Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2002)729 - System for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2002)729 - System for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2002)729  |
| date | 13-12-2002 |
One of the basic objectives of this Directive is the tracing of animals for veterinary purposes, which is of crucial importance for the control of contagious diseases. It must be possible to determine rapidly and conveniently the place of origin of an animal or carcass and its movements throughout the Community. The purpose of this is to prevent the further spread of diseases.
In the interest of control of contagious diseases and the rapid tracing of animals in the event of an outbreak of a contagious disease, productive livestock must be adequately identified and registered according to the same requirements in all Member States.
Experience and in particular the foot and mouth disease crisis has shown that the implementation of this Directive with regard to ovine and caprine animals has not been satisfactory.
It is proposed to introduce a Regulation for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals which will reinforce the provisions of the current Directive, in particular, with regard to the introduction in each Member State of an identification system that ensures that animals bear an identification mark and all movements are recorded, with the aim of tracing animals for health reasons.
In 1998 the Commission launched a large scale project on livestock electronic identification (IDEA) and the final report was completed on 30 April 2002. This project has demonstrated that a substantial improvement in ovine and caprine animal identification systems can be reached by using electronic identifiers for these animals provided a number of conditions concerning the accompanying measures are fulfilled.
The technology of electronic identification of ovine and caprine animals has been developed to such a stage that it can be applied. However, the implementing measures required for the proper introduction of the system of electronic identification on a Community scale have not yet been developed although the final report of the IDEA project provides recommendations. To take into account future developments within this field the Commission can introduce provisions for electronic identification on a Community scale when appropriate.The proposed identification and registration system provides for eartags and authorisation of the use of electronic identifiers to identify ovine and caprine animals individually enabling the holding of birth to be identified, movement documents, registers of animals on each holding and a central register of holdings. Furthermore, the system provides for the establishment of a computer database, which will include as a first step the central register of holdings and as a second step records of each separate movement of animals.
For reasons of rapid and accurate tracing ovine and caprine animals must, throughout any movement, be identified and accompanied by a movement document.
This proposal implies also an improvement of the information tools for sheep policy formulation and evaluation and this aspect has also been taken into account.