F1The appropriate Minister shall ensure that the competent authority has a central register of all the holdings relating to keepers of animals in their territory except transporters.

The register shall include the identification code of the holding or, if authorised by the competent authority, that of the keeper, other than transporter, the occupation of the keeper, the type of production (meat or milk) and the species kept. If the keeper keeps animals permanently, he shall make an inventory of the animals kept at regular intervals fixed by the competent authority F2... and in any case at least annually.

A holding shall remain on the central register until three consecutive years have elapsed with no animals on the holding. With effect from 9 July 2005 F3or for Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia the respective date of accession the register shall be included in the computer database referred to in Article 8(1).