European Union-Ministers re-vist EID ear tag debate.

THERE HAS been a breakthrough in the campaign against European plans to introduce electronic individual identification of sheep - EU farm ministers have agreed to "revisit" the controversial legislation.

The anti-EID campaign, led by The Scottish Farmer, the National Farmers Union Scotland and the National Sheep Association Scotland, has been focussed on alerting other EU member states to the impracticality of the individual ID requirement.

Numerous lobbying trips to Brussels, backed by an 8000-name petition from Scottish sheep producers, have now paid off, with both Germany and Hungary adding their voices to the opposition, forcing the matter back onto the EU farm ministers’ agenda when they next meet on 23-24 March.

Alyn Smith, Scottish member of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, said he was "absolutely delighted" at the news.

"That the EU farm ministers are going to sit down and revisit these unnecessary and cumbersome rules gives all of those who have been campaigning against the introduction real hope that some good sense can finally be applied to this regulation before it is too late.

"I think this is definitely a case of better late than never. While we in Scotland have been vocal in our opposition to this regulation for some time now, we have only recently seen other EU member states wake up to the implications of this directive. That said, both German and Hungarian support is very welcome and will only serve to strengthen our case," said Mr Smith.

"It is by no means a closed case and there remains much to be done between now and the 23rd March. It is absolutely vital that we continue to hit home to the other member states just how disastrous this regulation will be if it is implemented as it stands now and I will be doing all in my power to do just that. Ministerial support is crucial if we want to see this revised."

In a joint statement, all the UK farming unions - the English NFU, NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru and the IFA - said: "This is a critical breakthrough. Commission officials have been implementing the Regulation as it was previously agreed by Ministers, so the only way to avoid these unworkable and unnecessary regulations is to get EU Ministers to revisit the regulation.