Since 2002 Government and the equine industry have been in partnership to develop a National Equine Database (NED) to provide a central source of reliable information on horses and ponies bred, owned or registered in the United Kingdom. NED will provide both buyers and breeders with a one–stop–shop access to a horse or pony's name, ID (Identification) number, breed, sex, colour, height and pedigree together with performance, evaluation and grading results. NED's other benefits are that it will help to provide more accurate information on the size and shape of the equine industry and assist with equine welfare in that owners, and eventually keepers, will be traceable (when used in conjunction with microchipping) with regard to abandoned and badly–treated equines. NED's existence will also demonstrate the UK's compliance with EU passport legislation which was the trigger for the development of the partnership. The capital development and initial running costs are being met by Defra. Thereafter, NED will have to be self-funding from the sale of data. Defra will continue to make a financial contribution in respect of the up-keep of the data required to administer the passport and disease surveillance and control schemes. PIOs (Passport Issuing Organisations) are mandated under the four sets of UK passport legislation to provide the core data required for the database and breed societies, stud books, competition disciplines and other responsible bodies will supply verified pedigree, performance, evaluation and grading (PPEG) information on a voluntary basis.