The arrangements will apply only to animals born before August 1996 which will still be banned from the food chain and will be designed to help farmers adapt to changes associated with the end of the OTMS.

The UK’s rural agency, Defra, welcomed the Commission's decision to introduce the scheme which they have indicated will run for three years.

A three year scheme will enable producers to dispose of their older stock in a more managed way than would have been possible with a shorter-term scheme.