EID Cost Burden Reduced But Fight Must Go On

The cost of implementing the individual movement recording and electronic identification of sheep on farm will be significantly reduced following a vote in Brussels but the NFU has vowed to carry on the fight to get further flexibility in the regulation.

The Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (Scofcah) has agreed to workable rules on third party/critical control point reading, which means movements will be able to be recorded, and tags read, away from the holding of origin. While the NFU remains very concerned that compulsory EID will lead to massive and threatening increased costs for UK sheep farmers, the decision could potentially save the UK sheep industry between 7 million and 18 million a year on the original proposal costs.

Alistair Mackintosh, the NFUs national livestock board chairman, said: Were pleased to see some common sense prevail. This decision has only been made possible because of the NFUs continued lobbying on this issue and will significantly reduce the cost and regulatory burden on farmers.

We are extremely disappointed that, in order to get other Member States to agree to this, the UK government has had to agree not to seek any further changes to the regulation. We understand the difficulties Defra has faced on this issue and we will continue to work with them to look at how it will be implemented in the most sympathetic and cost efficient way in England.

However, while we welcome the third party reading we are bitterly disappointed that the Commission is consistently failing to listen to our very real concerns on the impact this regulation will have on the UK sheep industry. For the Commission to ask our Government not to raise this issue again is, quite frankly, scandalous. There are a number of flexibilities which could greatly reduce the impact on British farmers and we will continue to highlight these to the Commission and do everything we can to ensure this regulation is workable.

We believe any cost-benefit analysis carried out after this regulation is implemented will show it is not fit for purpose and we will be seeking a review at the earliest opportunity.