EU livestock compliance: TRACES, EID and the records you must keep
A practical overview of EU animal identification and traceability obligations — individual IDs, registered holdings, national-database reporting and TRACES NT.
EU livestock rules sit on a few key pillars: the Animal Health Law identification and registration requirements (Reg (EU) 2019/2035), general food traceability (EC 178/2002), and TRACES NT for cross-border movement and certification. Here’s what each means in practice.
Individual identification (EID)
Animals must carry approved official identifiers — for many species, an electronic identifier (EID) — in the format approved by the national authority. Farmso stores both the official ID and its scheme so movements can be validated against it.
Registered holdings & national databases
Premises must be registered with a unique establishment number, and births, movements and deaths must be reported to the national database within set deadlines. Farmso formats those registration payloads per member-state adapter and keeps an electronic herd register ready to export.
TRACES NT certificates
Intra-EU and cross-border movements need health attestations through TRACES NT. Farmso pre-fills draft INTRA certificates from your movement and health data, ready for the keeper or vet to review and sign.
This is guidance, not legal advice
Requirements vary by member state and change over time. Farmso’s region modules are built to match each jurisdiction’s mandatory records, but you remain responsible for your own compliance — always confirm current rules with your competent authority.