Plaid MEP Jill Evans will meet Ceredigion farmers this week to tell them about steps she has taken in the European Parliament to oppose the introduction of compulsory electronic tagging for sheep (EID), but will also hear from farmers about other issues and concerns. She will be accompanied by Penri James, Plaid Parliamentary candidate for Ceredigion.

Ms Evans welcomed a delegation of farmers to Brussels in October to make the case against compulsory electronic tagging for sheep, when representatives of the farming unions were in Brussels at the invitation of the Plaid MEP to give evidence before the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee.

She is taking part in a cross party campaign in the European Parliament to oppose the European Commission's scheme for compulsory electronic tagging (EID) for sheep and goats.

Jill Evans said:

"After speaking to farmers across Wales and seeing the situation first hand, I have urged the European Commission to send a delegation to Wales to see for themselves how unworkable this scheme would be in practice.

"Farmers are telling me quite clearly that they are totally opposed to this plan for compulsory electronic tagging. For the 41% of farms in Wales that are sheep producers, the scheme would be costly to implement and would simply be impractical.

"I welcome this opportunity to hear the views of Ceredigion farmers on this and other issues."

Jill Evans will meet Dilwyn Jenkins, at Cerrigcaranau Uchaf, Talybont, SY24 5EJ (01970 832325) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday 26 November and Mr Jenkins has invited neighbouring farmers to come along. The Chair of Ceredigion FUW, Brynmor Morgan, will be present.

Diwedd/Ends

NOTES:

The Plaid MEP is co-sponsoring a Written Declaration in the European Parliament (similar to an Early Day Motion at Westminster) calling for sheep EID to be voluntary rather than compulsory, and they are asking other MEPs to sign.

Text of written declaration follows:

WRITTEN DECLARATION

pursuant to Rule 116 of the Rules of Procedure

by Alyn Smith, Jill Evans, Mairead McGuinness, James Nicholson and Neil Parish

on the electronic identification system for sheep (EID)

Lapse date: 4.12.2008

0068/2008

Written declaration on the electronic identification system for sheep (EID)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 116 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas sheep and goat farming is important to the social, environmental and economic fabric of the EU,

B. whereas the sheep sector is in decline owing to lack of prosperity; whereas the next generation is reluctant to enter sheep production; and whereas, if this is left to continue, the skills base will be lost,

1. Calls on the Commission to recognise that batch recording and movement standstills of sheep are more cost-effective forms of protection from disease spread than EID and individual movement recording;

2. Calls on the Commission to recognise that producer incomes in the sheep sector are characteristically low and that the implementation of EID will result in a significant cost to a sector that can ill afford a further regulatory burden;

3. Calls on the Commission to make sheep EID voluntary but not mandatory;

4. Calls on the Commission to recognise that the implementation of EID and individual recording of sheep will affect the competitiveness of the EU sheep sector on the world market;

5. Calls on the Commission to recognise that there are significant practical problems that prevent the effective operation of EID in extensive livestock systems and within climatic conditions commonly experienced in northern Europe;

6. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.