G/SPS/N/EU/416  
 
6 October 2020  
(20-6805) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate -
General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Products of anima l origin  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Commission Implementing Regulation amending 
Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/627 as regards uniform practical arrangements for the 
performance of official controls on products of animal origin . Language(s):  English . 
Number of pages:  7 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_5930_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_5930_01_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The revision aims at addressing a number of requests from 
Member  States and stakeholders to provide more clarity on certain legal provisions related 
to official controls.  
As regards official controls in meat, only clarifications, better consistency of wordings and 
a return to inspection practices applicable before the entry into force of the Regulation 
(December 2019) were aimed at.  
As regards official controls in bivalve molluscs,  the detection of Paralytic Shellfish Poison 
(PSP) toxins will be permitted only using alternative methods not entailing the use of 
animals (the use of the mouse bioassay shall be forbidden); moreover taking into account 
that EFSA has concluded that there are no reports on adverse effects in humans 
associated with Pectenotoxins (PTX) group toxins, those toxins will be removed from the 
list of toxins to be tested during official controls.  
As regards official controls in fishery products, taking into account that fishery products 
derived from aquaculture are tested to establish compliance as regards contaminants and 
pesticides, also wild caught f ishery products should be tested to establish the compliance 
as regards contaminants.  
7. 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.   G/SPS/N/EU/416  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : 
− Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat (CAC/RCP 58-2005)  
− Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52 -2003)  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
− Chapters 6.1 and 6.2 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code  
[ ] Intern ational Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627. Latest consolidated version, 
available in all languages of the European Union at https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1592565407649&uri=CELEX%3A02019R0627 -20190517   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 4th quarter 2020.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 4th quarter 2020.  
11. Proposed date of entry into fo rce: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the 
European  Union.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 5 December 2020  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if av ailable) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu   
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 295 4263  
Fax: +(322) 299 8090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu