18/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption of the report by Friedrich Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (Greens/EFA, Germany) on Thursday 13 December, the European Parliament took a stance in favour of delaying entry into force of the regulation making it compulsory for operators to bring in an electronic identification system for sheep and goats until 1 January 2010. Initially, the regulation adopted in 2004 foresaw entry into force of electronic identification for small ruminants on 1 January 2008. The EP invites the Commission to examine the possibility of helping farmers to finance the high cost of buying the equipment required (thanks to measures included in rural development programmes). (L.C.)