The basic objectives for Community rules on the identification pigs is the localisation and tracing for veterinary purposes, which is of crucial importance for the control of infectious diseases.

The system for the identification and registration of groups of pigs includes the following elements:

• eartags or tattoos
• maintaining a register on each holding (farm, market etc.)
• a computerised database at national level

Porcine Animals

Granting certain Member States the derogation provided for in Article 3(2) of Council Directive 92/102/EEC as regards holdings with no more than one pig: Commission Decision 2006/80/EC

Registration of holdings in national databases: Regulation (EC) 2000/678.

Basic Directive: Council Directive 2008/71/EC of 15 July 2008 on the identification and registration of pigs (Codified version)