UK to develop new centralised equine database

European Union (EU) member states have endorsed stingent proposals to bring out a new equine database after the UK witnessed the horse meat scandal last year.

The UK is calling for stricter regulations for equine identification (horse passport) systems after its last regulation, the national equine database, was shut down two years ago.

The horse meat scandal was brought to light in the UK in 2013, when beef products were found to contain undeclared or improperly declared horse meat, as well as other meat, such as pork.

The new rules to be implemented will require foals to be given a single passport containing a unique identification number before reaching one year of age. The passports, which are supposed to remain with the horses for their lifetime, will also act as their medical record.

The proposal also says that all horses born after 1 July 2009 will need to be micro-chipped.

The Farmers Guardian quoted Equine Sector Council chair Jeanette Allen as saying: "The new regulations are a triumph for Britain’s horse sector and Defra who have worked closely and collaboratively together to ensure a better system for equine identification.

"More robust standards of documentation and a central database in every European country will help to reduce fraud and improve traceability, owner accountability and disease control planning across the EU, so helping to protect the valuable horse sector."

World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers was also quoted by Farmers Guardian as saying: "One of the key horse welfare challenges we have is linking a horse to an owner and an overall lack of compliance and enforcement.

"With more than 75 passport-issuing organisations of varying standards and no central database, finding a horse’s owner and enforcing the regulations was effectively impossible.

"We have always been clear that a central database is a fundamental element in building a system that is more workable and enforceable, which can better protect our horses.

"Now we need to make sure the revised UK regulation maximises compliance, something that has been shockingly low in many areas until now."

The new regulations will be implemented from 1 January 2016 and all EU members will need to have a database in place by this date.