Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the zootechnical and genealogical conditions for trade in and imports into the Union of breeding animals and their germinal products

The Union zootechnical legislation aims at the promotion of free trade in breeding animals and their genetic material considering the sustainability of breeding programs and preservation of genetic resources.

At present Union zootechnical legislation consists of four species specific (vertical) basic acts laying down the fundamental principles, concerning breeding animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species. These Council Directives provide the legal bases for the adoption by the Commission of detailed measures on:

– the approval or recognition and listing of breeding organisations, breeders associations and private undertakings,

– the registration and classification of animals in herd-books, flock-books, stud-books and, in the case of hybrid breeding pigs in registers,

– on performance testing and genetic evaluation and

– for the content and format of zootechnical certificates for breeding animals and their semen, ova and embryos.

However, technical requirements of identical nature for acceptance of breeding animals for breeding are currently regulated in three Council Directives and a Commission Decision.

In addition, no implementing measures have been adopted for Council Directive 91/174/EEC establishing the principles of trade in purebred breeding animals of other animal species.

A horizontal Directive, complemented by implementing measures, provides rules on imports from third countries of breeding animals and their germinal products.

Finally, a specific Council Decision provides rules on the designation of a reference centre for breeding of bovine animals.

The present proposal consists of twelve Chapters and five technical Annexes.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)5: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:005:FIN

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