(1)

Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 provides that each Member State is to establish a system for the identification and registration of ovine and caprine animals in accordance with the provisions of that Regulation.

(2)

That system comprises four elements, namely: means of identification to identify each animal; up-to-date registers kept on each holding; movement documents; and a central register or a computer database. The Annex to that Regulation sets out the requirements for those elements.

(3)

Article 4(3) of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 currently provides that animals intended for slaughter before the age of 12 months and not intended for intra-Community trade or export to third countries may be identified with a method complying with the conditions set out in Section A.7 of the Annex to that Regulation. However, in some cases animals which were originally intended for slaughter are nevertheless used for breeding later in holdings other than that of birth. It should therefore be permitted to allow such animals to be individually identified after they have left their holding of birth provided that the individual animal can be traced back to its holding of birth.

(4)

Section C of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 sets out the information which should be contained in the movement document. In order to record the individual identification code of each animal on the movement document, animals are to be individually read at departure. Animals are read again in the holding of destination. In order to reduce the administrative burden, it should be permitted to allow the identification codes of animals to be recorded at the holding of destination, instead of at the holding of departure subject to certain conditions.

(5)

Article 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 provides for certain keepers to keep an inventory of animals at least annually. Part D of the Annex to that Regulation provides for certain information to be contained in the computer database. The results of the inventory are part of that information. In order to reduce the administrative burden, it should be permissible not to record such results in those Member States where the computer database contains, in addition to the information required pursuant to Part D of that Annex, the individual identification codes of each animal on holdings.

(6)

Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(1)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1741/2006 (2) establishes that boned meat of adult male bovine animals for which a declaration into storage is accepted has to be subject to a physical check relating to a representative selection of at least 5 % of accepted declarations of entry into storage.

(2)

For the sake of equal treatment between operators exporting under Regulation (EC) No 1741/2006 and those exporting directly, it should be guaranteed that the quantities removed for carrying out physical checks are taken into account in the calculation of the payments for export refunds.

(3)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 612/2009 of 7 July 2009 laying down common detailed rules for the application of the system of export refunds on agricultural products (3) already establishes the principle that quantities of products taken as samples at the time of the completion of customs export formalities and not returned subsequently have to be regarded as not having been removed for the purposes of the calculation of the payments for export refunds.

(4)

Regulation (EC) No 1741/2006 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,