Introduction
The impact of transmissible animal diseases and the measures necessary to control those diseases can be very severe for individual animals, animal populations, animal keepers and the economy. To prevent and control animal diseases which are transmissible to animals or to humans is an important issue for operators and competent authorities.
In case of a disease outbreak it is crucial to know where animals kept in the outbreak establishment came from and also where animals from this establishment went to in the time period when transmission of the disease was likely to take place.
Traceability of each animal can be achieved by ensuring correct identification and exchange of information as well as record keeping in establishments.
Operators keeping bovine animals have to ensure (see Article 112 of the Animal Health Law, Regulation (EU) 2016/429) that the animals are individually identified by means of a conventional ear tag attached to each ear flap of the animal with a visible, legible and indelible display of the identification code (see Article 38 of Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 and Member States information below).
Eartags have to be applied on the establishment of birth. If approved by the competent authority, one or both eartags may be replaced by an electronic identifier.
Operators must transmit all births and deaths as well as all animal movements within 7 days to the computer database run by competent authorities (see Article 3 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/520).
Member States information
View the full list of Member States information.