BRITAIN'S NEW coalition government has made an early move to win the hearts of the nation's sheep farmers, using the Royal Highland Show to reveal that it is formally seeking a review of Europe's controversial sheep EID regulations.

Amidst the media scrum surrounding the show visit of EU agriculture commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, the new Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, at first struggled to get this message of hope heard over the din.

But the determined Mr Moore ambushed the press as they pursued the EU supremo on Thursday morning, and wasted no time claiming his space on the RHS news agenda.

“Next Tuesday, UK food and farming minister Jim Paice will attend the Agriculture Council of Ministers in Brussels. There, he will formally request both a review of the implementation of sheep identification regime, and offer his strong support for the European Parliament's recommendation for a moratorium on cross compliance penalties for the next three years.”

Challenged over the perceived disparity between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats pre-election agricultural policies, Mr Moore stressed that with the new coalition government, there was also a new attitude.

“We are working hard together. From my point of view as Secretary of State for Scotland, I am making clear that I have a strong interest in making sure Scotland's voice is heard in developing national policy.

“I will work with Richard Lochhead and others to see that happens. I think that makes a useful change from where we've been before,” he added.

Welcoming the coalition's move on sheep EID, NFUS chief executive James Withers said: “Sheep ID regulations have been a long running issue. Whilst much-needed concessions have been fought for and won by both industry and Government working together, there are still fundamental issues we want addressed.  
 

“The move by the new UK coalition Government is an important step and hopefully demonstrates an early commitment to achieving better regulation for agriculture,” said Mr Withers.  
 

“The really big win would be ensuring that animals which remain on their holding are exempt from the current electronic tagging requirements. Sheep which are not moving, and remain on their holding of birth, are not able to transfer disease and so it is a nonsense that they are caught up in this regulation. Sorting out that issue is still a key step to move forward.”
 

Mr Withers added that, beyond the detail of the EID issue, the political significance of Mr Moore's announcement was worthy of note.  “It is an early positive step laid out by the new U.K Government and hopefully a sign of things to come,” he commented.