Welsh farming unions hope that a planned visit to Brussels in March by a Bangor University researcher will lead to a change in fallen stock regulations.
Unions anticipate that a report on the effectiveness and safety of a below-ground biological digester will reinforce a European Parliament vote in favour of easing restrictions to allow on-farm containment of fallen stock.
If approved by the European Commission, the system would mean that carcasses could be degraded before being collected by suction tankers, which could significantly cut disposal costs.
Jill Evans MEP said she was very hopeful that after the European Parliament's vote the argument in favour of on-farm containment could be won.
Ms Evans claimed: "It is time to update the rules on fallen stock, especially as we have seen the development of an innovative and environmentally friendly method of on-site containment at Bangor University."
Dylan Morgan, NFU Cymru deputy director, said the Welsh assembly backed an urgently needed rule change. Containment offered the prospect of a more efficient, environmentally friendly method of disposal.
Farmers Union of Wales hill farming committee chairman Derek Morgan claimed the European Parliament vote could be an important first step towards realising the need for a commonsense approach to the fallen stock issue.
It would cost about £6000 to install the digestion system used successfully at Bangor, which is large enough for a 1600 ewe flock, and the running cost would be 40p/day.