Mr Sinclair told his continental colleagues that the proposed regulation as it stands "would present a cost too high for many to bear".
There was commonality amongst many EU shepherds and shepherdesses against the Regulation, which was originally due to come into force in 2004 but has been continually stalled because of the practical problems it presents. Yet there are those who have implemented the Regulation already and there is even some resentment in European circles directed at those who have not done so.
One farmer from the Netherlands came to the meeting having already introduced the system on a trial basis. A lowlands farmer of 800 sheep, he explained that there were certainly benefits to be gained from a farm management perspective by using the new identification system. However, even with the financial support from the Dutch government, he admitted that the price of implementation is at present not manageable.
Meanwhile, the crisis in the dairy sector continues and is now deeply set across the continent.
The UFU was present in Luxembourg along with thousands of other European farm producers to raise awareness about the impact of low milk prices. Speculation has been rife as to what more the EU Commission is willing to do to help, having re-introduced export refunds and paying out €685 million to stabilise milk prices already this year.
One task that the Commission has so far fallen short on is a root and branch examination of the dairy supply chain. The UFU will be looking keenly to see this in a Commission report on the milk market due to be released on July 22. The report could also query where the profits go in the dairy supply chain.
This particular issue was spurred by reports that farmers' prices across the EU dropped by up to 40% in the past year but retail prices for consumers by only 2%. The UFU believes that a fairer distribution of margins is long overdue in the food chain and we hope that the Commission uses all of its legal powers to thoroughly examine what goes on.