Eggs in Europe are not refrigerated because they don’t need it. The reasons why American (and Japanese) eggs must be refrigerated is that:
from Quora.
- They are washed, which removes the natural protective layer on the egg’s surface which keeps bacteria out.
- In the US (not in Japan) the conditions of the egg laying farms are frightening and extremely unhealthy, and most chicken is infected with salmonella.
from Quora.