Judgment_paragraph 102 · Commission of the European Communities v French Republic (C-1/00)

102The French Government states that, according to point II.5.1 of the report of the inspection mission carried out in the United Kingdom from 20 to 24 March 2000 by the Food and Veterinary Office, more than 20% of the ‘records/animals’ failed to meet the requirements of Article 3 of Regulation No 820/97. Furthermore, according to point III.2 of that report, Commission Regulation (EC) No 494/98 of 27 February 1998 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation No 820/97 as regards the application of minimum administrative sanctions in the framework of the system for the identification and registration of bovine animals (OJ 1998 L 60, p. 78) is not fully enforced in the United Kingdom. The report states: ‘This means in practical terms that cattle for which no discrepancies were found but were kept in a holding with more than 20% discrepant cattle can enter the Date Based Export Scheme because a legal basis to restrict these animals is not existing.’