Czech inspectors have stopped imports of about half a million eggs, and accuse not only Poland but also France, Spain and Romania of failing to introduce new EU recommendations on chicken cages.

TheNews.pl reports that producers are being accused of continuing to keep laying hens in cages which are cramped and have a concrete floor.

The Czech Agriculture Ministry has announced that their producers have all fulfilled the new requirements.

Eggs from Poland are strong competition to the local produce and the the import ban is also seen as a way to protect national egg manufacturers on the market.

Meanwhile the European Commission has announced it will punish Poland for failing to introduce EU recommendations concerning modern cages for battery hens.

Poland is one of 15 countries which has not yet scrapped old chicken cages.

The use of old type battery cages is banned in several European countries, but Polish chicken farmers have objected to the new recommendations, mainly because of the costs of the exchange.

An unofficial understanding still allows battery eggs to be sold by producers but only until this July.