Campaign to stop introduction of EID ‘far from over’ - McArthur (BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats)

BANFFSHIRE and BUCHAN COAST Liberal Democrats <info@banffandbuchanlibdems.org.uk>

Campaign to stop introduction of EID ‘far from over’ - McArthur

July 14, 2009 3:05 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Commenting on claims by NFU Scotland that significant concessions have been won from both the UK and Scottish Governments over EU plans to introduce compulsory electronic identification of sheep, Orkney MSP and Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs spokesman, Liam McArthur, said: "Liberal Democrats have led calls for compulsory tagging of sheep to be scrapped. The plans are unnecessary, unworkable and threaten to do serious damage to Scotland's sheep industry.Liam McArthur MSP: Rural Affairs spokesman

"While the most recent concessions are welcome, they do not go far enough. The Cabinet Secretary has so far refused to seek a meeting with Commissioner Vassiliou to press the industry's case. He must now request such a meeting and stand shoulder to shoulder with the industry.

"The fight to save Scotland's sheep farmers from EID is far from over."

Notes:

The full text of the Liberal Democrat motion debated in the Scottish Parliament on 28th May 2009 is as follows:

S3M-04150# Liam McArthur (Orkney) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Electronic Identification of Sheep- That the Parliament notes with concern that the EU Council of Ministers has voted to press ahead with the introduction of compulsory electronic identification (EID) of sheep across the European Union; recognises that this decision was taken despite outright opposition from some member states and growing unease among others about the cost and practicalities of such a scheme; doubts that a system of EID can be found that is workable on most of Scotland's sheep farms, particularly those in the Highlands and Islands; further notes that £3 million has been committed to a large-scale pilot to try to find a workable and cost-effective solution, and believes that the European Commission has much to learn from observing the pilot and, should a solution not be identified, that a derogation from a compulsory EID scheme would be in the best interests of Scotland's sheep farmers.