7.6.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 149)3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 504/2008 of 6 June 2008 implementing Council Directives 90/426/EEC and 90/427/EEC as regards methods for the identification of equidae (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Directive 90/426/EEC of 26 June 1990 on animal health conditions governing the movement and import from third countries of equidae (1), and in particular Article 4(4) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 90/427/EEC of 26 June 1990 on the =zootechnical and genealogical conditions governing intra-Community trade in equidae (3, and in particular Article 4(2)(c) and (d), the second indent of Article 6(2) and the first subparagraph of Article 8(1) thereof, Having regard to Council Directive 94/28/EC of 23 June 1994 laying down the principles relating to the zootechnical and genealogical conditions applicable to imports from third countries of animals, their semen, ova and embryos, and amending Directive 77/504/EEC on pure-bred breeding animals of the bovine species (), and in particular Article 3(4) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Commission Decision 93/623/EEC of 20 October 1993 establishing the identification document (passport) accompanying registered equidae (*) introduces a method to identify registered equidae during their movements for animal health control purposes. (") OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 42. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/104/EC (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 352). () O] L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 55. () O] L 178, 12.7.1994, p. 66. (* O] L 298, 3.12.1993, p. 45. Decision as amended by Decision 2000/68/EC (O] L 23, 28.1.2000, p. 72). (20 Commission Decision 2000/68/EC of 22 December 1999 amending Commission Decision 93/623/EEC and establishing the identification of equidae for breeding and production (°), lays down rules on the identification document to accompany equidae during movement. (3)  Decisions 93/623/EEC and 2000/68/EC have been im- plemented differently by the Member States. In addition, the identification of equidae in those Decisions is linked to movement, while in Community legislation concerning other livestock species, animals are identified, inter alia for disease control purposes, regardless of their movement status. In addition, that two-tier system of equidae for breeding and production on the one side and registered equidae on the other side may lead to the issuing of more than one identification document for a single animal which can only be coun- teracted by applying to the animal an indelible, but not necessarily visible, mark on the occasion of the primary identification of the animal. (4 The outline diagram included in the identification document set out in Decision 93/623/EEC is not fully compatible with similar information required by inter- national organisations handling equidae for competitions and races and by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This Regulation should therefore establish an outlinediagram which is appropriate to the needs of the Community and in line with those internationally accepted requirements. (5)  Imports of equidae continue to be subject to the conditions laid down in Directive 90/426/EEC, and in particular in Commission Decision 93/196/EEC of 5 February 1993 on animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of equidae for slaughter (%), and Commission Decision 93/197/EEC of 5 February 1993 on animal health conditions and veterinary certification for imports of registered equidae and equidae for breeding and production (7). () O] L 23, 28.1.2000, p. 72. (©) OJ L 86, 6.4.1993, p. 7. Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1792/2006 (O] L 362, 20.12.2006, p. 1). () OJ L 86, 6.4.1993, p. 16. Decision as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1792/2006.