
Article 1 
The Annex to this Decision sets out the guidelines and procedures for the electronic identification of animals:

((a)) for the second means of identification, as provided for in Article 4(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004 and referred to in the fourth indent of point 4 of Section A of the Annex to that Regulation; and
((b)) provided for in the first subparagraph of Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004.
Article 2 
This Decision shall apply from the 20th day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Article 3 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2006.
For the Commission
Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX
CHAPTER I
For the purpose of these Guidelines, the following definitions shall apply:


((a)) ‘Country code’ means a 3-digit numeric code representing the name of a country in accordance with ISO standard 3166;
((b)) ‘National identification code’ means a 12-digit numeric code to identify an individual animal at national level;
((c)) ‘Transponder code’ means the 64-bit electronic code programmed in the transponder and containing inter alia the country code and national identification code and used for the electronic identification of animals;
((d)) ‘Identifier’ means a read-only passive transponder applying the HDX- or FDX-B technology as defined in ISO standards 11784 and 11785 and incorporated in different means of identification as referred to in Annex A of Regulation (EC) No 21/2004;
((e)) ‘Reader’ means a synchronising or non-synchronising transceiver which is, at least, capable of:

((i)) reading identifiers; and
((ii)) displaying the country code and the national identification code;
((f)) ‘Synchronising transceiver’ means a transceiver, which fully complies with ISO standard 11785 and is able to detect the presence of other transceivers;
((g)) ‘Non-synchronising transceiver’ means a transceiver, which does not comply with clause 6 of ISO standard 11785 and is not able to detect the presence of other transceivers.

CHAPTER II
1. 

((a)) conformance with the ISO standards 11784 and ISO 11785, in accordance with the method specified in Section 10.2.6.2.1, ‘Conformance evaluation of RFID devices, Part 1: ISO 11784/11785 — conformance of transponders including granting and use of a manufacturer code’; and
((b)) achievement of performance at the reading distances as laid down in the third indent of Section A.6 of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 21/2004, in accordance with the method specified in Section 10, Appendix 10.5 ‘Performance evaluation of RFID devices, Part 1: ISO 11784/11785 — performance of transponders’ which shall include measurements of:

((i)) the activation field strength;
((ii)) the dipole moment; and
((iii)) the bit length stability for FDX-B and frequency stability for HDX.

2. The tests referred to in point 1 shall be carried out on a minimum quantity of 50 identifiers of each model to be tested.

3. 

Bit(s) No No of digits No of combinations Description
1 1 2 This bit indicates whether the identifier is used for animal identification or not. In all animal applications this bit shall be ‘1’
2-4 1 8 Retagging counter (0 to 7).
5-9 2 32 User Information field. This bit shall contain ‘04’ codifying the CN-code for sheep and goats in accordance with Chapter 1, Section I, Part II of the Annex to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87.
10-15 2 64 Empty — All zeros (reserved zone for future applications).
16 1 2 This bit indicates the presence or not of a data block (for the use in animals this bit shall be ‘0’ = no data block).
17-26 4 1 024 Country code as defined in point (a) of Chapter 1
27-64 12 274 877 906 944 National identification code as defined in point (b) of Chapter 1. If the national identification code is less than 12 digits, the space between the national identification code and the country code shall be completed with zeros.


4. The competent authority may require additional tests for robustness and endurance of identifiers according to the procedures described in Part 2 of the Technical Guidelines of the Joint Research Centre of the Commission (JRC).

5. The competent authority may require other performance criteria to ensure the functionality of identifiers under the specific geographic, climatic and management conditions of the Member State concerned.

CHAPTER III
1. 

((a)) synchronising transceivers in conformity with the methods specified in Section 10.3.5.2 ‘Conformance evaluation of RFID devices, Part 2: ISO 11784/11785 — conformance of transceivers’; or
((b)) non-synchronising transceivers in conformity with the methods specified in Section 10.4.5.2 ‘Conformance evaluation of RFID devices, Part 3: Conformance test for non-synchronising transceivers for reading ISO 11784/11785 transponders’.

2. 

((a)) additional tests on mechanical and thermal robustness and endurance of readers according to the procedures described in Part 2 of Technical Guidelines of the JRC; and
((b)) electromagnetic performance tests as specified in the ICAR Recording Guidelines, Section 10, Appendix 10.6.2 ‘Performance evaluation of RFID devices, Part 2: ISO 11784/11785 — performance of handheld transceivers’.

CHAPTER IV
1. 
However, the competent authority may only designate laboratories that operate and are assessed and accredited in accordance with the following European standards (‘EN standards’) or equivalent standards:


((a)) EN ISO/IEC 17025 ‘General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories’;
((b)) EN 45002 ‘General criteria for the assessment of testing laboratories’; and
((c)) EN 45003 ‘Calibration and testing laboratory accreditation system — General requirements for operation and recognition’.

2. Member States shall draw up and keep up-to-date lists of test laboratories designated by the competent authorities and make such information available to the other Member States and the public on a website.
