Scottish Government

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Dear Keeper

OUTCOME OF REQUEST TO EC TO SECURE A DEROGATION TO AVOID DOUBLE TAGGING

If you no longer keep sheep please let me know - using the contact details above - so your details can be removed from the register of sheep and goat keepers.

I am writing to advise you about the outcome of the UK request to the European Commission for a derogation to keep our current sheep and goat traceability system. This is instead of meeting the double tagging requirement that the new EC Sheep and Goat legislation - effective from 9 July 2005 - will require. I also want to draw your attention to some areas of non-compliance which were identified during the EU audit of our current system earlier this year and which need to be addressed if we are to retain our system.

I am pleased to inform you that we heard from the Commission on 5 July that the UK has been granted a temporary derogation to retain the current domestic traceability system. However, Commission inspectors will re-visit the UK in early 2006 to ensure the minor changes that we undertook to introduce are being complied with by all keepers. It is therefore vital that you continue to comply with the current system as set out in the Dear Keeper Letter of 29 July 2004 - failure to do so may result in this temporary derogation being removed and double agging being required.

As we have only just received this decision, we will not have legislation in place for 9 July. However it is likely our new legislation will be in place my mid October. In a few weeks we will be undertaking a Public Consultation exercise on the minor changes to be made to the current system. You will shortly be able to view this on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current Prior to the new legislation coming into effect in the autumn you will receive another Dear Keeper letter from us explaining the revised system in detail. Industry stakeholders have been involved in discussing and agreeing the changes that will be made.

I would also like to use this letter to remind you of some key points of the current Scottish identification and traceability system that you must ensure you are complying with. During the earlier EU audit visit to assess our system, a few weaknesses were found and keepers need to address these immediately. These are set out below:

• Failure to fully complete movement documents: Many movement documents were found which did not have any destination details entered by the departure keeper. This is a breach of the legislative requirements and no animal should leave a location without a correctly completed movement document which must include the address and/or CPH of the destination location. It is not acceptable to put the name of an individual or company instead. The movement document must travel with the animals. Please ensure that this is complied with at all times. Enforcement officers will be carrying out on-farm, roadside, market and abattoir checks to identify any errors.
• Failure to report some moves correctly: If you are the receiving keeper of sheep or goats, you must notify the Scottish Animal Movement Unit (SAMU) within 3 days. (Contact details are given below). The only exception to this requirement is if you receive animals from a Scottish market. You must therefore report all moves between any 2 locations that you farm as part of your business.

Failure to record some moves correctly: All moves must be recorded in your flock register including those to grazing, shows/events and AI centres. You must also ensure that moves involving lambs at foot include the lambs in the total you record. Similarly, if you move sheep to a market and bring some home unsold you must record the total moving off on one line and the total moving back on on the next line

You are also advised to minimise the number of tags you order in 2005 as it will soon be a requirement that (like cattle) only officially approved tags can be used for the identification of sheep and goats.

If at anytime you have any queries on the correct use of tags, completion of Movement Documents and notification of movements to SAMU, please contact SAMU staff by e-mail at samu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or by phone 0131 244 4202.

Yours sincerely

Alistair Henry
Livestock ID & Traceability Branch
SEERAD