THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption, and in particular Article 17(1) and point 7 of Article 18 thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 lays down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin. It provides, inter alia, that Member States are to ensure that official controls with respect to fresh meat take place in accordance with Annex I thereto. Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 also provides that the official veterinarian is to carry out inspection tasks in slaughterhouses, game handling establishments and cutting plants placing fresh meat on the market in accordance with, inter alia, the specific requirements of Section IV of Annex I thereto.
(2)
Part B of Chapter IV of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 sets out the specific requirements for the post-mortem inspection of domestic swine.
(3)
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted on 3 October 2011 a Scientific Opinion on the public health hazards to be covered by inspection of meat (swine), which concluded that the currently required palpations and incisions in post-mortem inspection, involve a risk of cross contamination with bacterial hazards.
(4)
EFSA also concluded that palpation or incisions used in current post-mortem inspection should be omitted in pigs subjected to routine slaughter, because the risk of microbial cross-contamination is higher than the risk associated with potentially reduced detection of conditions targeted by those techniques. The use of those manual techniques during post-mortem inspection should be limited to suspect pigs identified, inter alia, through post-mortem visual detection of relevant abnormalities.
(5)
In view of the EFSA Opinion, it is appropriate to amend the specific requirements for the post-mortem inspection of domestic swine set out in Part B of Chapter IV of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004.
(6)
Where the epidemiological or other data from the holding of provenance of the animals, the food chain information or the findings of ante-mortem inspection or post-mortem visual detection of relevant abnormalities indicate possible risks to public health, animal health or animal welfare, the official veterinarian should have the possibility to decide which palpations and incisions must be carried out during post-mortem inspection in order to decide if the meat is fit for human consumption.
(7)
The requirements provided for in this Regulation amend Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 which involves an adaptation of current practices both for food business operators and competent authorities. It is therefore appropriate to allow a delayed application of this Regulation.
(8)
Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 should be therefore amended accordingly.
(9)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health and neither the European Parliament nor the Council has opposed them,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: