Ear tags should include information on the Member State of origin together with information on the individual animal. The most appropriate codified form of such information is the two-letter country code together with a maximum of 12 digits. Bar codes could be authorised in addition to the country code and the maximum 12 digits.

It is appropriate to take account of the difficulties pointed out by the competent authority of certain Member States regarding the code for the identification of bovine animals and permit those authorities to use ear tags containing an alpha-numeric code until the end of a transitional period. In addition it is appropriate to take into account the difficulties pointed out by the competent authority of Italy and to permit that authority to use a maximum of three supplementary characters provided those supplementary characters do not form part of the numeric code.

In order to avoid difficulties in intra-Community trade in bovine animals and to clarify the current rules, it is necessary to authorise keepers to acquire in advance, if they so wish and in compliance with the national provisions, a quantity of ear tags proportionate to their needs for a period of no more than one year.

It is appropriate to provide for the information contained in the replacement ear tags in the event of ear tag losses.

It is appropriate to define certain minimum uniform rules for the design and layout of the ear tags.

The provisions concerning the information content of the ear tags should be reviewed in the light of the establishment of the computerised database provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000.

The information contained in the passport and the register should be in a form which allows animals to be traced.

The period between three and seven days to be determined by Member States for keepers to notify movements, births and deaths of animals should be linked to the date of the event. However, it is appropriate to take account of the difficulties pointed out by Member States for notification of births within the deadline foreseen, and consequently to allow Member States to determine the relevant period from the date when the animal is ear tagged.

It is appropriate to take account of the difficulties pointed out by Member States regarding the information to be provided in the passports accompanying bovine animals born before 1 January 1998. The difficulties pointed out during the preparation of the Accession of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia for the passports accompanying animals born before 1 January 2004 should also be taken into account.

It is appropriate to make optional the mention of certain pieces of information on passports accompanying bovine animals born before 1 January 1998 and for bovine animals born before 1 January 2004 in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia or Slovakia. That derogation should not put in question the obligation to mention these pieces of information on passports of bovine animals born in the territory of a Member State where such a requirement is provided by its national rules.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund,