Appendix 1: Correspondence - Horse Passports
(England) Regulations 2004
Letter from Alun Michael, MP, Minister of State
at the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs, to the
Chairman
I note that the Committee has drawn the attention
of the House to these Regulations and that Parliament will have
an opportunity to debate the issues next week.
I thought it might be helpful to the Committee and
everyone who will read the report if I comment on one particular
aspect of the report. The Committee feels that the Regulations
'may inappropriately implement European legislation' and I wish
to explain why this is not the case. The core question is whether
the European obligation is to require all equines to be issued
with identification documents (passports) or only certain ones
depending on their intended use.
Commission Decision 2000/68 amending Commission Decision
93/623/EEC and establishing the identification of equidae for
breeding and production needs also to be read with Directive 90/426/EEC,
and Directive 2001/82/EEC. Article 4 of Commission Decision 2000/68
requires that 'registered equidae and equidae for breeding and
production' are accompanied by an identification document.
Registered equidae and equidae for breeding and production
are defined in Council Directive 90/426/EEC of 26 June 1990.
Article 2 (c) states that 'registered equidae' means any equidae
registered as defined in Directive 90/427/EEC, identified by means
of an identification document issued by the breeding authority
of the country where the animal originates which manages the studbook
or register for that breed or any international association or
organisations which manages horses for competition or racing.
Article 2 (d) explains that 'equidae for slaughter' means any
equidae intended to be transported either directly or after transit
through a market or an approved marshalling centre to the slaughterhouse
for slaughter. Lastly Article 2 (e) states that 'equidae for breeding
and production' means equidae other than those mentioned in Article
2 (c) and (d). This effectively means that 'equidae for breeding
and production' are defined as all horses other than those which
are registered or moved directly to slaughter.
Moreover, Directive 90/426/EEC requires equidae for
breeding and production to be identified during movement by a
method established by the European Commission. Commission Decision
2000/68 does this.
Horse organisations have taken numerous opportunities
to express their support for these proposals, not least because
they want to be able to continue to use horse medicines which
they could not do if we fail to introduce the passport system
properly. For example I enclose copies of letters I have received
from the British Equestrian Federation, the British Equine Veterinary
Association, the British Hanoverian Horse Society and a recent
press release from the International League for the Protection
of Horses. [Not printed]
I am writing in similar terms to the Viscount Astor
who is moving the debate on 7 July.
29 June 2004
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