THE RSPCA has backed a European scheme to label eggs produced on intensive battery farms.

The European Commission wants to make it compulsory for all eggs produced or sold in the EU to bear stamps telling consumers whether they are from free range or battery farms.

The new regulations will challenge the World Trade Organisation rules on animal welfare labelling for the first time.

RSPCA chiefs claim the labelling will benefit not only consumers who are against buying battery farm eggs, but also for farmers who operate to high animal welfare standards.

The RSPCA claims nine out of ten hens are kept in cramped battery conditions.

Head of the RSPCA's International Department, David Bowles, said: "If approved it will at last give customers the power to choose how they want their eggs produced. It also sends a clear message to the World Trade Organisation that Europe is not prepared to compromise its high standards.

"The RSPCA's Freedom Food welfare labelling scheme has been running for six years and clearly shows the consumer wants to buy free-range eggs when given the choice."

The compulsory egg-labelling scheme would be based on an existing voluntary code, which marks eggs as free range, semi-intensive, deep litter, perchery or cage production.

The Freedom Food campaign, which has been running for six years, aims to stamp out suffering in farm animals.