Dispute over leaked EU file on sheep tagging flexibility

A MAJOR political wrangle broke out yesterday after a leaked document from the European Commission suggested that the only flexibility Scottish farmers would have for any breach in their compliance with sheep EID regulations was that they would not face on-the-spot fines if they had fewer than the average tag reading errors when they took their sheep to market.

Scottish MEP George Lyon warned that Scottish farmers face would stiff penalties for non-compliance after it emerged that the Scottish Government expected farms to have 100 per cent accuracy.

His interpretation of the leaked document was that if farmers had more mistakes than their local auction market reader then they will be fined there and then.

“The small flexibility negotiated by the Scottish Government will provide a small crumb of comfort to sheep producers who fear they will be hit with harsh penalties for failing to have 100 per cent accurate sheep records,” he said.

“It is deeply disappointing that the government has failed to persuade the commission to recognise that, on big extensive hill farms, it will be almost impossible for sheep farmers to guarantee 100 per cent accuracy and therefore they will continue to struggle to comply.”

However, a spokesperson for cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead said that it was a great pity the previous Labour/ Lib Dem administration of which Lyon was a member had signed up to the sheep EID regulations in the first place.

He claimed that there would be leeway at inspections which would take account of technology failures and practical difficulties associated with gathering sheep on extensive hill terrain

George Milne, the development officer for the National Sheep Association, said the leaked paper contained a different interpretation of the agreed position of three weeks ago.

He added that if the commission insisted on the position within the document, it would be impossible for any farmer to comply with an inspection.

“All we hear from so-called experts and officials is tag your animals in sequential order, move and record. In practical terms you will hardly even tag a run of sheep without a problem and I would like to invite a commissioner to come and experience doing the job.”

NFU Scotland president, Nigel Miller saying it was dangerous to discuss compliance standards through leaked documents.

The union believed there was still some way to go in developing the finer details of implementation and practice of the policy. “NFUS understands that the Scottish Government is due to send all sheep producers a letter this week to clarify the requirements on sheep,” Miller said.

The union has also called for meetings between officials and sheep producers to explain how the system will work.