At its meeting on 17 November 2021, the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee considered the Eggs (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

The instrument is subject to the affirmative procedure which means it is for the Committee to recommend to the Parliament whether the draft regulations be approved.

The instrument amends retained EU Law to enable marketing standards checks to be undertaken on imported Class A eggs at the point of destinationⁱPoints of destination are locations such as egg packing centres and wholesale premises, where checks are undertaken by egg marketing inspectors prior to release for retail sale or mass catering., rather than at the time of customs clearance.

Retained EU law provides that imported Class A eggs must be inspected at the time of clearance. The policy note states that Class A eggs are rarely imported into Scotland, “other than occasional, de minimus quantities from the Republic of Ireland”. Following EU exit, and following the end of the transitional period, however, this requirement would now apply to Class A eggs imported from the Republic of Ireland.

The policy note goes on to state that “as existing practice means inspectors and compliant enforcement procedures already exist at the point of destination – the packing centres and wholesale premises where eggs are checked prior to release for retail sale or mass catering – it is more efficient and practical to carry out the checks on imports at these locations”.

The Committee took evidence from Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, after which she moved motion S6M-01816 —

That the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee recommends that the Eggs (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 [draft] be approved.

The motion was agreed to without division.

The official report of the meeting can be accessed on the Scottish Parliament's website.