There has been no breakthrough in talks between the EU and UK which would allow sheep to move from Britain into NI.

A series of annual Blackface sheep sales are due to begin in Scotland from this weekend onwards, with the first being a ewe lamb sale in Stirling.

In the past, around 9,000 breeding sheep were purchased in Scotland each year by NI buyers.

However, since 1 January 2021, all sheep entering NI from Britain need to be scrapie monitored, and with no Blackface flocks in Scotland meeting the criteria, trade across the Irish Sea has effectively stopped.

In June 2021, the European Commission signalled that progress was being made on the matter

The scrapie monitoring requirement is set out in the export health certificate which must accompany sheep that are imported into the EU from non-member states, known as third countries.

Under the NI protocol element of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, NI remains in the EU’s single market for goods, but Britain is classified as a third country.

In June 2021, the European Commission signalled that progress was being made on the matter.

“Work is […] ongoing on a solution regarding the risk control of scrapie, to facilitate the movement of sheep and goats between Great Britain and NI,” read an EU statement at the time.

However, a spokesperson for the European Commission told the Irish Farmers Journal this week that there was no further update on the issue.

It is unclear if a solution will be found before the end of the Scottish breeding sheep sales, which are due to run throughout the autumn.

With EU-UK talks into other aspects of the NI protocol set to intensify during September, there are concerns that a breakdown in relations could stall any progress on the sheep movement issue.