New DEFRA/EU legislation - levy on all horses will be payable

[mrdarcy]

Has anyone else heard about this?

I was on the train today and got talking to a guy who works for DEFRA. He'd just been at a conference where they were discussing new upcoming legislation being imposed by the EU and implemented by DEFRA. He said nothing had been decided for certain as yet but the EU were wanting DEFRA to charge a yearly levy on every horse in the UK to cover the potential costs should there be a national outbreak of African Horse Sickness. The levy would be in the region of £60 per horse per year.

I've googled to see if there's any coverage anywhere else but found nothing. This could be a massive cost to horse owners if is was to be implemented and how on earth would they collect the levy in the first place when no one knows how many horses there are in the country.

Can anyone shed any light? Not looking forward to more costs to find the money for though I appreciate an outbreak of African Horse Sickness would be catastrophic and costly.

 

[nuffield]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I want to swear. I have 4 horses.
Havent heard anything about this, but I wouldnt be suprised, after all, us horse owners are all multimillionaire toffs arnt we?
Good grief, I think I just might emigrate. This country is stuffed as far as I'm concerned.Gone to the dogs.
If this ridiculas thing is implemented, and I do hope its all a silly wind up on the part of the bloke-on-the-train, I hope they include every pikey pony and every semi-feral pony. The people who own those seem to be able to get away with allsorts and us, ordinary owners get screwed left right and centre.
Rant over.

 

[Thistle]

WTF

April fools day early - surely not!

 

[mrdarcy]

I don't think he was winding me up - he was an older guy, and as our original train had been canceled none of us were in a wind up sort of mood.

These new levies will also include people with pet sheep, the odd goat and possibly even chickens - all to cover the various contagious diseases that might appear in the UK. All sheep will have to have ear tags and microchip identification to prevent double or even triple claims if something like foot and mouth ever reared its head again. They were also discussing the nitrate levels allowed on land which will probably put many diary farmers out of business as they'll be restricted to the number of head of cattle they can keep per acre of land.

Sounds like a total nightmare for everyone

 

[jinglejoys]

Sounds like typical DEATHRA legistation to me!

(By the way I love your dogs gedenskis_girl

)

 

[smirnoff_ice07]

GROAAANNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a load of crap! (I hope!)

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

Typical euro bullsh*t. No way that could happen, there would be a revolt against it. I'm not paying £60 each for all my chickens and my hosses.

 

[Donkeymad]

Not heard anything, but it really would not surprise me!

 

[Orangehorse]

I hadn't heard anything about the horse levy, but the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones are up and running.

Double tagging of sheep is going ahead too - which is going to be a nightmare for the farmers who keep sheep - it is bad enough keeping the ear tags in cattle and if you happen to have a missing one when an inspector calls you will get a fine! Tell that to the cow that has just rubbed its ear on the feed barrier and got rid of the tag!

In the foot and mouth the DEFRA people were literally driving round the lanes to see if they see pet sheep in gardens etc. as they knew that they are not all recorded - but are they in the rest of the EU?

But farming is very regulated already. Heaven knows how they would collect £60 for each horse.

 

[ever_hopeful]

WTF

 

[hellybelly6]

WTF??!!!

I bet they try to do this through the passport system.

 

[scotsmare]

[ QUOTE ]
WTF??!!!

I bet they try to do this through the passport system.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL - here's hoping it's as successful then

 

[perfect11s]

Good old EU.... its fantastic what a great benifit to us

 

[mon]

And when we move sheep we are meant to fill out a form with a heading 'for movement of sheep, goats and deer' i am sure all muntjac fill this form out when they cross the road from one place to another and where is the welfare in all this taggind we have to do.

 

[Slightly Foxed]

DEFRA - Department for the Eradication of Farming and Rural Activities!

8 horses = £480
12 chickens = £720
2 goats = £120
1 sheep = £60
10 geese = £600
12 ducks = £720

Hmm, they'll have to find me first!

 

[yethersgill]

WTF??? Really hope not