{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2000-1760/article-4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2000-1760/article-4.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2000/1760",
  "legislation_title": "Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 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) No 820/97",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2000-1760",
  "path": "article/4",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "4",
  "heading": "Obligation to identify animals",
  "text": "1. All animals on a holding shall be identified by at least two means of identification listed in Annex I and in compliance with rules adopted pursuant to paragraph 3 and approved by the competent authority. At least one of the means of identification shall be visible and bear a visible identification code.\nThe first subparagraph shall not apply to animals that were born before 1 January 1998 and that are not intended for export to a Member State. Those animals shall be identified by at least one means of identification.\nThe appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning the addition of means of identification to the list in Annex I.\nThe means of identification shall be allocated to the holding, distributed and applied to the animals in a manner determined by the competent authority.\nThe two means of identification, authorised in accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph 3 and this paragraph and which are applied to one animal, shall bear the same unique identification code, which, together with the registration of the animals, makes it possible to identify the animal individually and the holding on which it was born.\n2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, where the characters forming the animal’s identification code do not permit the application of an electronic identifier with the same unique identification code, the appropriate Minister may allow that, under the supervision of its competent authority, the second means of identification may bear a different code, provided each of the following conditions are fulfilled:\n(a) the animal was born before the date of entry into force of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/949;\n(b) full traceability is ensured;\n(c) the individual identification of the animal, including the holding on which it was born, is possible;\n(d) the animal is not intended for export to a Member State.\n3. To ensure adequate traceability and adaptability to technical progress and optimal functioning of the identification system, the appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning the requirements for the means of identification set out in Annex I, and the transitional measures required for the introduction of a particular means of identification.\nOn the basis of the relevant ISO standards or other international technical standards adopted by recognised international standard-setting organisations, with the understanding that those international standards are able to guarantee, at the very least, a higher level of performance and reliability than ISO standards, the appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning:\n(a) the format and design of the means of identification;\n(b) technical procedures for the electronic identification of bovine animals; and\n(c) the configuration of the identification code.\n...\n4. As from 18 July 2019, the appropriate Minister shall ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place in order to provide for the identification of animals on the basis of an electronic identifier as an official means of identification in accordance with this Regulation.\nThe appropriate Minister may not make the use of an electronic identifier compulsory as one of the two means of identification provided for in paragraph 1 before 18 July 2019.\n...\n5. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, bovine animals intended for cultural and sporting events, other than fairs and exhibitions, may be identified by alternative means of identification offering equivalent identification standards to those provided for in paragraph 1.\nHoldings making use of alternative means of identification referred to in the first subparagraph shall be registered in the computerised database provided for in Article 5.\nThe appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning such registration.\nIn order to ensure traceability based on the identification standards equivalent to those provided for in paragraph 1, the appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning the requirements for the alternative means of identification referred to in the first subparagraph.\nThe appropriate Minister may make regulations concerning the format and design of the alternative means of identification, referred to in the first subparagraph.\n6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Substituted by Regulation (EU) No 653/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000 as regards electronic identification of bovine animals and labelling of beef."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(a); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(a)(i) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(a)(ii) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(b)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Art. 4(2)(a) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(b) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(2)(d) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(b)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(c)(i) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(c)(ii) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(3) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(c)(iii) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(c)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(c)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(4) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(c)(iii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(d)(i) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(d)(ii) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Words in Art. 4(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Animals (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/588), regs. 1, 3(4)(d)(iii) (with reg. 12); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F17",
      "text": "Art. 4(6) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Livestock (Records, Identification and Movement) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/814), regs. 1, 4(5)(d); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2000/1760/article/4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:57:17.412867+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}