European Commission allows flexibility on sheep identification rules
Wednesday 10 August 2011By EU Reporter correspondent
The Scottish Government has been successful in negotiations with the EU on plans for a proportionate cross compliance system for Scottish sheep farmers.
The European Commission is content with Scotland's proposals and commented positively on the steps taken in Scotland, including the development of ScotEID – the Scottish electronic identification database.
The Scottish solution takes account of the unique nature of Scotland's diverse sheep industry. Under the new regime Scottish farmers must comply with the EU regulations to avoid penalties.
However, some leeway at inspection is to be allowed – to account for technology failures and the difficulties associated with gathering sheep on extensive hill terrain.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Although this regulation has not been the easiest to implement, we fought hard to promote our unique Scottish position on sheep electronic identification and I'm pleased that the European Commission has accepted our proposal for a more proportionate compliance system".
"I do not for a minute pretend that the regime will be easy for many producers but I do hope that this news will at least lift the fear that unavoidable errors would lead to draconian penalties. This has been the source of anxiety for many."
"I have said all along that we would work flat out to avoid a situation where farmers are deterred from producing – and I will keep doing so. The last thing we need is European regulations rewarding those that produce the least and penalise those that want to get on with producing Europe's food"
"To help the sheep sector, we have invested 5 million pounds to deliver a system that meets Scottish needs and addresses the animal health and traceability issues while limiting the burden on farmers. I'm hopeful that farmers will now be able to meet the requirements of the new system, safeguarding some 600 million pounds of EU support each year."
"Our commitment to developing a more workable solution that is fair for Scottish farmers appears to have been vindicated. We continue through this transitional period to further develop the Scottish EID database to alleviate the burden on our industry."
"The Scottish Government is now finalising guidance for sheep farmers, including how to reduce the risk of incurring cross compliance penalties, in the light of this encouraging development."