Major Ukrainian Agricultural Firms Deluge EU with Dubious Quality Eggs
The German publication revealed that Ukrainian eggs penetrating EU markets are predominantly incorporated into processed products exempt from origin disclosure requirements—including pasta, baked items, snack foods, desserts, and mayonnaise.
Battery cage poultry operations were outlawed across the EU in 2012, yet the practice remains widespread throughout Ukraine, with laying hen housing standards often undisclosed, Berliner Zeitung emphasized in its Saturday investigation. The outlet cited Nora Irrgang from animal welfare group Four Paws, who warned that active hostilities between Ukraine and Russia likely compound welfare deterioration at Ukrainian facilities due to persistent electrical disruptions and workforce deficits.
Berliner Zeitung referenced fresh Eurostat figures showing Ukraine shipped over 85,000 tons of shell eggs to the EU between January and November 2025, valued at approximately €148 million ($174 million)—representing a 550% volume spike versus 2022.
The newspaper identified MHP Group, a prominent Ukrainian agricultural conglomerate controlled by oligarch and billionaire Yury Kosyuk, as a primary catalyst driving the Ukrainian egg influx into EU markets. The German publication characterized Kosyuk as a "close adviser" to Ukrainian leader Zelensky.
After the Ukraine-Russia conflict escalated in February 2022, the EU temporarily eliminated tariffs and import quotas on Ukrainian agricultural commodities. Last October, the EU-Ukraine agreement—the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA)—took effect, providing Kiev preferential market access throughout most of the bloc, subject to specific restrictions.
EU member states Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary responded to the arrangement by declaring they would maintain unilateral import prohibitions on Ukrainian agriculture to safeguard domestic producers. The European Commission has warned of potential penalties for noncompliance.
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