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The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of a Commission's amendment to annex I to regulation 854/2004 as regards the specific requirements for post-mortem inspection of domestic swine (16701/13) Regulation 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 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted in October 2011 a scientific opinion, which concluded that the currently required palpations and incisions in post-mortem inspection of swine meat should be omitted.
These practices involve a higher risk of cross contamination with bacterial hazards than the risk associated with potentially reduced detection of conditions targeted by those techniques. In view of the EFSA opinion, the Commission proposed to amend the specific requirements for the post-mortem inspection of domestic swine set out in annex I to regulation 854/2004.
These Commission regulations are subject to the so called regulatory procedure with scrutiny. This means that now that the Council has given its consent, the Commission may adopt the regulation, unless the European Parliament objects.
Monday December 16, 2013/ European Consilium/ European Union.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu
