.0
Northern E.
967
10.2
1,159
10.6
Europe
9,479
100.0
10,933
FAO

15. The seven leading EU member countries in egg production (2013)
MEG

16. The ten leading European countries in egg production in 2000 and 2013
Country
Production
(1,000 t)
Share
(%)
Russian F.
1,895
20.0
Russian F.
2,284
20.9
France
1,038
10.9
Ukraine
1,121
10.3
Germany
901
9.5
944
8.6
Italy
686
7.2
893
8.2
Netherlands
668
7.0
775
7.1
Spain
658
6.9
743
6.8 UK
569
6.0
703
6.4
497
5.2
672
6.1
Poland
424
4.5
558
5.1
Romania
263
2.8
308
10 countries
7,296
80,2
9,001
82.3
Europe
9,480
100.0
Europa
10,993
FAO

17. The ten leading EU member countries
in shell egg production in 2014
Country
Production
(1,000 t)
Share
(%)
France
1,012
13.7
Spain
870
11.9
Germany
854
11.5
Italy
820
11.1 UK
731
9.9
Netherlands
729
9.8
Poland
575
7.8
Romania
360
4.9
Belgium
178
2.4
Czech Rep.
130
1.8
10 countries
6,259
84.5
EU (28)
7,410
100.0
FAO

18. The Russian Federation and Ukraine were the leading
Note:
The Russian Federation and Ukraine were the leading
two countries in European egg production in 2013 with
a share of 31.2 % in the overall European production
volume.*
Western European countries (France, Germany and
Netherlands) could not maintain their share of 2000
(27.4 %), it decreased to 23.4 % in 2013.
The four leading EU member countries contributed
48.2 % to the overall production volume in 2014.
_________________________________________________
The political instability in Ukraine may have reduced the production volume
considerably since 2013.

19. The present situation of housing systems for laying hens in Europe4.
The present situation of housing systems for laying hens in Europe

20. Remember:
Directive 1999/74/EU demanded:
No installation of conventional cages from 2003 on.
Conventional cages prohibited from December 2012 on.

21. Share of housing systems in EU laying hen husbandry in 2009
MEG 2010, p. 97

22. Laying hens in conventional cages in EU member
Countries (June 2012); data in mill. birds
Total: 43.5 mill.
EU Commission

23. Share of housing systems in EU laying hen husbandry (2013)
MEG 2014

24. Total laying hen inventory: 378.49 million birds
Share of housing systems in EU laying hen husbandry (2014)
Housing system
Share (%)
Enriched cages
55.7
Barn
26.6
Free range
13.9
Organic
3.8
Total laying hen inventory: million birds
MEG Newsletter September 3rd, 2015)

25. Share of housing systems in laying hen husbandry in
EU member countries (2013)
Total: mill. hens
MEG 2014

26. Housing system in European laying hen husbandry (2013)
EUROSTAT, IEC, national data, FAO

27. The development of egg production in selected EU
member countries between 2010 and 2014;
data in 1,000 t
Country
2010
2011
2012
2014
France
954
873
856
1,012
Spain
918
937
862
870
Germany
656
774
825
854
Italy
852
830
805
820 UK
718
709
694
731
Netherlands
711
729
Poland
637
587
538
575
MEG 2015

28. Note:
In December 2012 the EU Commission declared that
Directive 1999/74/EC had been implemented successfully.
In 2013, 57.6 % of the laying hens was kept in enriched
cages, 26.4 % in barn systems and 16.0 % in free range
systems. The situation differed, however, considerably
between member countries.
The transformation to alternative housing systems
resulted in a considerable dynamics of the laying
hen inventory, egg production and price development
for shell eggs.

29. The impacts of directive 1999/74/EU in Germany, the Netherlands5.
Case studies
The impacts of directive 1999/74/EU
on the egg industry
in Germany, the Netherlands
and Spain

30. Germany

31. The development of the number of layer farms (> 3,000 places)
and the laying hen inventory in Germany between 2000
and 2013
MEG 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014

32. The development of the German self-sufficiency rate for
shell eggs and egg imports between 2000 and 2013
MEG 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014

33. The development of Germany´s shell egg imports between
2008 and 2014; data in mill. pieces
Country of
origin
2008
2010
2012
2014
Change
(%)
Netherlands
4,586
5,814
4,528
4,637
+ 1.1
Poland
436
679
1,005
772
+ 77.1
France
154
221 35
371
Belgium
235
431
305
+ 29.8
Spain
243
463
101
153
- 37.0
Czech Rep. 71 59 26 49
- 31.0
Others
312
595
249
442
+ 41.7
Total
6,093
8,271
6,319
6,459
+ 6.0
ZMP 2008, MEG 2011, 2015

34. Netherlands

35. The development of shell egg production in the Netherlands
between 2000 and 2014
Year
Production
(1,000 t)
Index
(2000 = 100)
Self-sufficiency
(%)
2000
614
100.0
228
2003
463
75.4
180
2006
615
100.2
221
2009
665
108.3
313
2012
690
112.4
307
2013
704
114.7
308
2014
729
118.7
n. d.
ZMP 2003, 2008; MEG 2015

36. The leading countries of destination for Dutch shell egg
exports in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2012; data in mill. pieces
Country of
destination
2000
2005
2010
2012
Germany
4,067
4,275
5,553
4,661
Belgium
215
217
337
302
France
373
148
119
230
Switzerland
120
177
197
Un. Kingd.
386
211 92
164
Others
1,164
672
722
1,011
Total
6,325
5,700
7,020
6,565
PVE 2013

37. Spain

38. The development of the Spanish egg production
between 2008 and 2014; data in mill. pieces
Year
Production
Index (2008 = 100)
2008
12,896
100.0
2009
13,166
102.1
2010
13,339
103.4
2011
12,995
100.8
2012
11,409
88.5
2013
10,845
84.1
2014*
11,788
91.4
* estimated
MAPA 2014, MEG 2015

39. The development of the Spanish laying hen inventory
between 2008 and 2013; data in 1,000 birds
Year
Laying hens
Index (2008 = 100)
2008
49,995
100.0
2009
50,593
101.2
2010
51,109
102.2
2011
49,494
99.0
2012
43,643
87.3
2013
38,409
76.8
MAPA 2014

40. The development of Spanish shell egg exports to Germany
between 2008 and 2013; data in mill. pieces
Year
Exports
Index (2008 = 100)
2008
244.3
100.0
2009
356.9
146.7
2010
452.9
197.6
2011
182.8
78.0
2012
101.6
43.4
2013
145.7
62.2
MAPA 2014

41. Share (%) of total exports
Spanish shell egg exports to non-EU countries in 2013;
data in t
Country of destination
Exports
Share (%) of total exports
Angola
2,379
2.0
Mauretania
2,316
2,0
Libya
1,971
1.7
Israel
1,152
1,0
Andorra
708
0.6
Others
3,893
3.3
Total
12,419
10.6
MAPA 2014

42. Note:
The earlier banning of conventional cages in Germany
not only had far reaching impacts on the laying hen
inventory, on egg production and egg imports in
this country but also in the Netherlands and Spain.
When the German egg industry recovered from the
transformation to alternative housing systems faster
than expected, the egg industry in the Netherlands
and Spain suffered from an egg surplus and lasting
low prices.
In addition, the Spanish egg industry had to cope
with the economic crisis.

43. 6.
New challenges

44. The EU egg industry has to find solutions for the
following challenges:
banning of beak treatment for laying hens
banning of the killing male layer chicks
Growing risk of the introduction and dissemination of highly pathogenic AI virus
strains

45. Thank you for your attention!