THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European 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), and in particular third subparagraph of Article 4(1) and the introductory phrase and point (a) of Article 10 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 provides that each Member State is to establish an identification system for bovine animals which comprises several identification and registration elements. In particular, it provides that all animals on a holding born after 31 December 1997 or intended for intra-Community trade after 1 January 1998 and, for animals on a holding in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia or Slovakia, born by the date of accession or intended for intra-Community trade after that date, that such animals shall be identified by an ear tag approved by the competent authority, applied to each ear (‘approved ear tags’). It also provides for that both ear tags shall bear the same unique identification code (‘unique identification code’), which makes it possible to identify each animal individually together with the holding on which it was born.

(2) Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 also provides that bovine animals intended for cultural and sporting events (with the exception of fairs and exhibitions) may, instead of by an ear tag, be identified by an identification system offering equivalent guarantees and authorised by the Commission.

(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 2680/1999 of 17 December 1999 approving a system of identification for bulls intended for cultural and sporting events(2), lays down provisions for such bulls registered to the herd books of specified organisations. However, that Regulation only applies to certain breeds of bulls and to organisations in certain Member States.

(4) It is therefore appropriate to adopt a separate Regulation to establish a special identification system for animals recognised by the competent authority as being kept for cultural and historical purposes (‘the animals’) on premises approved for that purpose by that authority (‘the premises’).

(5) The special identification system should, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, provide for derogations only from the application and removal of the approved ear tags. This regulation is without prejudice to the application of the other provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000.

(6) By way of derogation from Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, it is appropriate to provide that the approved ear tags may be removed without the permission of the competent authority, but under its control, after animals are moved to the premises and that such ear tags not need to be applied to animals born on such premises. In both cases the animals must be marked by specific means of identification. The approved ear tags should be applied to animals when they are moved from the premises or should accompany the animals if they are moved directly to other premises.

(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: