Scotland’s sheep farmers braced for new ‘E-ewe’ tagging rules

Scotland’s sheep farmers braced for new ’E-ewe’ tagging rules

New law could push many sheep farmers over the edge, local MEP warns

As of 1st January, Scotland’s sheep farmers will face substantial new costs in complying with an unnecessary EU requirement to fit electronic tags to their flocks, Conservative Euro MP Struan Stevenson has warned.

All sheep will have to be electronically identified (EID), as a measure to prevent the spread of disease. However, the costs of these electronic ear tags will be considerable for farmers - around £1.50 each – plus up to £1000 for each tag-reader. The European Commission has agreed that readers can be sited at abattoirs and markets, so that all farmers do not need to purchase such equipment. However, for the hundreds of upland sheep farmers who move their flocks to lowland farms during the winter, readers will be required. There is no evidence that the unreliable tags will improve animal health beyond that experienced with the current batch-based reporting system in the UK.

The UK has a third of the entire sheep population of the EU - 33 million animals - and 90,000 sheep producers, so we will be disproportionately affected. There are more than 7 million sheep currently in Scotland where hill and upland areas require livestock as part of a balanced ecosystem that benefits plants, birds and a diverse range of wildlife.

Struan Stevenson has fought a long campaign to make the plans voluntary for sheep farmers, rather than compulsory. Recently he organised a meeting in Strasbourg with Health & Consumer Affairs Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, but she rejected all pleas from Scotland’s Euro MPs for exemptions or derogations from the new regulation. In December, Stevenson called for a special exemption for Shetland on the grounds that it has a unique animal health management system that requires all animals moving to the island to be blood tested at the port of entry.

Also in December, the European Parliament’s petitions committee received an 8,000 signature petition from Scottish sheep farmers calling for a halt to the plans. In response, the committee chair promised a review in the New Year.

Struan Stevenson said:

"Electronic tags offer no clear benefits to animal health and the estimated £10 million costs to Scotland’s beleaguered sheep farmers will push many out of business.

"These laws will hit UK farmers hardest as we have a third of the entire EU sheep population. The loss of sheep farmers will affect all of us because flocks help maintain our sensitive upland environment.

"The current system ain’t broke yet the EU is trying to fix it, with devastating costs to our farmers.

"The European Commission has been unwilling to listen to our pleas to reconsider these costly ear tags. Now that they are going to become compulsory, I implore the EU to monitor their effects and their benefits closely.

"If, as I fear, electronic tagging does have a detrimental impact on our sheep farmers, the commission will have to reconsider it urgently.

"Sheep farmers should be getting our help at this difficult time, not more pointless regulations from Brussels."