NFU livestock board chairman Alistair Mackintosh flies to Germany to meet with European sheep breeding organisations to discuss the implications of electronic identification and individual movement recording of sheep across the EU.

Mr Mackintosh said: "Although there was limited support for our stance on this issue at the most recent Council of Ministers meeting it is clear that many industry organisations across the EU are unhappy about the EID regulation and the devastating impact it could have on the EU flock.

"We have consistently opposed this regulation and are fully committed to working with other European organisations who share our concerns. Agriculture Minister Jane Kennedy has supported the NFU stance on this issue at an EU level but we need other European countries to lobby their governments in order to give our government the support it needs. This meeting is part of our ongoing commitment to do all we can to raise support at an EU level.

"We're currently gathering the views of our members as part of the Defra consultation on this issue and are also working closely with Defra to look at ways of reducing the regulation's impact and increasing the flexibility of its implementation. We're also working alongside the other UK farming unions to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

"The NFU will never accept the need for compulsory EID in the British sheep industry and to that end we will leave no stone unturned in looking for options to make this regulation fit for purpose. It is vital that any available steps are taken to limit its impact on the sheep sector to an absolute minimum and our opposition and work on this issue will continue, not just in the coming months but also in the years ahead until we reach an acceptable solution."