UK secures individual recording concessions for sheep and goat industry

EC Council Regulation 21/2004 introduces electronic identification (EID) of sheep and individual recording of sheep and goats from 31 December 2009. However, industry identified the requirement to record individual details of animals that are not electronically identified on movement documents as too burdensome. Following negotiations with the European Commission, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the summer of 2008, secured changes to the annexes of the Regulation that considerably reduce the movement recording burdens. The Regulation now provides for a phased approach to the introduction of individual recording.