LEGISLATIVE ACT : Commission Regulation 911/2004/EC implementing Regulation 1760/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards eartags, passports and holding registers.
CONTENT : This Regulation lays down detailed rules for eartags, holding registers and passports in the framework of the system for the identification and registration of bovine animals.
It provides that Ear tags should include information on the Member State of origin together with information on the individual animal. The codified form of such information must be the two-letter country code together with a maximum of 12 digits. Bar codes are authorised in addition to the country code and the maximum 12 digits.
Certain Member States are permitted to use ear tags containing an alpha-numeric code until the end of a transitional period. Italy is permitted to use a maximum of three supplementary characters provided those supplementary characters do not form part of the numeric code.
The Regulation authorises keepers to acquire in advance, if they so wish and in compliance with the national provisions, a quantity of ear tags proportionate to their needs for a period of no more than one year.
In addition, the Regulation:
- provides for the information contained in the replacement ear tags in the event of ear tag losses;
- defines certain minimum uniform rules for the design and layout of the ear tags;
- provides that the information contained in the passport and the register should be in a form which allows animals to be traced. The information should be consistent with that to be included in the computerised database provided for in Council Directive 64/432/EEC.
The period between three and seven days to be determined by Member States for keepers to notify movements, births and deaths of animals must be linked to the date of the event. However, Member States may determine the relevant period from the date when the animal is ear tagged.
The Regulation makes optional the mention of certain pieces of information on passports accompanying bovine animals born before 1 January 1998 and for bovine animals born before 1 January 2004 in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia or Slovakia. That derogation does not put in question the obligation to mention these pieces of information on passports of bovine animals born in the territory of a Member State where such a requirement is provided by its national rules.
Finally, in view of the control measures relating to Community aid schemes, certain information relating to the premiums must be included in the passport, as provided in Council Regulation 1254/1999/EC.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 1st May 2004.