The Registration of Establishments (Laying Hens) (England) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations implement for England Commission Directive 2002/4/EC on the registration of establishments keeping laying hens, covered by Council Directive 1999/74/EC.

The Regulations apply to sites keeping 350 or more laying hens. The Secretary of State is required to create and maintain a register of such establishments recording the details listed in the Schedule and to allocate a distinguishing number to each establishment (regulation 3).

The information in the register will be made available to the Food Standards Agency or the Health Protection Agency where this is necessary to trace eggs put on the market for human consumption (regulation 4).

Establishments may not continue in operation after 1st March 2004 if the information in the Schedule has not been supplied by that date and new establishments may not be brought into operation after that date until a distinguishing number has been communicated (regulation 5).

Regulations 6-10 create offences and provide for enforcement.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and placed in the Library of each House of Parliament, together with a Transposition Note setting out how the main elements of Directive 2002/4/EC are implemented in these Regulations. Copies may be obtained from the Animal Welfare Division of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 1A Page Street, London SW1P 4PQ.