From 1 January 2021 the UK will trade with the EU as a third country. New rules for entry into the EU of certain animals and products including livestock will apply. Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, live animals moved from Great Britain into Northern Ireland will need to meet these EU requirements.
This means that we will have to change the country code printed on the ear tags of livestock exported or moved from Great Britain to EU Member States or Northern Ireland.
From 2021, we will need to include a visual identifier that reads ‘GB’. The UK currently uses the identifier ‘UK’ in accordance with EU rules for Member States.
The government is encouraging livestock exporters to prepare for these new changes before 1 January.
This will mean:
For animals which are already individually identified, an additional (management) tag which includes the country code GB and the animal’s individual ID number should be applied.
As an alternative for new-born animals and lambs for export that are not yet individually identified, tags with a GB suffix following UK and the animal’s ID number can be applied.
You should always check with your importer that the approach you have taken to identify your animals is acceptable.
You can also view and share guidance which is available on GOV.UK. If you have any further questions, please contact Defra’s Livestock Identification team via email: LivestockID@defra.gov.uk