
Article 1 
In order to be officially recognized, a breeders' organization or association which maintains or establishes herd-books must submit an application to the authorities of the Member State on whose territory its headquarters are situated.
Article 2 
The authorities of the Member State concerned must grant official recognition to any breeders' organization or association which maintains or establishes herd-books if the latter meet the conditions laid down in the Annex.
However, in a Member State in which in respect of a given breed one or more officially recognized organizations or associations already exists, the authorities of the Member State concerned may refuse to recognize a new breeders' organization or association if it endangers the preservation of the breed or jeopardizes the zootechnical programme of the existing organization or association. In such a case, the Member States shall inform the Commission of approvals granted and refusals to give recognition.
Article 3 
The authorities of the Member State concerned shall withdraw official recognition from any breeders' organization or association which maintains herd-books if the conditions laid down in the Annex are no longer being fulfilled in a persistent manner by the breeders' organization or association concerned.
Article 4 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 27 April 1984.
For the Commission
Poul DALSAGER
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

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

1.. have legal personality in accordance with the legislation in force in the Member State 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.
