During a debate at Holyrood on Wednesday (May 27) MSPs gave their backing to a motion put forward by Liam McArthur which called for the Government to push Europe hard on the issue.

Mr McArthur said a recent pilot project - the results of which will be published next month – proved the system was expensive and unworkable, and warned it could lead to a further decline in the Scottish flock.

He called on Ministers to put pressure on the EU to reverse the decision and to make EID voluntary, saying there was still time to make key changes to the regulations.

He said: “I believe that the debate is still live and that there is a great deal to play for. Success will require a concerted and genuinely collaborative effort over the coming months.

“Evidence must be gathered, arguments crafted and alliances fashioned with other member states and farming industries.

“Most of all though, the Scottish Ministers must engage directly and urgently with Commissioner Vassiliou, who has offered to consider a more flexible approach.”

He was backed by a number of MSPs from across the political spectrum who warned the increased cost would be too much to bear for many of Scotland's farmers.

South of Scotland MSP Jim Hume said: “None of those costs would be paid by retail buyers—and I doubt whether they would be paid by the Government.

“They will all come out of the industry. That is fine when the money is there but disastrous when it is not. Think how impractical it is when a shepherd has 1,500 ewes and a similar amount of lambs to tag by himself or herself. In fact, the job is near impossible.”

Highlands and Islands MSP, Jamie McGrigor told Parliament the EID debate ‘is not just about sheep. It is about people' warning that if farmers left the industry it would have major knock-on effects in rural areas.

In response to the debate, Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said the Government would do 'absolutely everything' it could to fight EID but would also continue with the pilot projects to ensure the process ran smoothly if it failed to win concessions from the EU.