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Veterinary Services Act (Act Xxiii Of 2001) Criteria For The Recognition Of Breeders' Organisations And Associations Which Maintain Or Establish Herd-Books For Pure-Bred Breeding Animals Of The Bovine Species Regulations, 2003 (L.N. 308 Of 2003 )

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 34(a) of the Veterinary Services Act, the
Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment has made the following regulations:-

(2) The scope of these regulations is to implement the provisions found under European Union Commission Decision 84/247/EEC on the criteria for the recognition of breeders’ organisations and associations which maintain or establish herd-books for pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species. This Decision finds its legal basis under European Union Council Directive 77/504/EEC, article 6, second and third indents.

Provided that where in respect of a given breed one or more officially recognised organisations or associations already exists, the authorities may refuse to recognise a new breeders' organisation or association if it endangers the preservation of the breed or
jeopardises the zootechnical programme of the existing organisation or association. In such a case, the authorities shall inform the European Commission of approvals granted and refusals to give recognition.

In order to be officially recognised, a breeders' organisation or association which maintains or establishes a herd-book must:

1. Have legal personality in accordance with the legislation in force in the territory of Malta where the application is made;

2. Prove to the competent authorities: (a) that it operates efficiently;

(b) that it can carry out the checks necessary for recording pedigrees;

(c) that it has a sufficiently large herd to carry out a breed improvement programme, or that it has a sufficiently large herd to preserve the breed where this is considered necessary;

(d) that it can make use of the livestock performance data necessary for carrying out its breed improvement or preservation programme;

3. Have a set of rules covering:

(a) the definition of the breed's (or breeds') characteristics; (b) the system for identifying animals;

(c) the system for recording pedigrees;

(d) the definition of its breeding objectives,

(e) the systems for making use of livestock performance data,

(f) the division of the herd-book, if there are different conditions for entering animals or if there are different procedures for classifying the animals entered in the book;

4. Have rules of procedure, adopted in accordance with its articles of association, laying down, in particular, the principle of non-discrimination between members.