Equidae, being live animals, are included in the list of products in Annex I to the Treaty.

In order to ensure the rational development of equidae production, thereby increasing productivity in that sector, rules governing the movement of equidae between Member States should be laid down at Community level.

The breeding and rearing of equidae, and in particular of horses, is generally included in the farming sector. It constitutes a source of income for part of the farming population.

Disparities as regards animal health conditions in the Member States should be eliminated in order to encourage intra-Community trade in equidae.

In order to encourage the harmonious development of intra-Community trade, a Community system should be provided for to govern imports from third countries.

The conditions for the movement on national territory of registered equidae bearing an identification document should also be regulated.

In order to be the subject of trade, equidae should satisfy certain animal health requirements, so as to avoid the spreading of infectious or contagious diseases. It appears in particular appropriate to provide for a possible regionalisation of restrictive measures.

To ensure that those requirements are satisfied, provision should be made for the issue by an official veterinarian of a health certificate to accompany the equidae to their place of destination.

Provision should be made for the possibility of checks by the Commission. These checks should be carried out in cooperation with the competent national authorities.

Defining Community provisions applicable to imports from third countries requires a list to be drawn up of third countries or parts of third countries from which equidae may be imported.

The choice of those countries should be based on criteria of a general nature such as the state of health of the livestock, the organisation and powers of the veterinary services and the health regulations in force.

In addition, imports of equidae should not be authorised from countries infected with infectious or contagious animal diseases which present a risk to Community livestock or which have been free from such infection for too short a period. Such considerations are also valid for imports from third countries in which vaccination against such diseases is carried out.

The general conditions applicable to imports from third countries should be supplemented by special conditions drawn up on the basis of the health situation in each of them. The technical nature and the diversity of the criteria on which those special conditions depend require for their definition recourse to a flexible and rapid Community procedure in which the Commission and the Member States cooperate closely.

The presentation of a common standard form of certificate upon import of equidae constitutes an effective means of verifying that the Community rules are being applied. Such rules may include special provisions which may vary according to the third country concerned, and this should be taken into account in drawing up the standard forms of certificates.

Veterinary experts of the Commission and of the Member States, appointed by the Commission, should be responsible for verifying that the requirements of this Directive are observed, particularly in third countries.

The checks carried out upon importation should cover the origin and the state of health of the equidae.

This Directive is without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States relating to the time-limits for transposition into national law of the Directives set out in Annex V, Part B,