DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (73/09) issued by
COI News Distribution Service on 31 March 2009
Views are being
sought from farmers and other interested parties on how the new EU
rules on the electronic identification of sheep and goats can best
be implemented in England through a consultation launched today.
Electronic identification (EID) is an EU requirement to enable
the individual traceability of sheep and goats and more effective
control in the event of a disease outbreak.
The UK has been pressing hard in Europe for changes that will
help to reduce the burden of EID and individual recording on the
sheep and goat farming industry.
The Government has already secured a number of changes to the EID
regulations which will considerably reduce the burden on farmers,
including delaying the date of implementation until December this
year and securing a derogation from the need to electronically
identify animals which are intended for slaughter under 12 months
of age.
If the UK applies the slaughter derogation, the EID regulation
will only affect the one sheep that is retained for breeding out
of every five sheep born.
While continuing to press for further improvements, the
Government is preparing to implement the new system by the EU
deadline of 31 December 2009, and is seeking views on how to make
the costs of implementation as low as possible.
The consultation period runs from 31 March 2009 to 23 June 2009.
Notes to editors
1. EID is an EU requirement being introduced to manage individual
traceability of sheep to enable more effective control in the
event of a disease outbreak. More information on the
implementation is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/livestock.
2. The Regulation provides for the mandatory introduction of
electronic identification of sheep from 31 December 2009,
including an optional derogation from the need to electronically
identify sheep which live to less than the age of 12 months. This
derogation allows the use of a single conventional ear-tag instead
of electronic identification.
3. To help implementation, Defra has reconvened the EID
Co-ordination Group in England. The first meeting was held on 24
June 2008. This group consists of industry representatives and
includes independent farmers who were involved in the EID trials.
This consultation document takes account of the key issues discussed.
Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on
our website http://www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development
To subscribe
or unsubscribe to Defra's mailing list go to: http://www.gnn.gov.uk/
Once on the GNN website see Sign up
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Website
http://www.defra.gov.uk