The European Commission urged  nine EU Member States for not complying with EU Directive (EC) 2001/88 on the protection of pigs, which introduces a ban on the use of individual stalls for pregnant sows and gilts on January 1st.The first European pig producer, Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland and Portugal are still keeping thousands of pregnant sows gestation crates and create market distortion at the expense of already complying producers.

The Commission urges these nine countries to comply with the law as quickly as possible as that previously stated they would in a public stakeholder meeting at the end of January.

Following the first step taken  by the Commission, Member States have now two months to respond or it will send them a reasoned opinion, the last step before referral to the European Court of Justice.