Many of the ‘stringent’ rules governing the live export of sheep stem from previous foot-and-mouth incidents, according to the Minister for Agriculture this week.

The Minister said the somewhat more stringent rules on intra-community trade in sheep compared with cattle, in particular, the “standstill” requirement, stem from the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001 when the general view was that movements of sheep largely contributed to the spread of the disease.

The Minster also said with regard to identification of sheep, all ovine animals intended for intra-Community trade or export to third countries are required to be electronically identified in accordance with the provisions of EU regulations, to ensure complete traceability of each animal.

He said the introduction of EID tags for lambs would not remove the obligations under the EU legislation relating to residency on a holding or the 21 day “standstill” period.