Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the "Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a system for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals and amending Regulation (EEC) No. 3508/92" (COM(2002) 729 final — 2002/0297 (CNS))
Date: 2003-05-14
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: animal disease, goat, sheep, traceability, veterinary legislation

C 208/32

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

3.9.2003

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council
Regulation establishing a system for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine
animals and amending Regulation (EEC) No. 3508/92’

(COM(2002) 729 final — 2002/0297 (CNS))

(2003/C 208/08)

On 7 February 2003 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 1 April 2003. The rapporteur
was Mr Donnelly.

At its 399th plenary session on 14 and 15 May 2003 (meeting of 14 May), the European Economic and
Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 119 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions.

1.

Introduction

The potential of animal and animal product move-
1.1.
ments to transmit diseases from one region to another has
long been recognised. The objective of safe trade in animals
has therefore always been an objective when free movement
If disease has been transmitted
of animals is considered.
in order to carry out
the tracing of animals is essential
epidemiological studies.

1.2.
Prior to the completion of the internal market Council
Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 required that animals
for intra-Community trade be identified and registered in such
a way that the original or transit holding, centre or organisation
could be traced. Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July
1991 made similar requirements on animals entering the
Community.

1.3. Whereas Council Directive 90/425/EEC required the
extension of these requirements to the movement of animals
within the territory of each Member State before 1 January
1993, Council Directive 92/102/EEC of November 1992
increased the requirements of Member States with regard to
the identification and registration of animals. This was an
important step, bearing in mind the abolition of veterinary
checks at frontiers with the completion of the single market.

1.4.
Council Directive 92/102/EEC set out minimum
requirements for the identification and registration of animals,
which included inter alia the following provisions:

— that the keepers of cattle, pigs sheep and goats keep a
register stating the number of animals present on the
holding;

— that Member States ensure the following general prin-

ciples:

a)

b)

that identification marks must be applied before
animals leave the holding of birth and

that no mark be removed without the permission of
the competent authority.

1.5.
Article 10 of Council Directive 92/102/EEC requires
that the Commission would report not later than 31 December
1996 with a view to defining a harmonised Community
identification and registration system and decide on the
possibility of introducing electronic identification arrange-
ments. The Committee highlights that the mentioned deadline
was not met. Furthermore on 17 April 1998 the Commission
submitted a report on the identification and registration of
animals (1) and a large-scale project on livestock electronic
identification (IDEA) was launched in 1998.

1.6. Whereas Article 5 of Council Directive 92/102/EEC
lays down specific rules with regard to ear-tagging require-
ments and specific age requirements for registration of bovines,
none of these requirements are laid down for sheep and goats.
The establishment of national databases for and the recording
of animal movement of bovines has already been introduced
through amendment of Council Directive 64/432/EEC as an
element of a system of surveillance networks.

— that Member States maintain a register of holdings;

(1) COM(98) 207 final.

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1.7.
The lack of a Community system for the identification,
registration and efficient method for the tracing of sheep
movements needed to be addressed in light of recent experi-
ences.

a unique individual number for animals intended for slaughter
before the age of six months. These animals will however have
to be tagged in both ears and the ear tags will have to contain
at least the two-letter country code, the identification code of
the holding of birth and the month of birth.

2. Gist of Proposal

The proposal foresees reinforcing Council Directive
2.1.
92/102/EEC in particular with regard to the introduction in
each Member State of an identification system that ensures that
animals bear an identification mark and that all movements are
recorded with the aim of tracing animals for health reasons.
The provisions of Council Directive 92/102/EEC, specifically
relating to ovine and caprine animals, will no longer apply.

2.2. Whereas the report of the IDEA project demonstrated
that a substantial improvement in tracing ovine and caprine
animals can be reached by using electronic identifiers, pending
the development of implementing measures for the proper
launch, 2006 has been set as the date of introduction.

The proposed system for identification and registration

2.3.
covers the following elements:

— means of identification to identify animals individually;

— up-to-date registers on each holding;

— movement documents;

— a central register; and

— a computer database.

2.4.
According to the proposal, all animals born on hold-
ings in the EU or intended for intra-Community trade shall be
identified. Concerning animals from third countries, they will
be subjected to identification only if it is intended that they
will remain in the Community territory. Furthermore, it is not
necessary to identify such animals if directly transported from
the veterinary border-inspection post to the slaughterhouse
situated in the same Member State and slaughtered within
14 days from check.

