Criteria for Approval of Breeders’ Organizations and Associations which establish or maintain Flock-Books for Pure-Bred Breeding Sheep and Goats Regulations, 2003 (L.N. 321 of 2003)

L.N. 321 of 2003 VETERINARY SERVICES ACT, 2001 (ACT NO. XXIII OF 2001) Criteria for Approval of Breeders' Organisations and Associations which establish or maintain Flock-Books for Pure-Bred Breeding Sheep and Goats Regulation, 2003 IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 34(c) of the Veterinary Services Act, 2001, the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment has made the following regulations: Title and scope 1. (1) The title of these regulations is the Criteria for Approval of Breeders' Organisations and Associations which establish or maintain Flock-Books for Pure-Bred Breeding Sheep and Goats, 2003. (2) The scope of these regulations is to implement the provisions found under European Union Commission Decision 90/254/EEC laying down the criteria for approval of breeders' organisations and associations which establish or maintain flock-books for pure-bred breeding sheep and goats. This Decision finds its legal basis under European Union Council Directive 89/361/EEC, article 4, first indent. Application for official approval 2. In order to be officially approved, breeders' organisations and associations which maintain or establish flock-books must submit an application to the authorities of the territory of Malta or the Member State in whose territory their headquarters are situated. Granting of official approval 3. (1) The authorities of the territory of Malta or the Member State concerned must grant official approval to any breeders' organisations or associations which maintain or establish flock-books if the latter meet the conditions laid down in the Schedule. (2) However, in the territory of Malta or in a Member State in which in respect of a given breed one or more officially approved breeders' organisations or associations already exist, the authorities may refuse to recognise a new breeders' organisation or association if it endangers the preservation of the breed or jeopardises the zootechnical programme of the existing association or organisation. In this case, the authorities shall inform the Member States or European Commission of approvals granted and refusals to give recognition. Withdrawal of official approval 4. The authorities shall withdraw official approval from any breeders' organisation or association which maintains flock-books if the conditions laid down in the Schedule to these regulations are no longer fulfilled in a consistent manner by the breeders' organisation or association concerned. SCHEDULE In order to be officially approved, breeders' organisations and associations which maintain or establish a flock-book must: 1. Have legal personality in accordance with the legislation in force in the territory of Malta or in the Member State where the application is made; 2. Prove to the competent authorities: (a) that they operate efficiently; (b) that they can carry out the checks necessary for recording pedigrees; (c) that they have a sufficiently large flock to carry out a breed improvement programme, or that they have a sufficiently large herd to preserve the breed where this is considered necessary; (d) that they can make use of the livestock performance data necessary for carrying out their 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 their breeding objectives; (e) the systems for making use of livestock performance data, enabling the genetic value of the animals to be assessed; (f) the division of the flock-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 articles of association, laying down, in particular, the principle of non-discrimination between members.