7.5 97 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 117/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 820/97 of 21 April 1997 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parli- ament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas the market in beef and beef products has been destabilized by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis; whereas it is necessary to re-establish stability in this market; whereas such re-establishment of stability can most effectively be achieved by improving the trans- parency of the conditions for the production and mar- keting of the products concerned particularly as regards traceability; Whereas to this end it is essential to establish, on the one hand, a more efficient system for the identification and registration of bovine animals at the production stage and, on the other hand, a specific Community labelling system in the beef sector based on objective criteria at the mar- keting stage; Whereas, by means of the guarantees provided for such an improvement, certain public interest requirements will also be attained, in particular the protection of human and animal health; Whereas, as a result, consumer confidence in the quality of beef and beef products will be encouraged; Whereas Article 3 (1) (c) of Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain () OJ No C 349, 20. 11. 1996, p. 10 and O] No C 100, 27. 3. 1997, p. 22. () OJ No C 85, 17. 3. 1997. () OJ No C 66, 3. 3. 1997, p. 84. live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market (¥) states that animals for intra- Community trade must be identified in accordance with the requirements of Community rules and be registered in such a way that the original or transit holding, centre Or organization can be traced, and that before 1 January 1993 these identification and registration systems are to be extended to the movements of animals within the territory of each Member State; Whereas Article 14 of Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organization of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries and amending Direct- ives 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC and 90/675/EEC (°) states that the identification and registration as provided for in Atticle 3 (1) (c) of Directive 90/425/EEC of such animals must, except in the case of animals for slaughter and registered equidae, be carried out after the said checks have been made; Whereas the management of certain Community aid schemes in the field of agriculture requires the individual identification of certain types of livestock; whereas the identification and registration systems must, therefore, be suitable for the application and control of such measures; Whereas it is necessary to ensure the rapid and efficient exchange of information between Member States for the correct application of this Regulation; whereas Com- munity provisions have been established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1468/81 of 19 May 1981 on mutual assistance between the administrative authorities of the Member States and the cooperation between the latter and the Commission to ensure the correct application of the law on customs or agriculture matters (*) and by Council Directive 89/608/EEC of 21 November 1989 on mutual (*) OJ No L 224, 18. 8. 1990, p. 29. Directive as last amended by Directive 92/118/EEC (O] No L 62, 15. 3. 1993, p. 49). () OJ No L 268, 24. 9. 1991, p. 56. Directive as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden. (¥) OJ No L 144, 2. 6. 1981, p. 1. Directive as amended by Regu- lation (EEC) No 945/87 (O] No L 90, 2. 4. 1987, p. 3).