Scots farmers say No to new rules over transport

SCOTTISH farmers and hauliers this week gave a unanimous thumbs down to more red tape from Brussels on animal transport.

At a meeting in Wick, Scottish MEP Struan Stevenson said that instead of forcing more regulation on already-compliant Scottish livestock farmers and haulage firms, the EU should concentrate on making sure all member states abided by existing rules.

He told the meeting that the European Commission was proposing new regulations covering the transport of livestock for slaughter, "even though the current rules only came into force in 2007".

Having been an MEP for more than a decade, Stevenson has already successfully fought Scotland's corner, winning important "derogations", or exemptions, for farmers in remote parts of Scotland.

"The commission had wanted to impose an eight-hour travel time limit – even though the ferry from Shetland to Aberdeen takes at least 14 hours.

"But while Scottish firms have played by the rules and invested in expensive new vehicles to ensure animals are transported humanely, other EU states have shown a flagrant disregard."

We don't need a whole welter of new regulations – we just need better policing of and compliance with the existing regulations. Those countries that break the rules should be named and shamed."