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COMMISSION DECISION

of 19 July 1984

laying down the criteria for entering cattle in herd-books

(84/419/EEC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN

COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 77/504/EEC of 25 July 1977 on pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species (1), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Greece, and in particular the fourth indent of Article 6 (1) thereof,

Whereas, under the fourth indent of Article 6 (1) of Directive 77/504/EEC, it is for the Commission to determine, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 8 of that Directive, the harmonized criteria governing the entry of cattle in herd-books;

Whereas in all the Member States with the exception at present of Greece herd-books are maintained or established by breeders' organizations and associations;

Whereas it is therefore necessary to lay down the criteria for the entering of cattle in herd-books;

Whereas precise conditions relating to lineage and identification must be fulfilled prior to entry in the herd-book;

Whereas allowance should be made for the division of the herd-book into different sections and classes so that certain types of animals will not be excluded;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Zootechnics,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

To qualify for entry in the main section of the herd-book of its breed an animal must:

- be descended from parents and grandparents entered in a herd-book of that same breed,

- be identified at birth according to the rules of that book,

- have a pedigree established in accordance with the rules of that herd-book.

Article 2

The main section of a herd-book may be divided into several classes according to the animals' merits. Only cattle meeting the criteria laid down in Article 1 may be entered in one of those classes.

Article 3

1. A breeders' organization or association keeping a herd-book may decide that a female, which does not meet the criteria laid down in Article 1, may be entered in a supplementary section of that herd-book. The female must meet the following requirements:

- be identified in accordance with the herd-book rules,

- be judged to conform to the breed standard,

- have a minimum performance criteria as laid down by the herd-book rules.

2. The requirements mentioned in the second and third indents of paragraph 1 may be differentiated according to whether the female belongs to the breed although it has no known origin or was obtained from a crossing programme approved by the breeders' organization or association managing the herd-book.

Article 4

A female whose mother and maternal grandmother are entered in a supplementary section of the herd-book as provided for in Article 3 (1) and whose father and two grandfathers are entered in the main section of the book in accordance with the criteria laid down in Article 1, shall be regarded as a pure-bred female and entered in the main section of the book, provided for in Article 1.

Article 5

Where a book contains several classes in the main section, an animal from another Member State shall be entered in the class of the book whose criteria it meets.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 19 July 1984.

For the Commission

Poul DALSAGER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ No L 206, 12. 8. 1977, p. 8.