3.3.2015 Official Journal of the European Union L 59/1 II (Non-legislative acts) REGULATIONS COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2015/262 of 17 February 2015 laying down rules pursuant to Council Directives 90/427/EEC and 2009/156/EC as regards the methods for the identification of equidae (Equine Passport Regulation) (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Directive 90/427/EEC of 26 June 1990 on the zootechnical and genealogical conditions governing intra-Community trade in equidae (), 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 2009/156/EC of 30 November 2009 on animal health conditions governing the movement and importation from third countries of equidae (3), and in particular Article 4(4) thereof, Whereas: (1)  Directive 90/427[EEC lays down the zootechnical conditions governing intra-Union trade in equidae. It requires Member States to ensure that registered equidae being moved are accompanied by an identification document issued by the approved breeding organisations or breeders’ associations referred to in that Directive. (2)  Directive 2009/156/EC lays down the animal health conditions for the movement and the importation from third countries of equidae. It provides that registered equidae are to be identified by an identification document issued in accordance with Directive 90/427[/EEC or by an international association or organisation which manages horses for competition or racing. Equidae for breeding and production are to be identified by a method established by the Commission. (3)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 504/2008 (°), which is applicable since 1 July 2009, lays down rules on the identification of equidae born in or imported into the Union, and sets out an identification document (equine passport) for equidae which is a multipurpose document serving animal and public health as well as zootechnical and equestrian sport’s needs. With the focus on the identification document as the constitutive element of the equine identification system, that Regulation only provides for the option to incorporate the information contained in the databases of numerous issuing bodies into a central database or to network their databases with that central database. (4)  Member States have encountered difficulties in implementing the measures provided for in Regulation (EC) No 504/2008. Those difficulties mainly concern the method of identification of equidae by means of the identifi- cation document. () OJL224,18.8.1990, p. 55. () 0JL192,23.7.2010,p. 1. () 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 (O] L 149, 7.6.2008, p. 3).