The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture has finalized legislative amendments to ban the keeping of caged hens in Estonia starting in 2035 — a change that will demand significant changes by businesses.

"Last year, we took a pretty look at the data and analyzed it. We also sat down with the operators, the rural affairs committee, and other different parties and discussed how we could go forward. The agreement was that by 2035 it would no longer be possible to produce eggs from caged hens," Hartman told ERR.

However, the draft bill has also faced criticism. Speaking on ETV show "Esimene stuudios," lawyer and former Chancellor of Justice Allar Jõks said he could not understand why the ministry had drafted a bill that bans the keeping of caged hens, as it will significantly reduce people's purchasing power and the competitiveness of businesses. The draft has also been criticized as it still allows for the sale of eggs from caged hens.

"Of course, I take this criticism very seriously. These are the same issues that we looked at as part of the analysis – how it affects the sector, whether it affects our competitiveness, how it affects food security, the impact it has on the quality of food and consumer behavior. We also discussed these issues with the operators and that is why the final decision was that we will have a long transition period to allow everybody to adapt. At the same time, we have made the decision so that businesses know what the future holds," Hartman said.

"So, it was rather important for us to make this decision so that businesses could take it into consideration. Because at the moment we are also at a point in time where investments that businesses have made are starting to depreciate. Alongside this, we are also supporting entrepreneurs through various investment measures. There are already some opportunities, but we will certainly take this decision into account when preparing for the new period. We have discussed all this with the entrepreneurs," Hartman said.

Hartman stressed that the ministry had the best interests and intentions when drafting the bill.

"At the moment, issues regarding food prices are one of our biggest priorities. So, certainly, when thinking through this issue, when discussing it, we considered these issues in the same way. But this is a question of where we are going in the future and what is going to happen in the European Union with these issues. At the moment, we are looking at it and also thinking with the operators how we can guarantee our egg production. We have been discussing with the operators and thinking about how we can also raise this proportion. Of course, these price issues are very important, but what we are seeing here is that we can come help out with investment measures. Weare also discussing the issue of VAT on foodstuffs, which could also be something that brings some relief," the minister added.

"And for us as the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, it is also important that the food we produce here in Estonia today is of high quality. Animal welfare is a very important part of that. This is something that both sectoral organizations and consumers themselves have been paying attention to. And the pictures we have been shown are really not pretty," Hartman said.

According to Hartman, the general opinion in other European countries is also that there should be a move away from keeping caged hens.

"What we're also seeing today is that even if other countries haven't all made that decision yet, a lot of retail chains have. In Estonia, two chambers of commerce have already made this decision. We can see that chambers of commerce are generally moving in the same direction. And consumers are also becoming more aware," Hartman said.

The draft bill is currently at the coordination stage, but Hartman said there is a willingness to review all questions and suggestions in relation to it, including those posed by Allar Jõks. "As officials and as a ministry, we always want to make the best laws possible, and if there are suggestions from different parties on how to further improve the draft, we are of course ready to consider those suggestions and, if possible, take them on board," the minister said.

"We have decided on the principles from which we are going to proceed and these principles have to be carried forward in this bill. However, if there is anything we can improve, there is of course still time before the Riigikogu makes its final decision," she added.

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