Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION designating the reference centre responsible for collaborating in the harmonization of the testing methods and the assessment of the results for pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species
Date: 1996-01-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: breeding animal, cattle, documentation centre, genetics, statistics

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  10.01.1996 
COM(95)  733  final 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  DECISION 

designating the reference  centre  responsible for collaborating  in the harmonization  of the 

testing  methods  and of the assessment  of the  results for pure-bred  breeding  animals of 

the bovine species 

(presented  by  the  Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

the 

framework  of 

the  Council  adopted 
Within 
Directive  77/504/EEC(1)  on pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species. Its purpose is 
to facilitate  trade  in pure-bred  breeding  animals  of the  bovine  species, thus  promoting  the 
productivity  of livestock farming  in the Community. 

its  policy  on 

livestock 

farming, 

The  methods  for  the  genetic  assessment  of  bovine  animals  are  laid down  in  Commission 
Decision 86/130/EEC(2),  as last amended  by Decision 94/515/EC(3). 

Council  Directive  87/328/EEC(4)  lays  down  the  conditions  for  the  acceptance  for  breeding 
purposes  of  pure-bred  breeding  animals  of  the  bovine  species  used  mainly  for  artificial 
insemination. Article  5 of that Directive  provides that the Council, acting on a proposal from 
the  Commission,  is to  designate  one  or  more  reference  centres  as  being  responsible  for 
collaborating  in  the  harmonization  of  the  testing  methods  and  of  the  assessment  of  the 
results.  The  centre  will  therefore  be  responsible  for  coordinating  the  methods  for  testing 
pure-bred  breeding animals of the bovine species in order to ensure that the results of these 
assessments  in the various  Member  States are comparable. 

The  centre  proposed  is INTERBULL  in Sweden, which is already  recognized  at world  level 
by  ICAR  (International  Committee  on  Animal  Recording).  Its  purpose  is  to  facilitate  the 
comparison  of genetic assessments  of dairy  cattle in the Member  States. 

This  is the purpose  of this Decision. 

This  Decision  has no implications for the Community  budget. 

(1)  OJNoL206,  12.8.1977, p. 8. 
(2)  O J N oL  101,  17.4.1986, p. 37. 
(3)  OJ No L 207,  10.8.1994, p. 30. 
(4)  O J N oL  167, 26.6.1987, p. 54. 

PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL  DECISION 

of 

designating the reference  centre  responsible for collaborating  in the harmonization  of the 

testing  methods  and of the assessment  of the results for pure-bred  breeding  animals of 

the bovine species 

THE COUNCIL OF THE  EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty  establishing the European  Community, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Having  regard  to  Council  Directive  87/328/EEC  of  18 June  1987  on  the  acceptance  for 
breeding purposes of pure-bred  breeding animals of the bovine species(1), and in particular 

Article  5 thereof, 

Whereas, in order to harmonize the testing methods and the assessment of the results when 

pure-bred  breeding  animals  of  the  bovine  species  are  accepted  for  breeding  purposes,  a 

reference  centre should be designated; 

Whereas the powers  and duties of that centre  should be defined; 

Whereas, in the light of experience gained, the INTERBULL Centre should be designated as' 

being the  reference  centre  responsible  for collaborating  in the harmonization  of the  testing 

methods and of the assessment  of the results for pure-bred  breeding animals of the bovine 

species, 

(1)  OJ No L 167, 26.6.1987, p. 54. 

Z_ 

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  DECISION: 

Article  1 

1.  The  centre  given in Annex  I is hereby  designated as the reference  centre  responsible for 

collaborating  in the  harmonization  of the  testing  methods  and  of the  assessment  of the 

results for  pure-bred  breeding  animals  of the  bovine  species. 

2.  The  duties  of the  centre  designated  in paragraph  1 shall  be as  set  out  in Annex  II. 

Article  2 

This  Decision  is addressed  to the  Member  States. 

Done  at  Brussels, 

For the Council, 

) 

ANNEX I 

Name of the centre: 

INTERBULL  Centre 
Department  of animal breeding and genetics 
Swedish  University  of Agricultural  Sciences 
Box: 7023 
S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden 

tel: 
fax: 

+46/18/671974 
+46/18/672648 

e-mail:  Georgios.Banos@hfs.slu.se 

? 

ANNEX II 

The duties  of the centre  designated  in Article  1(1)  are as follows: 

1)  to be the documentation and information centre for the methods of testing and assessing 
the  genetic  value  of  pure-bred  breeding  animals  of the  bovine species  for the  Member 
States of the  European  Union as laid down in Decision 86/130/EEC(1). This duty will be 
accomplished  by: 

information  on  the  improvement  plans  established  by  the  various 

gathering 
stockbreeders'  organizations  and associations  keeping  herd books, 
regularly  receiving the results of genetic assessments and genealogical  registrations 
in the various  Member  States, 
comparing  the various  methods  of testing  and assessing the genetic  value  of pure 
bred  breeding  animals  of the bovine species. 

2)  provide  assistance  in order to contribute  to the harmonization  of the various  methods of 
testing  and  assessing  the  genetic  value  of  pure-bred  breeding  animals  of  the  bovine 
species,  in  particular  by  recommending  the  calculation  methods  to  be  used  or  by 
establishing  selection  programmes  including testing. 

3)  provide  assistance  in  order  to  permit  the  comparison  of  the  results  of  the  methods  of 
testing  and  assessing  the  genetic  value  of  animals  in  the  various  Member  States,  in 
particular  by: 

developing  control  procedures  to  enable  assessments  to  be  made  in  the  various 
Member States so as to improve the relevance of the results and the effectiveness of 
the selection  programmes, 
carrying  out  an  international  assessment  of  livestock  on  the  basis  of  the  genetic 
assessment  made  in the various  Member  States, 
distributing  the individual  results  of the international  assessments 
publishing the conversion formulae  and all related genetic work. 

4)  to help the bodies referred to in point  1 of the Annex to Decision 86/130/EEC to take part 
in a comparison  of the  results  of the assessment  of genetic value at international level. 

5)  to review the problems  of assessing pure-bred  breeding animals  and attempt to  resolve 
the problems  linked to the genetic assessment carried out in the various Member States. 

(1)  OJ No L  101, 17.4.1986, p. 37, as last amended by Decision 94/515/EC (OJ  No L 207, 

10.8.1994, p. 30.) 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(95) 733 final 

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ISBN 92-77-98769-3 

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