Regulation 2008/566 - Detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 as regards the marketing of the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 160/22

Article 113b of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 provides that, as of 1 July 2008, the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less has to be marketed in accordance with certain conditions laid down in that Regulation, in particular as regards the classification of bovine animals into categories and the sales descriptions to be used. Point II of Annex XIa to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 requires that, on slaughter, all bovine animals aged 12 months or less have to be classified in one of the two categories listed in Annex XIa to that Regulation. In order to ensure correct and uniform implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, detailed rules should be laid down that should apply as from 1 July 2008.

The age of the animal on slaughter and the sales description should, at each stage of production and marketing, be indicated on the label, in accordance with point IV of Annex XIa to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007. As the size of the products to be labelled varies depending on the stage of the production and marketing, it is necessary to require that the indications of the age and the sales description are perfectly legible on the label. Moreover, in order to ensure transparency towards the final consumer, the indication of the animal's age on slaughter and the sales description should be presented in the same visual field and on the same label at the moment of the release of the meat to the final consumer.

In accordance with Article 121(j) of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, the practical method of indicating the category identification letter referred to in Annex XIa to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 should be laid down. For control purposes, it is necessary to require that the category identification letter is indicated on the carcass as soon as possible after the bovine animal has been slaughtered.

For the sake of ensuring a correct application of Article 113b of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, operators at each stage of the production and marketing should record indications of any person from whom they have been supplied with meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less. Whilst such traceability of food is ensured within the Community by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (2), a special provision is needed in order to also guarantee the traceability of the said meat imported from third countries.

In order to verify the application of Article 113b of Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and inform the Commission thereof, official checks should be carried out, which should include also the supervision of the classification of the bovine animals in slaughterhouses provided for in point II of Annex XIa to that Regulation. Moreover, the competent authorities, designated by the Member States for those checks, should be allowed to delegate their check tasks to independent third-party bodies under certain conditions that should be laid...