. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/152
14 February 2002
(02-0759)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: European Commission, General Directorate for Health and Consumer
Protection
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable). Fresh or chilled meat for human consum ption of the following species (TARIC
position): Bovine animals (0201) including Bubalus bubalus  and Bison bison; S wine
(0203); Sheep and goats (0204); Domestic solipeds (02050); Poultry (0207) including: hens,
turkeys, guinea-fowls, ducks and geese.  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the
extent relevant or practicable:  Member States of the European Communities and other
countries exporting to the EEC
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Draft Commission Decision laying
down public health requirements for fresh meat and fresh poultry meat imported from third
countries, and amending Decision 94/984/EC. 5 pages.
5. Description of content:
The European Commission has, in June 2001, adopted Decision 2001/471/EC. This
Decision lays down requirements for the hygien e checks to be carried out by operators of
fresh meat and fresh poultry meat establishments in the EEC. These operators mustimplement the principles of HACCP and, as far as operators of fresh meat establishments
(excluding poultry) are concerned, they must carry out microbiological checks of carcasses
and working surfaces. These microbiological checks concern the total viable count and
enterobacteriaceae. Decision 2001/471/EC will apply from 8 June 2002.
The regulatory proposal notified hereby in practice extends to imports the legal provisions
set by Decision 2001/471/EC. The effects on third countries willing to export to the EEC
are the following:
• The European Commission will take into account the rules of a third country with
regard to the implementation of the HACCP principles and microbiological controls by
operators exporting fresh poultry meat or fresh meat to the EEC, when consideringwhether that third country fulfils the criteria to be included on a list of third countries
that may export fresh meat or fresh poultry meat to the EEC,
• When inspections are carried out by the Commission in third countries to determine
whether establishments fulfil the criteria to be included on a list of third country
establishments that may export fresh meat or fresh poultry meat to the EEC,
implementation by the operators concerned of the requirements of Decision2001/471/EC will be taken into account.G/SPS/N/EEC/152
Page 2
• Import certificates for poultry meat (TARIC code 0207) shall include the following
statement: “ That the meat comes from an esta blishment implementing checks on the
general hygiene in accordance with the provisions of Commission Decision
2001/471/EC. ”
• The Decision shall apply with effect from 8 June 2003.
When considering whether a given third country fulfils the criteria to be included on a list of
third countries that may export fresh meat or fresh poultry meat to the EEC, or when an
inspection is carried out in a given third country, the Commission will, from the date of
adoption of this Decision, take into account the preparatory steps taken by that country with
a view to fulfilling the requirements of this Decision from 8 June 2003.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [   ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations: Guidelines for the application of the HACCP-
system, contained in the Recommended International Code of Practice – General Principles
of Food Hygiene (CAV/RCP 1-1969, Revision-3, 1997) of Codex Alimentarius
Commission.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Document
SANCO/2001/3828/Rev. 4  ‘Draft Commission Decision laying down public health
requirements for fresh meat and fresh poultry meat imported from third countries;Commission Decision 2001/471/EC and amendi ng Decision 94/984.’ Available in all
Community languages.
9. Proposed date of adoption by the European Parliament and the Council:  The aim is to
adopt the Draft Decision in April.
10. Proposed date of entry into force: 8 June 2003.
11. Final date for comments: Sixty days after the date of notification.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Further to the regulatory text notified hereby (see box 8) the text of Commission Decision
2001/471/EC of 8 June 2001 laying down rules for the regular checks on the generalhygiene carried out by the operators in establishments according to Directive 64/433/EEC
on health conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat and Directive
71/118/EEC on health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of fresh
poultry meat ( Official Journal L165, 21/06/2001 pp:48-53) can be downloaded from Eur-
lex at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/index.html .  For English go to http://europa.eu.int/eur-
ex/pri/en/oj/dat/2001/l_165/l_16520010621en00480053.pdf