John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she will take to facilitate the live export of lambs to the UK and France; if she will address the current holding period restriction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33785/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I am always prepared to facilitate trade in live sheep which is governed by EU rules governing intra-Community trade. Trade in sheep between member states of the European Union is subject to the provisions of Council Directive 91/68/EEC, as amended, as regards reinforced controls on the movement of sheep and goats.

The controls provide as a minimum requirement that breeding and fattening sheep must be certified as having been continuously resident on a holding for at least 30 days prior to export and that no sheep or goats had been introduced on to the holding in the 21 days prior to export. Slaughter sheep must also be certified as having been continuously resident on the holding of origin for at least 21 days prior to export and are also subject to a "standstill" period of 21 days prior to dispatch, during which no sheep or goats have been introduced on to the holding of origin.

These controls were introduced in the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001 and came into effect on 1 July 2004. I am aware that there were certain difficulties with the certification requirements, arising from the fact that the information in respect of which the official veterinarian must certify can only be truly known to the farmer. Accordingly, I had my Department raise this matter with the European Commission in an effort to arrive at a certification procedure that best meets the concerns of farmers and exporters while at the same time protecting animal health.

I am pleased that, in response to our approach, the European Commission has proposed to amend these certification requirements to allow the official veterinarian to issue certification based on written declaration by the farmer or on examination of the flock register and movement documents. The decision providing for these new arrangements was agreed to unanimously by the standing committee on animal health and the food chain on 11 November 2005. The arrangements will apply from 15 February 2006 and I am confident they will resolve most of the outstanding difficulties with the export of sheep to France and the United Kingdom.