Free-range egg farmers have urged ministers to ensure any potential rule changes do not leave them at a competitive disadvantage during the battle against bird flu.
Their concerns relate to restrictions aimed at halting the spread of the nation's worst-ever avian influenza outbreak, which has forced the culls of millions of poultry birds.
All captive flocks in Norfolk and Suffolk have been forced indoors since October 12 under a regional mandatory housing order, which was extended to the whole of England from November 7, and into Wales from December 2.
Farmers currently have a grace period of 16 weeks, during which they can continue to label their eggs as free-range if a government-issued housing order is in place. After that, they will be re-classed as "barn eggs".
But the EU's proposed relaxation of those rules amid the ongoing virus crisis has sparked fears of unfair competition from imports unless the UK government follows suit.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said the EU proposal "would be a common sense move and something that British farmers would like to see Defra align with", adding: "Housing orders protect the health and welfare of hens and shouldn’t affect the marketing of the product."
In response to national media reports suggesting ministers were considering a similar relaxation of labelling rules, a Defra statement says: "We are aware that there are proposals within the EU to potentially amend the 16-week derogation period. We are under no obligation to align with EU changes and will act in the interests of UK consumers and producers.
"Any changes to rules will be considered carefully in order to maintain consumer confidence in the free-range brand long-term."
Norfolk egg producer Sam Mitchell manages more than 30,000 hens at The Cluckery, part of his family's mixed farm at Repps With Bastwick, near Great Yarmouth.
He said overseas competition from Europe was not the only worry, as the current housing order does not apply in Scotland.
"We don't want to be having eggs from housed birds in Europe which can still be labelled as free range, on the shelf next to ours which have to be labelled as barn eggs," he said.
"A lot depends on the supermarkets - some say they are not going to import, so they can support UK farmers and British eggs. But birds in Scotland are still not housed, so their eggs will still be free-range in February [when the 16-week grace period ends], they will still have that premium product.
"What everyone is trying to say is that we should all be in this together."
Although the number of bird flu cases has slowed since the epidemic's peak in October, it is still a threat, with four cases confirmed at poultry farms near Diss in December.
Defra says the preventative housing measures will remain in force until further notice, and "kept under regular review".
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