There is great flexibility in the implementation of the Sheep electronic identification system following a decision by the EU Standing Committe of Food Chain and Animal Health(SCoFCAH).

Welcoming the decision, the Ulster Farmers' Union say that more flexibility is still needed if the new tagging regulations are to be workable on farm.

Over the past number of months the UFU have been actively working with DARD and lobbying the EU Commission within Brussels along with the other UK Unions to seek concessions within EU regulation 21/2004 on the introduction of individual identification and EID in sheep.

The decision taken by SCoFCAH to amend some of the annexes within the regulation will allow Member States to introduce a number of measures which offer the opportunity to reduce the cost and burden of the new tagging requirements on farm. Amongst them will include: -Third Party reading at Critical Control points, allowing the individual identities of sheep to be read at markets and meat plants removing the need for this to be done on farm.

-Provision to allow sheep from a number of different holdings to move together. This will be of particular benefit for sheep producer groups.

-The upgrading of sheep tagged under the slaughter derogation to full EID status.

Whilst the UFU welcome these concessions they have said that more still needs to be done. UFU Deputy President Harry Sinclair said, "These changes to the regulation will mean some cost saving and reduced burden on farm but we still need a provision so that individual identification and EID is only required once the animal leaves the holding of birth. This will be crucial to ensuring the regulation can be realistically implemented and operated on the ground." "I was very disappointed to hear that the UK Government took the view at the SCoFCAH meeting that the matter is now over. We do not see it that way and I am pleased that our own Agriculture Minister has also taken this view. With her support we will continue to work together to push for the changes required." The National Sheep Association ( NSA) also welcomed the news that the use of so called 'Critical Control Points' for reading electronic ear tags was agreed to at meetings yesterday in Brussels. The agreement will save many sheep farmers significant amounts of money and trouble in coping with the new rules and it will reduce the overall cost to industry of the regulation by many millions. For many farmers it will mean that they will not have to now consider purchasing 'reading' equipment and will not face the same level of challenge in recording individual identities of their animals.

However this welcome news was negated by the extremely unwelcome news that in order to secure this much needed flexibility Defra had been pushed into agreeing that they would not seek further concessions ahead of the regulation being introduced.