S.L. 437.84 · Bovine Animals (Identification And (S.L. 437.84)
S.L. 437.84 Art. 4Ear tags.
TITLE I
(1) All animals on a holding born after the 31st December, 1997 or intended for intra-Community trade, shall be identified by an ear tag approved by the Veterinary Services, applied to each ear. Both ear tags shall bear the same unique identification code, which makes it possible to identify each animal individually together with the holding on which it was born. Bovine animals intended for cultural and sporting events, with the exception of fairs and exhibitions, may be identified, instead of by an ear tag, by an identification system offering equivalent guarantees and authorised by the Commission.
(2) The ear tag shall be applied within a period of twenty days as from the birth of the animal and in any case before the animal leaves the holding on which it was born.
(3) Any animal imported from a third country which has passed the checks laid down in European Union Council Directive 91/496/ EEC and which remains within Community territory shall be identified on the holding of destination by an ear tag complying with the requirements of these rules, within twenty days following the aforesaid checks, and in any event before leaving the holding: Provided that it shall not be necessary to identify the animal if the holding of destination is a slaughterhouse situated in the Member State where such checks are carried out and the animal is slaughtered within twenty days of undergoing the checks:
Provided further that the original identification established by the third country shall be recorded in the computerised database provided for in rule 5 or, if this is not yet fully operational, in the registers provided for in rule 3, together with the identification code allocated to it by the Member State of destination.
(4) Any animal from another Member State shall retain its original ear tag.
(5) No ear tag may be removed or replaced without the permission of the Veterinary Services.
(6) The ear tags shall be allocated to the holding, distributed and applied to the animals in a manner determined by the Veterinary Services.