The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007

PART 2 Movement using passports

Movement off a holding

9.—(1) When cattle are moved off a holding, the keeper must ensure that the cattle passport is marked with the date of movement and must sign it in the appropriate place.

(2) He must give the cattle passport duly completed to the transporter before the cattle are moved off the holding.

(3) Failure to comply with this paragraph is an offence.

Transporting cattle

10.—(1) Anyone transporting cattle must ensure that each animal is accompanied throughout its journey by a valid cattle passport.

(2) Failure to comply with this paragraph is an offence.

(3) But, if the transporter is not the owner of the animals, it is a defence for him to prove that he had no reason to believe that an animal was not accompanied by a valid cattle passport.

Movement on to a holding

11.—(1) When cattle are moved on to a holding, the transporter must give each animal’s cattle passport to the new keeper (or, if moved through a market, he must give it to the market operator, who must then give it to the new keeper).

(2) The new keeper or market operator must ensure that the cattle passport is marked with—

(a) the date of movement on to the holding,

(b) the name and address of the keeper (or, in the case of a market, the operator of the market) and the holding number, using if practicable the bar code label provided by the Secretary of State,

and must sign it.

(3) He must do this within 36 hours of the arrival of the animal.

(4) No one may move the animal off the holding until the passport has been completed in accordance with this paragraph.

(5) Failure to comply with this paragraph is an offence.

Imported cattle

12.—(1) In the case of cattle brought into England from outside Great Britain, the animal may be moved from the place it was brought into England to the holding at which it must be registered in accordance with paragraph 4 or 5 of Schedule 2 using its passport (if it has one) or its movement document.

(2) If it has a passport its keeper must complete it in accordance with this Schedule, and failure to do so is an offence.

Exports

13.—(1) Where cattle are exported to third countries the keeper must send the cattle passports to the Secretary of State within seven days, and failure to do so is an offence.

(2) When cattle are transported outside Great Britain to a destination within the European Union the transporter must ensure that each animal is accompanied by its passport, and failure to do so is an offence.

Markets and animal gatherings

14.—(1) The operator of a market or other animal gathering commits an offence if any cattle are accepted without a valid cattle passport (or, in the case of imported cattle, documentation permitting them to be moved).

(2) In this and the following paragraph “animal gathering” means an occasion at which animals are brought together for one or more of the following purposes—

(a) a sale, show or exhibition;

(b) onward consignment; or

(c) inspection to confirm the animals possess specific breed characteristics.

Licences

15.  An officer of the Secretary of State (or, in the case of an animal at a market, animal gathering or slaughterhouse, an inspector) may at any time issue a licence for cattle to be moved without a cattle passport if he is satisfied that it is necessary to do so and that it is not practicable to obtain one.