WILLIAMS CHALLENGES DEFRA OVER GOLD-PLATING EU REGULATIONS

12.20.03pm GMT Thu 10th Dec 2009

Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and Liberal Democrat Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson, used today's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Oral Question session to call on the Government to reconsider regulations on livestock movements.

Under EU Regulations, farmers must report the movement of livestock within 7 days. Yet in the UK, the limit is just 3 days.

Speaking after the Oral Question session, Roger Williams said:

"The penalty for farmers not reporting livestock movement within the current 3-day limit is 3% of their total single farm payment.

"Many of my constituents do not have access to broadband, so how can they be expected to ensure notification within 3 days with the second class reply envelopes provided?

"This time limit for notification is particularly difficult if the movement occurs on a Friday with the limited weekend postal service.

"To penalise these animal keepers by 3% for any notification after 3 days is grossly unfair and I asked the Minister if he would consider relaxing these regulations to fall in line with the EU norm of 7 days.

"At question time the minister did not address the issue at all. The minister said in his response that regulations were set by the EU and the British Government had little ability to change these regulations.

"That is simply not the case, the UK regulations are far stricter than those imposed by the EU and I hope that DEFRA will look at this issue again and that there will be some relaxation of these rules to assist livestock farmers in the current economic climate."