In order to reduce administrative burden, Member States should have the possibility to grant derogations from the general obligation to classify carcasses to small scale establishments. On the basis of experience gained with the application of the Union scale for classification, it is appropriate to provide for such derogations for slaughterhouses which slaughter, as an annual average per week, less than 150 bovine animals aged eight months or more or less than 500 pigs. Nevertheless, Member States may determine lower limits depending on their national conditions, especially in order to ensure the representativeness of price reporting.

As certain slaughterhouses fatten, in their own establishments, bovine animals aged eight months or more and pigs, there is no market price to be recorded for the carcasses of such animals. Therefore, the application of the compulsory Union classification scales is unnecessary in these cases. It is therefore appropriate to allow the Member States having this practice to derogate from the rules on compulsory carcass classifications as regards these carcasses. This derogation should be also allowed for the classification of carcasses of local pig breeds with a particular anatomical body composition or particular modes of marketing when they make the homogeneous and standardised classification of carcasses impossible.

In order to take account of the specificities of establishments and seasonal sheep slaughtering, it is appropriate to enable the Member States applying the sheep carcass classification provided for in Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 to exempt from this classification some slaughterhouses on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria.

In order to ensure the uniform classification of the carcasses of bovine animals aged eight months or more and of sheep in the Union, it is necessary to make more precise the definitions of the classes of conformation and fat cover, carcass weight and colour of meat referred to in points A.III and C.III of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. However, other criteria may be used for the carcasses of lambs of less than 13 kg weight.

Point A.III of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides for a conformation class S for carcasses obtained from bovine of the double muscled carcass type. Given that this exceptional conformation class is marketed only in some Member States, it is appropriate to provide that Member States have the option not to make use of the conformation class S.

As the lean meat percentage of pig carcasses has increased steadily, the majority of pig carcasses are classified only in two classes. It is therefore necessary to allow Member States to further subdivide into subclasses the pig carcass classification classes laid down in point B.II of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, in order to ensure the differentiation of pig carcasses.

Taking into account the market requirements for the determination of the commercial value of the pig carcass, assessment criteria in addition to weight and the estimated lean-meat content should also be authorised.

In order to ensure the comparable market prices, point A.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 sets out a standard carcass presentation. To reflect certain market demands in respect of carcass presentation, it is necessary to provide that Member States may apply a presentation of carcasses different from the one laid down in point A.IV of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 by application of corrective factors, for the purpose of establishing market prices.

In order to take into account the traditional practices of some Member States relating to the removal of external fat, it is appropriate to allow those Member States to continue to make use of such practices, providing certain requirements are fulfilled.

In order to ensure the accurate application of the Union classification scales and to improve market transparency, the conditions and practical methods for classification, weighing and marking of carcasses of bovine animals aged eight months or more and of pigs and of sheep, should be specified.

In the case of a technical breakdown of the automated grading method, it is appropriate to provide for certain derogations, in particular concerning the time limit for classifying and weighing carcasses.

The marking of carcasses should be carried out at the time of classification. Member States may decide not to mark the carcasses where official record keeping provides for the link between the carcasses and the classification results, in particular when carcasses are processed into cuts immediately after the carcass classification, which makes the marking of carcasses unnecessary.

In order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the classification of carcasses of bovine animals aged eight months or more, of pigs and of sheep, that classification should be carried out by qualified classifiers having the necessary licence or approval or by using an authorised grading method.

With a view to authorising grading methods to direct assessment of the conformation and fat cover of carcasses of bovine animals aged eight months or more and of sheep, as well as of the lean meat percentage of carcasses of pigs, grading methods may be introduced when they are based on statistically proven methods. The authorisation of grading methods should be subject to compliance with certain conditions and requirements.

Provisions should be made for the possibility to modify, after a licence was granted, the technical specifications of the automated grading methods for the classification of carcasses of bovine animals aged eight months or more and of sheep, with a view to ensure the accuracy of those specifications.

The value of a pig carcass is determined in particular by its lean meat percentage in relation to its weight. The lean meat percentage is assessed by a grading method that should consist of an automated, semi-automated or manual grading technique and an assessment formula. The assessment formula should be made by measuring certain anatomical parts of the carcass by means of authorised and statistically proven methods. In order to ensure that the statistically proven methods are applied on an objective basis, it is necessary to inform the experts of Member States by means of protocols on the authorisation test and consult with these experts on the results of the test. While various methods can be applied for the assessment of the lean meat percentage of a pig carcass, it is necessary to ensure that the choice of the method does not affect the estimated lean meat percentage.

With a view to monitoring the comparable market prices of carcasses and live animals, it is necessary to provide that the price recording should refer to a well-defined marketing stage. It is necessary to determine the types of animals to which the price reporting relates.

If a Member State has defined regions for the purpose of this Regulation, the regional prices determined should be taken into account in the national price calculation. In cases where any supplementary payments are made to suppliers of animals, establishments or persons that are obliged to report prices should be obliged to inform the competent authority about the supplementary payment in order to correct the national average price.

In order to ensure market monitoring and to compare price developments with certain reference prices laid down in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, it is necessary to calculate average Union prices for certain carcasses and live animals on the basis of certain information submitted by the Member States annually.

For the sake of clarity and legal certainty, Regulations (EC) No 315/2002, (EC) No 1249/2008 and (EU) No 807/2013 should be repealed.

In view of the need to allow Member States to adapt to the new legal framework, this Regulation should apply 12 months after its entry into force,