Strasbourg, 11/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - After agreeing on Tuesday 11 December to an urgent request from the Council, the European Parliament will vote on Thursday on the report by Friedrich Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (Greens/EFA, Germany) on postponement of the introduction of electronic labelling of sheep and goats. The agriculture committee members will recommend that the regulation should apply from 31 December 2009 onwards. The European Commission suggested on 15 November 2007 to postpone until an unspecified later date the coming into force of the 2004 regulation on the electronic identification of sheep and goats, in order to consult in greater depth with the industry on the economic impact of such labelling. The Council of Ministers has asked the EP to publish its opinion as soon as possible because any amendment of the date after 1 January 2008 could be damaging to producers. (L.C.)