Heavy penalties for sheep ID errors to go

TWO Scottish MEPs were celebrating this week after succeeding in moving amendments that, if adopted by the European Commission, will prevent any penalties being imposed on sheep farmers who make mistakes with the electronic identification (EID) of sheep.

This three-year moratorium on cross-compliance penalties for sheep EID offences was presented to the EU agriculture committee by a cross-party grouping of Alyn Smith, Scotland, George Lyon, Scotland, Richard Ashworth, England and Jim Nicholson, Northern Ireland.

Speaking after the committee had accepted the proposal, Smith described it "as good news for Scotland. The agriculture committee did a decent shift today."

Both Scots MEPs also welcomed the committee support they received for making penalties imposed for minor discrepancies in form filling to be proportionate to the scale of error.

Lyon said the message from the agricultural committee to the commission on the issue was clear.

"While farmers recognise that penalties must be a part of any effective animal control system, these penalties must be proportionate and transparent.

"It is absurd that farmers are being fined thousands of pounds for what is a minor mistake."

The European agriculture committee has sent a clear signal to the European Commission that this heavy-handed approach must end."