1.Each keeper of animals, with the exception of the transporter, shall keep an up-to-date register containing at least the information listed in Section B of the Annex.
2.Member States may require keepers to enter further information in the register referred to in paragraph 1, in addition to that listed in Section B of the Annex.
3.The register shall be in a format approved by the competent authority, kept in manual or computerised form, and be available at all times on the holding and to the competent authority, upon request, for a minimum period to be determined by the competent authority but which may not be less than three years.
4.By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the register of information required by Section B of the Annex shall be optional in any Member State where a centralised computer database which already contains this information is operational.
5.Each keeper shall supply the competent authority, upon request, with all information concerning the origin, identification and, where appropriate, the destination of animals which the keeper has owned, kept, transported, marketed or slaughtered in the last three years.
6.Member States shall communicate to each other and to the Commission the model of the holding register used in their territory, and, where applicable the derogation granted from the provisions of paragraph 1.