By Anna Burdett Farming and rural affairs editor

Last updated at 11:12, Friday, 27 March 2009

A Cumbrian farmer and leading lobbyist against compulsory electronic sheep tagging believes there is still hope of concessions from the European Commission.

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Alistair Mackintosh, NFU livestock board chairman and Ravenglass sheep farmer, spoke to The Cumberland News this week after the commission failed to agree to make EID voluntary in the UK.

He said: “Now is not the time to say ‘I give up’.

“The commission is going to implement individual recording of sheep. But perhaps we can find some means where we can make it more manageable for farmers.

“As far as we’re concerned, the fight goes on. I want to work with Defra to find out exactly where we are with this. It seems to me that the senior commissioner Androulla Vassiliou is already suggesting we might find some sort of compromise.

“I’m not sure how big the compromises will be and if they will be helpful. I will sit down with Defra minister Jane Kennedy as soon as possible.

“We need to get an understanding from her as to what has been achieved.”

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has pledged to continue its work to prevent the regulation being imposed on the UK sheep industry next January.

Support for the Hungarian proposal to make EID voluntary came from Germany, Ireland and Greece as well as the UK.

Crucially, larger member states including France, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands did not back the resolution.

NSA chief executive Peter Morris said: “Our own Government did support the proposal, which is welcome and that combined with positive support from the Irish, Germans and Greeks along with some Eastern Bloc member states clearly demonstrates that the concerns we have been raising for years now are being listened to.

“Perhaps the penny is at last starting to drop about how difficult these regulations might be for sheep industries in all member states.”

“It is a very difficult battle we are fighting but everything is not yet lost. Despite the insufficient support yesterday the meeting has resulted in the commissioner saying that there may be room for more flexibility in the regulations.

“We need to understand more about that and what it might mean for our industry and what part our authorities throughout GB can play in helping make life easier for our sheep farmers,” added Mr Morris.

First published at 05:24, Friday, 27 March 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk