BEIC sets £10,000 minimum fee

The British Egg Industry Council has decided to introduce a new minimum fee of almost £10,000 for subscribers to the Lion Code, as part of an overhaul of its funding arrangements.

The new system is designed to ensure all subscribers pay a fee that at least covers the basic operating cost of running the BEIC .

“The Lion subscription system has not been updated since 1998,” said chief executive Mark Williams. “In recent years we’ve been in a situation where the income from some of our smallest subscribers has not even covered the cost of auditing and administration.”

The new scheme membership fee will stand at £9,750, or 11p/case, whichever is the greater, which will be calculated each year. This will ensure that the large subscribers will still pay substantially more than the small, but everyone will at least cover the basic costs.

It is planned that there will be a 12-month phase-in period to 2013 for existing subscribers, ensuring that smaller subscribers will still get some financial support next year.

Thereafter, the minimum fee will be assessed on an annual basis, relating to the BEIC’s basic operating costs.