FUW president Emyr Jones demanded an explanation from Defra minister Jim Paice in response to letters from the union to the EC’s directorate general for health and consumers and the directorate general for agriculture and rural development that suggested “a significant part of the problem encountered (with EID) may result from the use of bad quality ear-tags…”

The letters also stated that “the commission services have repeatedly encouraged the UK- competent authorities to ensure that only high-quality electronic ear-tags are approved for the tagging of sheep”.

Mr Jones, a Bala beef and sheep farmer, said: “Given that the EC is responsible for laying down the rules with regard to EID, they seem to be implying that tags in the UK fall below the standards set by themselves.

“We have, therefore, asked the UK minister for assurances that this is not the case. If this is not what the commission is implying, then it is an effective admission that the standards set by Europe are not capable of being delivered in terms of the regulation.

“Either way, we are being forced to use a costly technology which is not fit for purpose.”

Mr Jones said the FUW had long objected to the compulsory electronic identification and recording of sheep because of evidence from numerous trials that identified major shortcomings with the technology.

He said: “The experience of our members since EID was made compulsory has confirmed that these concerns were well founded.

“Nevertheless, the union recognises that those member states, such as the UK, which now object to EID, represent a minority within the EU, and that efforts must therefore be made to ensure that the impact of the current regulations are minimised, particularly in terms of penalties which may be incurred as a result of circumstances which are beyond the reasonable control of farmers.”

Mr Klom said: “We understand that a minor percentage of animals could pass unread through the Central Point Recording Centres.

“We are still in a transitional phase of implementation for sheep EID and technical failures may occur.”

He said the commission has stressed to UK authorities that good quality electronic ear-tags are vital in order to avoid defective readings.

EID was introduced in the EU legislation following the UK foot-and-mouth epidemic in 2001. The disease was spread by uncontrolled and untraceable movements of sheep, and the UK Parliament, the NFU and the NSA all called for stringent rules on traceability, including electronic identification.

Discussions are still taking place between UK representatives and the EC to explore possible solutions to technical failures in sheep EID.

Mr Klom said these discussions are not finished, but they are not a renegotiation of the EID legislative package adopted by the EU Council and the European Parliament in 2003.