(5)

the following Articles are inserted: ‘Article 4a Time period for the application of the means of identification 1. The means of identification provided for in Article 4(1) shall be applied to the animal before the expiry of a maximum period, to be determined by the Member State in which the animal was born. The maximum period shall be calculated from the date of birth of the animal and shall not exceed 20 days. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, for reasons related to the physiological development of the animals, that period may, for the second means of identification, be extended up to 60 days following the birth of the animal. No animal may leave the holding where it was born before the two means of identification have been applied to that animal. 2. To enable the application of the means of identification in special circumstances involving practical difficulties, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 22b to determine the special circumstances under which the Member States may extend the maximum periods for the application of the means of identification as provided for in the first and second subparagraphs of paragraph 1. Member States shall inform the Commission of each use of that option. Article 4b Identification of animals from third countries 1. Any animal subject to veterinary checks, pursuant to Directive 91/496/EEC, entering the Union from a third country and intended for a holding of destination within the territory of the Union, shall be identified at the holding of destination with the means of identification provided for in Article 4(1). The original identification applied to the animal in the third country of origin shall be recorded in the computerised database provided for in Article 5 together with the unique identification code of the means of identification allocated to the animal by the Member State of destination. The first subparagraph shall not apply to animals destined directly for a slaughterhouse situated in a Member State, provided that the animals are slaughtered within 20 days following those veterinary checks pursuant to Directive 91/496/EEC. 2. The means of identification of animals referred to in Article 4(1) shall be applied within a maximum period to be determined by the Member State in which the holding of destination is located. That period shall not exceed 20 days following the veterinary checks referred in paragraph 1. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, for reasons related to the physiological development of the animals, that period may, for the second means of identification, be extended up to 60 days following the birth of the animal. In all cases, the two means of identification referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 4(1) shall be applied to the animals before they leave the holding of destination. 3. Where the holding of destination is situated in a Member State that has introduced national provisions under the second subparagraph of Article 4(4) to make the use of an electronic identifier compulsory, the animals shall be identified with that electronic identifier in the holding of destination in the Union, within a period to be determined by the Member State of destination. That period shall not exceed 20 days following the veterinary checks referred in paragraph 1. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, for reasons related to the physiological development of the animals, that period may, for the second means of identification, be extended up to 60 days following the birth of the animal. In all cases, the electronic identifier shall be applied to the animals before they leave the holding of destination. Article 4c Identification of animals moved from one Member State to another 1. Animals moved from one Member State to another shall retain the original means of identification applied to them pursuant to Article 4(1). However, by way of derogation from the first subparagraph, starting from 18 July 2019, the competent authority of the Member State of destination may allow: (a) the replacement of one of the means of identification by an electronic identifier without changing the original unique identification code of the animal; (b) the replacement of both means of identification by two new means of identification which shall both bear the same, new unique identification code. This derogation may be applied until five years after 18 July 2019, where the characters forming the identification code of an animal’s conventional ear tag do not permit the application of an electronic identifier with the same unique identification code, and provided that the animal is born before the date of entry into force of the implementing acts referred to in point (c) of the second subparagraph of Article 4(3). 2. Where the holding of destination is situated in a Member State that has introduced national provisions to make the use of an electronic identifier compulsory, the animals shall be identified with that electronic identifier at the latest in the holding of destination within a maximum period to be determined by the Member State where that holding of destination is located. That maximum period shall not exceed 20 days from the date of arrival of the animals on the holding of destination. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, for reasons related to the physiological development of the animals, that period may, for the second means of identification, be extended up to 60 days following the birth of the animal. In all cases, the electronic identifier shall be applied to the animals before they leave the holding of destination. However, the first subparagraph shall not apply to animals destined directly for a slaughterhouse situated in the territory of the Member State that has introduced national provisions to make the use of an electronic identifier compulsory. Article 4d Removal, modification or replacement of means of identification No means of identification may be removed, modified or replaced without the permission of the competent authority. Such permission may only be granted where the removal, modification or replacement do not compromise the traceability of the animal and where its individual identification, including the holding on which it was born, is possible. Any replacement of an identification code shall be recorded in the computerised database provided for in Article 5, together with the unique identification code of the original means of identification of the animal.’;