TRACES
TRACES is short for Trade Control and Expert System. TRACES was developed to ensure the traceability and control of live animals and products of animal origin both in internal market trade between EU countries and in imports from non-EU countries. TRACES is also being expanded to exports – the health certificates for exports of live animals and products of animal origin to certain countries are generated using TRACES.
The program can be used in all Member States and in each country’s language. In the receiving country of the health certificates, the data is seen in that country’s language irrespective of which language they were originally drafted in
TRACES is user-friendly. For example, once a model certificate has been generated it does not need to be completely rewritten – a similar certificate drafted previously can be used as a template. A certificate that has already been approved can easily be replaced by a new certificate if the details of the consignment have changed and the new certificate is linked to the superseded certificate. The program allows you to search for previously completed model certificates.
The TRACES program can be used to search for details of legislation. This gives operators information on what they can do in terms of internal market trade in animals and products or imports from non-EU countries. The program also contains details of any safeguard measures issued due to animal disease outbreaks that may lead to restrictions or impose further conditions on internal market trade or imports from third countries.
TRACES is secure. The user profiles mean that only users who are entitled to specific information are able to see it. The program sends an e-mail message to the operator concerned, but does not send information. The recipient can then go to the program to access the information indicated in the e-mail. For security reasons only authorities are able to see details of companies operating in the various countries; economic operators cannot see this. Companies can register as users of the system only with the consent of the authorities in their Member State (in Finland this means provincial veterinarians and border veterinarians).
TRACES is an internet-based system and is administered by the Commission. The TRACES system is used both by authorities and companies. There are different types of profiles for different levels of operators, and these determine what type of actions particular operators can perform and what information they can access.