1. These Regulations may be cited as the Cattle Passport Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and shall come into operation on 3rd September 1999.
2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(2) In these Regulations—
“animal” means bovine animals including the species Bison bison and Bubalus bubalis;
“cattle passport” means a document containing the information set out in Article 6.1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2629/97 (laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 820/97 as regards eartags, holding registers and passports in the framework of the system for the identification and registration of bovine animals(2)) issued by the appropriate competent authority;
“the Council Regulation” means Council Regulation (EC) No. 820/97 (establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products(3));
“holding” means any establishment, construction or, in the case of an open-air farm, any place in Northern Ireland in which cattle are held, kept or handled;
“inspector” means a person appointed to be an inspector for the purposes of these Regulations by the Department;
“keeper” means any person responsible for animals, whether on a permanent or on a temporary basis, including during transportation or at a market;
“member State” means any member State of the European Communities, other than the United Kingdom; and
“official veterinary surgeon” means a person designated as such in accordance with regulation 7(2) of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(4).
(3) In these Regulations a reference to “another part of the European Community” shall be construed as a reference to a place in Great Britain, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands or to a place in any member State.
(4) These Regulations shall apply in relation to any animal intended for intra-Community trade after the date of their coming into operation.