Identification and Notification of Cattle Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

The Regulations amend regulations 2(1), 7, 15 and 17 respectively of the Cattle Identification (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (“the 1998 Regulations”) so as to –

(a) substitute reference to Council Regulation 820/97 (O.J. No. L117, 7.5. 1997, p. 1) establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef products with reference to Regulation (EC) No. 1760/2000 (O.J. No. L204, 11.8.2000, p. 1) 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) 820/97;

(b) make it an offence for a person, except with the permission of the Department, to transfer an ear tag from an animal or carcase to any other animal or to use for identifying any animal an ear tag which had previously been used to identify another animal;

(c) permit the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to serve a notice on a keeper of animals restricting the movement of cattle onto a holding; and

(d) deem any offence against the 1998 Regulations to also be an offence against Article 18(6) of the Diseases of Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 for the purpose of withholding compensation or other payment in respect of an animal slaughtered under that Order (regulation 2).

Amendments for a purpose similar to (a) and (d) above are made to the Cattle Identification (Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, the Cattle Identification (Notification of Births, Deaths and Movements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and the Cattle Passport Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (regulations 3, 4(2) and 5).

The Cattle Identification (Notification of Births, Deaths and Movements) Regulations are further amended so as to make it an offence under regulation 5(1) to fail to notify the birth, movement or death of any animal either in the manner provided for in, or within the time limits specified by, the Regulations (regulation 4(3)).