Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change & Rural Affairs
Today, I have laid a draft of the Free-Range Poultrymeat Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 before the Senedd.
Subject to the Senedd’s approval, these Regulations will amend Commission Regulation (EC) 543/2008 to remove the 12-week derogation which applies to the marketing of free-range poultrymeat in Wales.
Under the current regulations, should the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales implement mandatory housing measures, then free-range poultrymeat may be marketed and sold for up to 12 weeks without changes to labels on the products or packaging. After this period has lapsed, any poultrymeat produced cannot be marketed as ‘free-range’.
The amending regulation will remove the current timings to allow poultrymeat to continue to be marketed as ‘free-range’ for the duration of any mandatory housing period. These measures, implemented to protect public or animal health, are imposed under the guidance of the Chief Veterinary Officer. This change will ensure that Welsh poultry producers are on a level trading footing with their UK and EU counterparts when complying with mandatory housing measures.
I look forward to the debate on the Regulations in October.