Fury over passports and chips for Welsh mountain ponies

Following a meeting with the Section A part of the Welsh Mountain Ponies Society, where concern was expressed about the introduction of microchipping all foals born after July 2009, Roger Williams MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and Liberal Democrat Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson, has written to Elin Jones AM and Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Health, about this matter.

Mr Williams said:

"Welsh Mountain Ponies are important for a number of reasons, including biodiversity, tourism and maintaining upland areas.

"The new European regulations would have a significant financial impact on owners and breeders of these ponies and could result in their loss from Welsh hillsides and mountains.

"Other breeds, such as New Forest Ponies and Dartmoor Ponies, have already been granted a derogation from these regulations and I have written to Elin Jones AM to ask her to apply for a similar derogation for Welsh Mountain Ponies.

"I have also written to the European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, to ask if she would be prepared to visit Wales to see the important role that these ponies play and the difficulties they are facing.

"These ponies are part of Welsh culture and it is vital that the Assembly do all they can to secure a derogation form the European regulations.

"Europe is determined to introduce a unified scheme across the whole of the EU but differences in equine management should be reflected and respected."

The regulations for microchipping equines will be introduced under EU Regulation 504/2008: Equine Identification