1. All animals on a holding born after 31 December 1997 or intended for intra-Community trade after 1 January 1998 shall be identified by an ear tag approved by the competent authority, applied to each ear. Both ear tags shall bear the same unique identification code, which makes it possible to identify each animal individually together with the holding on which it was born. By way of derogation from the above requirement, animals born before 1 January 1998 which are intended for intra-Community trade after that date may be identified in accordance with Directive 92/102/EEC until 1 September 1998.
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, animals born before 1 January 1998 which are intended for intra-Community trade after that date with a view to immediate slaughter may be identified in accordance with Directive 92/102/EEC until 1 September 1999.
Bovine animals intended for cultural and sporting events (with the exception of fairs and exhibitions) may, instead of by an ear tag, be identified by an identification system offering equivalent guarantees and authorised by the Commission.
2. The ear tag shall be applied within a period to be determined by the Member State as from the birth of the animal and in any case before the animal leaves the holding on which it was born. The period may not be longer than 30 days up to and including 31 December 1999, and not longer than 20 days thereafter.
However, at the request of a Member State and in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 23(2), the Commission may determine the circumstances in which Member States may extend the maximum period.
No animal born after 31 December 1997 may be moved from a holding unless it is identified in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
3. Any animal imported from a third country which has passed the checks laid down in Directive 91/496/EEC and which remains within Community territory shall be identified on the holding of destination by an ear tag complying with the requirements of this Article, within a period to be determined by the Member State but not exceeding 20 days following the aforesaid checks, and in any event before leaving the holding.
However, it is not necessary to identify the animal if the holding of destination is a slaughterhouse situated in the Member State where such checks are carried out and the animal is slaughtered within 20 days of undergoing the checks.
The original identification established by the third country shall be recorded in the computerised database provided for in Article 5 or, if this is not yet fully operational, in the registers provided for in Article 3, together with the identification code allocated to it by the Member State of destination.
4. Any animal from another Member State shall retain its original ear tag.
5. No ear tag may be removed or replaced without the permission of the competent authority.
6. The ear tags shall be allocated to the holding, distributed and applied to the animals in a manner determined by the competent authority.
7. Not later than 31 December 2001 the European Parliament and the Council, acting on the basis of a report from the Commission accompanied by any proposals and in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 95 of the Treaty, shall decide on the possibility of introducing electronic identification arrangements in the light of progress achieved in this field.