5-6 November 2026: ERPA General Assembly in Italy

 

 

Since 2024 on the Regulation relating to organic farming : ERPA has been carrying out numerous targeted actions to change several points of the regulations concerning organic poultry/eggs:

• Downgrading of eggs after use of antiparasitics with a withdrawal period of 0 days. ERPA presented a study at European level and to the EC showing the great difficulties caused by this new rule since 2022 for all European farmers.

• Organic poultry feed: ERPA advocates for a return to the possibility of using 5% non-organic protein feed for all poultry and not just for young poultry. This would limit the technical underperformance encountered by farmers and better promote organic European protein crops. Organic egg production could then develop again.

• Organic chicks: ERPA is asking for the postponement of the future obligation to use organic chicks because this would result in a weakening of the sector and the end of the use of really slow-growing crosses.

 

 

From the end of 2022 to 2026: mobilization of ERPA on egg and poultry marketing standards

The labelling of poultry/eggs farming methods is a key element in allowing consumers to know what they are buying and in allowing alternative poultry farmers to promote their product to consumers. ERPA has therefore been strongly mobilised to protect the valuation of farming methods on egg and poultry labelling.

In the end:

• The new egg marketing standards were published in 2023, integrating the ERPA request for on-farm egg marking in order to better fight potential fraud.

• The new marketing standards for poultry were published in 2026. Regarding the voluntary labelling of farming methods, they propose a balanced framework that suits ERPA well: only "free range" and "traditional free-range/total freedom" farming methods (which already existed in the previous standards) can be used for poultry raised outdoors. And new terms can be used for other farming methods, if they are described in specifications and controlled by the Member States, which makes it possible to promote innovations.

 

 

Since September 2022 on animal welfare : ERPA has been working to ensure that the regulatory texts relating to animal welfare, during transport, on farms, at the time of slaughter, take into account the many specificities of rural production.

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En 2025, réalisation d’une étude ITAVI-ERPA sur l’utilisation de gel hydratant pendant le transport de dindes. Dans son guide de bonnes pratiques sur le transport des volailles, la Commission européenne encourage l’utilisation de ce type de gel qui permet d’hydrater les volailles.

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In 2025, an ITAVI-ERPA study was carried out on the use of moisturising gel during the transport of turkeys. In its guide to good practice on the transport of poultry, the European Commission encourages the use of this type of gel, which helps to keep the birds hydrated. Click here to download the results

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