ROGER WILLIAMS MP WELCOMES LID DEM MEPs JOINT STAND ON SHEEP EID

9.12.42am GMT Mon 24th Nov 2008

Roger Williams MP, Liberal Democrat Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson, has welcomed the news that all 11 Liberal Democrat MEPs have signed the Written Declaration at the European Parliament calling on the European Commission to make Electronic Identification Devices (EID) voluntary and not mandatory.

Mr Williams said:

"I welcome the news that all 11 of our Liberal Democrat MEPs have now signed the written declaration.

"I wrote to all Liberal Democrat MEPs personally to ask them to sign the declaration and I hope that this will be seen as a sign of solidarity by the Liberal Democrats in support of the UK farming community.

"The policy of EID for sheep has not been thought through properly and could ruin the financial viability of the industry for many of those currently involved and I hope that the EU will look at this again.

"Even though some countries will not be affected by the introduction of this policy, and others have already adopted it, at least 50% of MEPs must sign the declaration for it to progress and it is therefore disappointing that out of a total of 785 MEPs only 64 have signed this declaration.

"I commend the stand taken by my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Brussels and would urge other MEPs, regardless of Party or Nationality, to sign the declaration as a matter of urgency."

NOTES:

Written Declaration 0068/2008 can be found at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/plenary/writtenDecl/wdFastOngoing.do?language=EN&startValue=30# and will be available for MEPs to sign until 4th December 2008.

Roger Williams MP has also tabled an Early Day Motion on this issue, EDM 2165. The full text is as follows:

That this House recognises the economic and financial difficulties the sheep industry in the UK is facing; considers that sheep farming is a very important part of the social, environmental and economic fabric of rural areas of the UK; further notes that the European Commission's proposals for the introduction of electronic identification devices for sheep in the UK are untimely; and further notes that the technology required for their successful operation is not fully developed, the equipment is costly and above all there remain insurmountable practical animal husbandry barriers to their successful introduction and operation in the UK and other EU member states.