The competent authority of the Member State may record in the computerised database for bovine animals as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, an identification code in the form of either the two-letter alpha code or the three-digit numeric code referred to in Article 2(a) of this Regulation regardless of the country code displayed on the means of identification provided that full traceability of a bovine animal is ensured.