3. The Department is the competent authority for the purposes of the Commission Implementing Regulation.
4. A person must not keep a horse unless it is identified in accordance with the Commission Implementing Regulation and these Regulations.
5.—(1) A person who transfers the ownership of a horse to another person (the “transferee”) must give its passport to the transferee at the time of the transfer.
(2) Before the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the day on which the transfer took effect, the transferee must —
(a)notify the issuing body of —
(i)the transfer of ownership; and
(ii)the transferee’s name, address and contact details; and
(b)send the passport for the horse concerned to the issuing body.
6.—(1) In accordance with Article 3(3) and Article 11(1) it is the responsibility of the owner of a horse located in a holding in Northern Ireland to ensure that an application for a passport is submitted to an issuing body on or before the date set out in paragraph (2).
(2) The date is the last day of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which the horse was born.
7. The keeper must provide to the issuing body all information necessary to allow the body to complete an existing passport for the purposes of Article 15(2), subject to Article 15(3), so that it complies with the requirements of Article 7(2).
8.—(1) The minimum qualification for the purposes of Article 18(3) (implantation of a transponder) is membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
(2) For the purposes of Article 18(5), the owner of a horse or, if different, the keeper who has primary responsibility for it, must arrange for a veterinary surgeon to implant a transponder into a horse that is deemed to be identified in accordance with Articles 4(2) or 43(1) if a previously implanted and recorded transponder ceases to function.
(3) A veterinary surgeon who implants a transponder into a horse must ensure that it displays a code unique to that transponder.
9. A veterinary surgeon who is implanting a transponder into a horse must carry out the measures set out in Article 17(1) (measures to detect previous identification of equidae).
10. The owner of a horse or, if different, the keeper who has primary responsibility for it must comply with Article 23(1) to ensure that a horse’s passport accompanies the horse at all times except –—
(a)when not required in accordance with Article 23(2); or
(b)when the horse is accompanied by a smart card issued in accordance with Article 25(1); or
(c)when the horse is accompanied by a temporary document issued in accordance with Article 24(1).
11. If the owner believes that any identity details contained in the horse’s passport require modification or updating, whether pursuant to Article 27 or otherwise, the owner must ask the issuing body to modify or update the passport.
12. On the slaughter or death of a horse an official veterinarian or a person acting under the supervision of an official veterinarian, in accordance with Article 34(1)(c)(ii), must return an invalidated passport to the issuing body as soon as is reasonably practicable.
13.—(1) For the purposes of Article 40(1), an issuing body must incorporate the information falling within Articles 28(e) and 38(1) into the central database.
(2) The Department may issue guidance to issuing bodies about the central database and how to enter information into it.
(3) The Department may share any data or information held or stored in, or which is to be held or stored in, the central database with the Secretary of State in England, the Scottish Ministers, or the Welsh Ministers.
(4) In this regulation “central database” means the database established in accordance with Article 39.