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2002 No. 240

ANIMALS, ENGLAND

ANIMAL HEALTH

The Sheep and Goats Identification and Movement (Interim Measures) (England) Order 2002

  Made 7th February 2002 
  Coming into force 11th February 2002 


ARRANGEMENT OF ARTICLES


Article
1. Title, extent, commencement and cessation
2. Interpretation
3. Notification of holdings where sheep or goats are kept
4. Sheep Records
5. Goat Records
6. Marks
7. Applying Origin Mark
8. Movement from holding of birth
9. Movements generally
10. Maximum number of marks
11. Marking animals from outside the European Union
12. Movement documents
13. Removal and replacement of eartags and tattoos
14. Additional eartags and tattoos
15. Alteration of eartags and tattoos
16. Production of records and documents
17. Enforcement
18. Revocation of the Sheep and Goats Identification (England) Order 2000

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred on her by sections 1 and 8(1) of the Animal Health Act 1981[
1] and of all other powers enabling her in that behalf, makes the following Order:

Title, extent, commencement and cessation
     1.  - (1) This Order may be cited as the Sheep and Goats Identification and Movement (Interim Measures) (England) Order 2002 and extends to England only.

    (2) This Order shall come into force on 11th February 2002 and shall cease to have effect on 1st December 2002.

Interpretation
    
2.  - (1) In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires - 

    (2) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Order to a numbered article is a reference to the article bearing that number in this Order and any reference in an article to a numbered or lettered paragraph or sub-paragraph is a reference to the paragraph or sub-paragraph bearing that number or letter in that article.

Notification of holdings where sheep or goats are kept
     3.  - (1) Any person who keeps any sheep or goat on a holding shall, within one month of the relevant date or, as the case may be, within one month after he begins to keep the sheep or goat after the relevant date, notify the Minister in writing - 

    (2) The keeper shall notify the Minister in writing of any change in the particulars specified in paragraph (1) within one month of such change.

    (3) On receiving notification under this article the Minister shall, subject to paragraph (4), allocate in respect of the holding a flockmark in the case of sheep or a herdmark in the case of goats.

    (4) Where the holding is a slaughterhouse or market, the Minister shall allocate a flockmark or herdmark only where she deems it appropriate to do so.

    (5) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in respect of a holding where before the relevant date the particulars set out in paragraph (1)(a) to (c) were notified in accordance with article 3 of the Sheep and Goats Order 2000.

Sheep records
    
4.  - (1) Any person keeping sheep on a holding (other than a market, show, slaughterhouse or collecting centre) shall record, on or before 31st January in each year, the number of sheep on that holding on 1st January of that year.

    (2) Within 36 hours of a sheep being moved onto or off a holding, the keeper shall record - 

    (3) Paragraph 2(c) shall not apply in the case of a sheep - 

provided the keeper records the temporary mark applied to the sheep.

    (4) In the case of a sheep being sold without being moved onto or off a holding, the vendor shall record, within 36 hours of the sale - 

    (5) In the case of a sheep marked in accordance with article 11 or re-marked in accordance with article 13(2)(b) or (c), the keeper shall, within 36 hours of marking or re-marking the sheep (as the case may be), record the new sheep flockmark and the previous one, if known.

    (6) The person making a record under this article shall retain the record for a period of six years.

Goat records
    
5.  - (1) Any person keeping a goat on a holding (other than a market, show, slaughterhouse or collecting centre) shall record, on or before 31st January in each year, the number of goats on that holding on 1st January of that year.

    (2) Within 36 hours of a goat being moved onto or off a holding, the keeper shall record - 

    (3) Paragraph 2(c) shall not apply in the case of a goat - 

provided the keeper records the temporary mark applied to the goat.

    (4) In the case of a goat being sold without being moved onto or off a holding, the vendor shall record, within 36 hours of the sale - 

    (5) In the case of a goat marked in accordance with article 11 or re-marked in accordance with article 13(2)(b) or (c), the keeper shall, within 36 hours of marking or re-marking the goat (as the case may be), record the new herdmark and the previous one, if known.

    (6) The person making a record under this article shall retain the record for a period of six years.

Marks
    
6.  - (1) A Mark applied under this Order (save for a temporary mark) shall be applied to the animal's ear by way of an eartag or tattoo.

    (2) An eartag shall be - 

    (3) A tattoo means a tattoo which is legible for the life of the animal.

    (4) An F Mark is - 

    (5) An Origin Mark is - 

    (6) An R Mark is - 

    (7) An S Mark is the letter "S" followed by the flockmark or herdmark of the holding on which the animal was kept at the time it was so marked.

    (8) An X Mark is the letters "UK" followed by the flockmark or herdmark of the holding from which the animal is to be moved to a destination outside Great Britain, followed by the letter "X".

    (9) An "individual identification number" is a number which - 

    (10) In the case of a number applied in part of the British Islands outside England under legislation in force in that part, the number shall not fail to be an "individual identification number" by reason only that it is not applied to the same eartag as the Origin Mark, S Mark, F Mark, R Mark or X Mark.

    (11) A temporary mark shall be sufficiently distinctive to be described in the document required under article 12 and shall remain visible to the naked eye until the animal is either slaughtered or returns to the holding from which it had been sent to market for the purpose of sale for slaughter.

Applying Origin Mark
    
7.  - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the keeper of a sheep or goat born in England on or after the relevant date, or which is still on its holding of birth on that date, shall as soon as possible apply an Origin Mark.

    (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in respect of an animal which, before the relevant date, was marked in accordance with article 8 or 15 of the Sheep and Goats Order 2000.

Movement from holding of birth
    
8.  - (1) A person shall not move a sheep or goat from its holding of birth unless an Origin Mark is applied to it.

    (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of - 

Movements generally
    
9.  - (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (4) and articles 8 and 10, a person shall not move a sheep or goat unless it is marked with one or more of the following - 

    (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply where - 

    (3) An animal shall not be moved to or from a show unless it is marked with an individual identification number together with the Mark which was applied at the same time as the individual identification number.

    (4)

Maximum number of marks
     10.  - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a person shall not apply an S Mark to a sheep or goat which already bears two marks consisting of one or more of the marks described in paragraph (3).

    (2) A person shall not apply an S Mark to a sheep or goat which already bears three marks consisting of one or more of the marks described in paragraph (3), where two were applied before the relevant date.

    (3) The marks described in this paragraph are - 

Marking animals from outside the European Union
     11.  - (1) If a sheep or goat is imported to a holding in England from outside the European Union, within thirty days of arrival at that holding and in any event before it is moved from that holding, the keeper at that holding shall mark it with an F Mark.

    (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to an animal imported direct to a slaughterhouse, where the animal is slaughtered there within 5 days without having been moved from the slaughterhouse.

Movement documents
    
12.  - (1) A person shall not move a sheep or goat unless it is accompanied by a document, signed by the owner of the animal or his agent and which specifies - 

    (2) The document shall specify - 

    (3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of an animal which is being moved - 

    (4) When the animal arrives at its destination, the person moving the animal shall give the document to the keeper at the holding of destination.

Removal and replacement of eartags and tattoos
    
13.  - (1) Except under the authority of an officer of the Minister, a person shall not remove or replace an eartag or a tattoo which has been applied to an animal in accordance with this Order or the Sheep and Goats Order 2000, unless it has become illegible or in the case of an eartag, is removed for welfare purposes or is lost.

    (2) When an Origin Mark, F Mark or R Mark has become illegible, is removed for welfare purposes or is lost, the keeper shall - 

    (3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply in the case of an animal at a market or slaughterhouse.

    (4) A person shall not consign any sheep or goat outside Great Britain if it is marked with an eartag or tattoo ending with the letter "R" showing that it is a replacement eartag or tattoo.

Additional eartags and tattoos
    
14.  - (1) A person may apply an X Mark or, subject to article 10, an S Mark to a sheep or goat with a view to the animal being moved.

    (2) A person shall not apply to a sheep or goat an eartag or tattoo bearing a flockmark or herdmark except in accordance with the provisions of this Order unless authorised by the Minister.

Alteration of eartags and tattoos
    
15. A person shall not alter, obliterate or deface the information on an eartag or tattoo applied to a sheep or goat under this Order.

Production of records and documents
    
16. Any person in charge of any record or document required to be kept under this Order shall produce it to an inspector on demand (or, if it is kept in electronic form, produce a printout of it) and allow a copy to be made.

Enforcement
    
17. Except where otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of this Order shall be executed and enforced by the local authority.

Revocation of the Sheep and Goats Identification (England) Order 2000
    
18. The Sheep and Goats Identification (England) Order 2000[8] is revoked.


Whitty
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

7th February 2002



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This Note does not form part of the Order)


This Order applies only to England. It revokes the Sheep and Goats Identification (England) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/2027) which implemented the provisions relating to sheep and goats of Council Directive 92/102/EEC on the identification and registration of animals (O.J. No. L355, of 5.12.92 p. 32). The implementation of those provisions is re-enacted in this Order.

Since 1st November 2001 it has been normal practice to make available to Parliament, alongside primary or secondary legislation giving effect to European Directives, a transposition note that sets out how the Government will transpose the main elements of those Directives into UK law. A transposition note has not been made available in the present case since the Directive was implemented prior to 1st November 2001.

This Order provides interim disease control-related measures for the period from 11th February 2002 to 30th November 2002.

It requires a person keeping sheep or goats to notify the Minister (Article 3) and to keep records of the movements and other details of sheep and goats (Articles 4 and 5).

Article 7 requires sheep and goats born in England to be marked with an Origin Mark and Article 8 prohibits moving the animals from their holding of birth without an Origin Mark. Article 9 prohibits various general movements of sheep or goats unless they are marked with specified identification marks.

Article 10 provides for a maximum of 2 or 3 identification marks to be applied to a sheep or goat in most cases. Article 11 requires a sheep or goat imported from outside the European Union to be marked with an F Mark within 30 days.

Article 12 provides for a document containing specified information to accompany sheep or goats when they are moved, except in certain circumstances.

Articles 13 to 15 provide for the removal, replacement and addition of the ear tags and tattoos, and prohibits their defacement. Article 16 requires production of records to an inspector and Article 17 provides for local authorities to enforce the provisions of this Order.

Breach of any provision of this Order is an offence under Section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981 and is punishable on conviction with a fine.

A regulatory impact assessment has not been prepared for this Order.


Notes:

[1] 1981 c. 22. See section 86(1) for the definitions of "the Ministers" and "the Minister". In relation to England, the powers of "the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales" were transferred to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by the Transfer of Functions (Agriculture and Food) Order 1999, S.I. 1999/3141.back

[2] S.I. 2000/2027.back

[3] S.I. 1995/539 to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.back

[4] S.I. 2002/242.back

[5] OJ L355 of 5/12/92 p. 0032.back

[6] OJ L355 of 5/12/92 p. 0032.back

[7] S.I. 1983/1950; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2001/1962, 2735, 2841 and 3140.back

[8] S.I. 2000/2027.back



ISBN 0 11 039528 X


  Prepared 22 March 2002


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