(19)Unique identification of explosives is essential if accurate and complete records of explosives are to be kept at all stages of the supply chain. This should allow the identification and the traceability of an explosive from its production site and its placing on the market until its final user and its use with a view to preventing misuse and theft and to assisting law enforcement authorities in the tracing of the origin of lost or stolen explosives. An efficient traceability system also facilitates market surveillance authorities’ task of tracing economic operators who made non-compliant explosives available on the market. When keeping the information required under this Directive for the identification of economic operators, economic operators should not be required to update such information in respect of other economic operators who have either supplied them with an explosive or to whom they have supplied an explosive.