The European Parliament's Internal Market Committee has decided to drop proposals which would have put all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), used for essential farm and forestry work, and Dual-Use quadricycles, used as road recreational vehicles, into the same category.

This would have increased costs for ATV users through servicing, tax and insurance and there was a danger that manufacturers of ATVs would stop supplying them to the market as they would no longer be fit for purpose.

Commenting, George Lyon MEP, who campaigned against the changes, said: "I am pleased that my amendment to place farm and forestry vehicles under a different category was taken into account by the committee.

"This will ensure that there are different rules for vehicles built for very different purposes and on very distinct terrain.

"However, there is still work to be done. The Commission is still refusing to compromise and seems determined to force manufacturers to stop making quad bikes that are built specifically for use by farmers and foresters.

"The next step is to get the full backing of the Parliament for our position and force the Commission to come to its senses and recognise that on both safety and cost grounds quad bikes for off-road use and quad bikes for on-road use must be built to take account of the different conditions they will be operated under."

Market round-up

Lawrie and Symington held their Christmas show and sale of prime cattle in Lanark on Monday. The championship was awarded to a 569kg Limousin heifer from T Laird & Son, Sunnyside Farm, Cronberry and was sold for 460p per kg or £2576 to the judge Hugh Black, Butchers, Lanark/Carluke.

The reserve went to a 595kg British Blue bullock from Gavin Scott, Gateside, Linlithgow, and was sold for 300p or £1785 to Bellshill Butchers Sandy Cooper. The 42 show cattle forward averaged 236.7p.

Not in the show were 45 prime heifers that averaged 210p, and 42 prime bullocks that levelled at 204.5p.

In the rough ring, 42 beef cows averaged 126p, while 51 dairy cows levelled at 113p.

In the sheep ring 3284 prime lambs sold to £122.50 per head and 246.7p per kg to average 212.7p (+4.4p on the week).

The 513 cast sheep forward saw ewes sell to £144.50 for Texels and £79.50 for Blackfaces to average £77.97 overall (n/c).

At the Christmas show and sale of dairy cattle, the championship was awarded to J H Ballantyne & Son, Highlawside Farm, Glassford, Strathaven for a Holstein/Friesian heifer which realised £2500 (a record for a commercial heifer at this centre). The reserve went to D Laird, Murrays farm, Pathhead and sold for £2300.

The 12 dairy cattle averaged £1627 (+£50 on the fortnight).

Wallets Marts sold 2047 prime lambs in Castle Douglas yesterday to a top of £105 per head and 263.2p per kg to average 214.2p.

The 118 cast sheep averaged £79.