Euro Sheep Proposals - NFUS Press Relaese

EUROPEAN RESISTANCE TO SHEEP PROPOSALS GROWING 

European sheep farmers meeting in Germany are to step up their opposition to damaging EU rules that would require, from January 2010, all sheep farmers to electronically tag virtually every animal and then maintain records on the whereabouts of every individual sheep. 

NFU Scotland Vice-president Nigel Miller is attending a meeting in Frankfurt, called by the German sheep industry. The two-day event concluded with delegates from Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Greece, Portugal and the UK in attendance. 

Speaking from Frankfurt, Nigel Miller said: 
“This meeting has proven to be an excellent opportunity to galvanise opposition to a damaging EU regulation that would force cost and bureaucracy onto sheep farmers throughout Europe while delivering very little in the way of benefit in terms of traceability or disease security. 

“There was unanimous support amongst attendees that debate on the regulation’s requirements on electronic tagging and individual movement reporting must reopened.  Those organisations represented are committed to a continued campaign on the issue throughout the summer and a letter drafted by those attending is to be sent to each country’s lead Minister, urging them to raise the subject at forthcoming EU council meetings. 

“Delegates were particularly heartened by German producers who reported that a recent meeting with their lead politician had suggested that the German minister would be prepared to urge council to revisit the regulation in the future. 

“These burdensome rules are due to be implemented by the end of this year and we are encouraged that momentum behind our efforts to have Europe arrive at a common-sense position on implementation of this regulation is continuing to build.  More and more producer organisations are prepared to go back and push their respective Governments on this issue and the drive for significant changes to Regulation 21/2004 goes on.”  

·        The EU regulation 21/2004 demands that electronic identification of sheep will be required from 1 January 2010.   Movements of all sheep from 1 January 2011 will have to be accompanied by a movement document recording the individual identities of every sheep moved and the originating holding and destination. There will be limited derogation for some classes and ages of sheep. 
·        The proposals are deeply unpopular with Scottish farmers.  A survey, carried out by NFUS during January and February 2009, revealed that 73         per cent of Scottish producers said that they would reduce their flock if EID and individual recording were introduced.  Of the Scottish flock keepers who indicated they would reduce their flock, one third said they might get rid of all their sheep.