Commission Implementing Decision

of 17 July 2014

authorising methods for grading pig carcases in Sweden and repealing Decision 97/370/EC

(notified under document C(2014) 4946)

(Only the Swedish text is authentic)

(2014/476/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/20071, and in particular Article 20 (p) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
Point 1 of Section B.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that, for the classification of pig carcasses, the lean-meat content has to be assessed by means of grading methods authorised by the Commission, and only statistically proven assessment methods based on the physical measurement of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcass may be authorised. The authorisation of grading methods should be subject to compliance with a maximum tolerance for statistical error in assessment. That tolerance is defined in Article 23(3) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1249/20082.
(2)
By Commission Decision 97/370/EC3, the use of three methods for grading pig carcasses in Sweden was authorised.
(3)

As the authorised grading methods need technical adaptation, Sweden has requested the Commission to authorise the replacement of the formula used in the ‘Intra-scope (Optical Probe)’, ‘Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP II)’ and AutoFom methods, as well as to authorise two new methods ‘Fat-O-Meat'er II (FOM II)’ and ‘Hennessy Grading Probe 7 (HGP 7)’ for grading pig carcasses on its territory. Sweden has presented a detailed description of the dissection trial, indicating the principles on which the new formula are based, the result of its dissection trial and the equations used for assessing the percentage of lean meat in the protocol provided for in Article 23(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1249/2008.

(4)

Examination of that request has revealed that the conditions for authorising those new formula and methods are fulfilled. Those formula and methods should therefore be authorised in Sweden.

(5)

Modifications of the apparatuses or grading methods should not be allowed, unless they are explicitly authorised by Commission Implementing Decision.

(6)

For reasons of clarity and legal certainty, a new decision should be adopted. Decision 97/370/EC should therefore be repealed.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: