18.—(1) Where a keeper is required by article 14 to replace a single lost or illegible identification mark on a double tagged animal, the keeper may do so with a means of identification with an identical identification code.
(2) A keeper may, as an alternative to the method of replacement described in paragraph (1), instead, subject to article 30, remove any remaining tag and identify it in accordance with Article 4(1) (first paragraph) and (2)(a) and (b) and Article 9(3) of the Council Regulation.
(3) If an animal to be re-identified under paragraph (2) has a metal tag the keeper must not remove that tag but the identification code it bears must not be used in all further recordings of the animal’s identity.
(4) A keeper may replace the identification mark of an animal in the manner described in paragraph (2) even when no replacement is required by article 14.
(5) A keeper may, as an alternative to the method of replacement described in paragraph (2) instead, subject to article 30 remove the remaining tag and replace it with 2 non–electronic red tags bearing the same unique number.
(6) When an animal is re-identified and is not on its holding of birth the keeper shall record in the holding register both the old identification, if known, and the new identification.