Food safety: computer databases for identification of bovine animals and swine

PURPOSE: to amend Council Directive 64/432/EEC as regards computer databases which are part of the surveillance networks in the Member States.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: Council Directive 64/432/EEC on animal health problems affecting intra-Community trade in bovine animals and swine2 applies to trade in bovine animals and swine within the Union. That Directive provides that the competent authority in a Member State may introduce a system of surveillance networks. Those networks include a computer database which is to contain at least a number of elements laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC, inter alia the identification code of each animal.

The Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 as regards electronic identification of bovine animals and deleting the provisions on voluntary beef labelling, makes necessary to amend accordingly Council Directive 64/432/EEC as regards computer databases which are part of the surveillance networks in the Member States. The elements of the computer databases laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC do not include so far any reference to electronic means of identification.

In the interest of consistency of Union legislation, such element should be added to the list of elements to be included in the computer databases laid down in Directive 64/432/EEC.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: this proposal has no budgetary implication for the Union budget.