2.5.
Animals born after July 2003 or intended for intra-
Community trade will have to be identified in accordance with
Section A of the Annex. This requires the use of two ear tags
on each animal containing a unique individual number. One
ear tag will be substituted with an electronic identifier from
2006. However, Member States may authorise this substitution
as from 1 July 2003, in compliance with specific measures,
ensuring the reading of the electronic identification throughout
the EU. There is a derogation in relation to the requirement of

2.6.
Animals will have to be identified within a period
determined by the Member State as from the birth of the
animal. This must be done within a month of birth; however,
where animals are in extensive farming conditions or in free
range, this period may be extended to six months.

2.7.
Also, as from 1 July 2003, whenever an animal is
moved it must be accompanied by a movement document
issued by the competent authority and completed by the
keeper with the information about the animal(s) and the
movement.

From 1 July 2004 a database must be put in place
2.8.
by Member States containing information on all holdings,
including the number of animals updated at regular intervals.

2.9.
From 1 July 2005 each movement will be entered
into a database in order to support the tracing of animals
electronically. This will be done in a batch format as applies to
pigs at present.

2.10.
It is important to stress that according to the proposal,
each Member State is free to choose the model of the
means, the method of identification in accordance with the
specifications laid down, as well as the model of the movement
document and the model of holding register to be used within
their territory. The Member States are obliged to communicate
the models to the Commission and the other Member States.

3. General comments

3.1.
The EESC believes that there is an urgent need for
developing an efficient and effective method of rapid tracing
and identification of the animals in the EU. The system would
be of crucial importance in the event of an outbreak of a
contagious disease.

The EESC therefore supports the Commission’s pro-

3.2.
posal.

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3.3.
The EESC supports the elaboration of a regulation
which will ensure a consistent implementation in all Member
States and facilitate possible future amendments, which may
be required from the experience in the field.

3.4.
The EESC notes that potential problems may arise in
the context of enlargement in relation to the establishment of
an effective system of animal identification and registration.

3.5.
The Commission foresees the entry into force of this
proposal in July 2003, however the EESC would recommend
extending the timetable for such implementation.

4. Specific comments

The EESC notes that the final report from the 2002
4.1.
IDEA project (first
launched in 1998) recommended the
setting-up of an electronic identification system and supported
the necessity to put
in place a clear and unambiguous
legislation and registration system of the animals. The EESC
favourably notes the recommendations of the IDEA project
aimed at the implementation of a EU harmonised system
based on the following principles: implementation guidelines
available at EU level, creation of a databank at EU level
concerning common glossary, common dictionary and com-
munication standards for the data management of livestock-
related information at Community level. The databank would
work as a mean of information and registration related to the
animals, the holdings, the identification, the movements, and
the possible slaughter.

4.2.
The EESC would like to highlight that the proposal
does not foresee the implementation of a harmonised and
centralised system of registration and identification of the
animals, leaving the Member States free to set up their own
national system and bounding them to communicate to the
other Member States and the Commission. With a view to the
forth-coming enlargement, the EESC considers this as a missed
opportunity. Given the intra-community nature of animal
trade, operators and local authorities would benefit from
having access to a European centralised identification and
registration system, which would establish an effective Euro-
pean traceability system.

Brussels, 14 May 2003.

The EESC looks forward to implementation measures
4.3.
for the proper introduction of
the proposed system of
electronic identification on a Community scale. Improvements
also need to be promoted in third countries in order to
improve protection and reduce risks of introducing disease to
the EU.

4.4.
The EESC notes that the identification and traceability
system will not be applied to animals from third countries not
intended to remain in the Community territory. The EESC is
concerned about this derogation, which might produce a lack
of information on certain movements of animals, facilitate
fraud and limit the achievement of a full traceability system in
the EU. The EESC suggests developing and implementing a
traceability system for this category of animals as well, in order
to include them within the scope of the proposal.

4.5.
The Committee addresses the situation of ovine and
caprine animals freely wandering in the open land and
eventually joining a group of animals identified and registered
according to the proposal. As this scenario is not foreseen by
the proposal, the Committee calls for its consideration and
regulation in order to avoid possible negative consequences
for farmers in case of official controls.

4.6.
The EESC is conscious of the falling market value of
ovine animals, which may be exacerbated as a result of the
proposed reforms of the CAP. It therefore asks the Commission
to report before the proposed deadline of 1 July 2006 on the
costs of electronic identification and identifiers.

4.7.
The EESC believes that the introduction of electronic
identification must not compromise the viability of producers
and meat establishments and therefore proposes that funding
is made available if costing threatens the viability of enterprises.

4.8.
The EESC proposes that a feasibility study is carried
out by the Commission on the possibility of linking of National
databases and the ANIMO system in order to ensure the most
rapid tracing in the event of an outbreak of contagious disease.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH