Vol. 571 No. 2
219 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps he has taken to free up the regulations he imposed at the time of the foot and mouth crisis to allow sheep to be traded in marts in the Border area where they could be monitored and controlled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21473/03]
I presume the regulations referred to by the Deputy concern the movement controls on sheep and goats introduced during the foot and mouth crisis of 2001. These have been superseded on a transitional basis by a decision of the European Commission which came into effect on 1 July 2003 and which will be made permanent by a new Council Directive (260/2003) effective from 1 July 2004.
The new EU rules provide, inter alia, that sheep being exported to other member states for breeding or fattening are required to have been continuously resident on the holding of origin for at least 30 days prior to export, or since birth if the animals are younger than 30 days old – the residency provision – and that they come from holdings into which sheep or goats have not been introduced during the 21 days prior to dispatch – the standstill provision. These rules do not apply currently to sheep exported to Northern Ireland for slaughter for which a derogation has been obtained from the EU Commission.
These rules are designed to minimise the risk of transmission of animal diseases arising from trade in sheep across the European Union. Equivalent rules were initially introduced during the foot and mouth disease crisis of 2001, in which sheep movements played such a significant part in the spread of the disease. The EU Commission decision, which is currently applicable, and the Council directive, which will come into effect on 1 July 2004, will make the controls a permanent feature of intra Community trade in sheep.
The difficulty in relation to the provision of veterinary certification at marts arises because of the need to ensure that all sheep present in the mart comply with the export status requirements. A further difficulty is that of providing sufficient and auditable guarantees as to the compliance of sheep with, in particular, residency and standstill rules. I have asked my officials to examine ways in which the relevant requirements can be applied in a manner which can facilitate trade with Northern Ireland.
