There are no plans to reduce the pig thresholds of 750 sows or 2,000 production pigs and Defra is opposed to the IPPC directive being revised. The Environment Agency is unlikely to be keen on a measure that appears to undo much of its work on IPPC implementation over the past year.

If the proposals become law, the thresholds will be 40,000 places for broilers, 30,000 places for laying hens, 24,000 places for ducks or 11,500 places for turkeys.

Understandably, poultry industry representatives are angry that Brussels should be considering tinkering with IPPC, particularly as it has only just been introduced for the poultry sector.

Formal proposals are expected from Brussels in the new year.