EU provisions on meat inspection and flexibility

EU provisions on meat

inspection and flexibility

SANCO Roundtable on the revision of meat inspectionBrussels, 18 May 2010

Koen Van DyckHead of Unit (acting) European Commission

Health & Consumers Directorate General Directorate E - Safety of the food chain

Unit E2 – Food Hygiene, Alert System and Training

food safety policy

Built around a pillar= General Food law

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002

Objective: to create a general frame aiming at ensuring global consistency of all legal acts on food safety

General Food Law

General principles/requirements

Integrated approach Risk analysis and scientific basis Precautionary principle Transparency Shared responsibilities Traceability

Responsibilities

Ensuring that all stages for which they are responsible are carried out hygienically

Traceability

Withdrawal of non compliant food + info consumer

Information to competent authorities + collaboration

Enforcement of food law and Official controls

Public communication on food safety and risk

Operators Member States

Hygiene legislation• Hygiene package: a living legislation• Horizontal approach for all food• Taking into account specific risks linked to certain foods

• Consolidation and elimination of certain detailed requirements

• Separate texts for hygiene, official controls and animal health aspects

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 Food law

Competent authorities Food business operators


General rules for official controls


Specific rules for official controls on products of animal origin


General rules on hygiene


Specific hygiene rules for products of animal origin


Microbiological criteria


Trichinella


Other implementing rules

Hygiene Package= a living legal act

Changes

Comitology

Co-decision

ReviewCommission Report to the EP and the Council

Amendments Hygiene package Changes of the Hygiene Package (7)Changes of the Implementing measures (13)Regulation 1162/2009: prolongation of certain transitional measures relevant for Regulations 853/2004, 854/2004 and 882/2004

EU provisions meat inspectionLegal basis

Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 Regulation (EC ) No 882/2004 for activities excluded from the scope of the Hygiene package

Certain derogations provided

Flexibility – Regulation (EC) No 853/2004

Considered as the FBO activity (not part of EU rules for official controls): initial examination of wild game bodies by trained persons


Role of official auxiliariesUse of slaughterhouse staffRules for AMI and PMI more flexible for certain speciesVisual inspection of pigsThe official veterinarian is a key person


Establishments carrying out discontinuous slaughter or slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments with discontinuous slaughter or game handling activities

Visual inspection provisions – Annex VI b (amended in 2007)


DerogationsTrichinella-free holdings (IE, IT)Regions with negligible risk of Trichinella (DK)

Review of meat inspectionReview should not serve to solve non-compliances with Regulation (EC) No 854/2004Review should help to:

Inspection to cover relevant risksImprovement of methods currently used EU market, mutual recognition with free circulation of goodsInternational trade – equivalence, recognition of rules

Pilot projects


Limited in time and the scope

Notification procedure applies

Poultry sector - FR notified

History review of meat inspection

Elements incorporated in the Hygiene Package applicable since 1/1/2006, further amendments

Reinitiated by the Lyon Seminar 7-11 July 2008 and Council CVO Conclusions on 6 November 2008 with request for concrete proposals

Referred to in the Report from the Commission on the experiences gained from the application of the Hygiene Package, adopted on 28.7.2009

review of meat inspection

Outcome of consultation on the need for a review of meat inspection

Increasing public health importance of hazards, not discovered by conventional meat inspection

Driven by human resources problems

Enhanced role of off. auxiliaries?Clarification on responsibility FBO – CA?Additional delegation to slaughterhouse staff

Next StepsConsultations:

SANCO Round table on the revision of meat inspection 18 May 2010Follow-up meetings

• EFSA mandates– Requests for scientific opinions on the hazards to be covered by meat inspection

– Requests for technical assistance defining harmonised human health epidemiological criteria to carry out risk analysis within the scope of meat inspection

Thank you for your attention

EU provisions on meat inspection and flexibility

Documents

Transcript of EU provisions on meat inspection and flexibility