WRITTEN QUESTION E-1537/02

by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 June 2002)

Subject: Monitoring of compliance with regulations on the identification of bovine animals

Are any figures and a comparative overview available for the monitoring of compliance with regulations on the identification of bovine animals in the individual EU Member States?

What is monitored, how often, and what has been the outcome? What problems have been found in connection with the identification of bovine animals?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(22 July 2002)

Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000, establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 820/97(1), obliges Member States to designate the authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions on identification and registration of bovine animals.

The detailed rules as regards the minimum level of controls to be carried out in the framework of the system for the identification and registration of bovine animals are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2630/97 of 29 December 1997(2).

The competent authority shall carry out on-the-spot inspections, which shall cover each year at least 10 % of the holdings situated in the Member State. That minimum rate shall be increased immediately where it is established that Community legislation regarding identification has not been complied with. Where a Member State has in place a fully operational national database for bovine animals, which provides effective cross checking facilities, a rate of 5 % may be envisaged.

In addition to checking the required identification of the animals, the checks shall include the proper keeping of the holding register and the proper keeping of passports of the animals present on the holding. Furthermore, proper communication of the data to the competent authority shall be checked, i.e., that the information recorded in the national database corresponds to the actual situation on the holding. The controls shall cover all bovine animals on the holding.

The Member States shall make an annual report to the Commission giving details on the number of holdings, the number of inspections, the number of animals inspected, any breach found and any sanction imposed.

The detailed rules as regards the application of minimum administrative sanctions in the framework of the system for the identification and registration of bovine animals are laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 494/98 of 27 February 1998(3).

A brief summary of the reports from Member States on the controls made in 2000 is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat. The breaches and discrepancies reported include problems with the eartags, the holding register and the passports as well as with notification to the competent authority. The sanctions reported by Member States include movement restrictions, destruction of animals and legal prosecution.

The Food and Veterinary Office also includes aspects of the operation and control of bovine identification systems during missions in the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and beef traceability sectors. The final reports of these missions are made available to the Parliament and are placed on the Directorate General's website.

(1) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000.

(2) OJ L 354, 30.12.1997.

(3) OJ L 60, 28.2.1998.