Council Directive 96/93/EC on the certification of animals and animal products.

The present Directive lays down the rules to comply with when issuing the certificates required by veterinary legislation in force at the Community level. Member States shall ensure that certifying officers have a satisfactory knowledge of the veterinary legislation as regards the animals or products to be certified. The competent authorities shall also take all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of certification and introduce checks and control measures with a view to preventing the issuance of false or misleading certification as well as the fraudulent production or use of certificates.