G/SPS/N/EU/277  
 
12 October 2018  
(18-6344) 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 animal origin intended for human consumption  
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 Delegated Regulation (EU) 
concerning specific rules for the  performance of official controls on the production of meat 
and for production and relaying areas of live bivalve molluscs in accordance with 
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA 
relevance); Draft Commission  Implementing Regulation (EU) laying down uniform 
practical arrangements for the performance of official controls on products of animal origin 
intended for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation 
(EC) No 2074/2005 as regards official controls (Text with EEA relevance) . Language(s): 
English.  Number of pages: 17 + 9 (annexes) and 52 + 12 (annexes)  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_5352_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_5352_01_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_5352_02_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/EEC/18_5352_03_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The two draft Regulations lay down official controls in products 
of animal origin i ntended for human consumption. They replace the current rules of 
Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 which will be repealed. The controls mainly concern fresh 
meat (meat inspection), bivalve molluscs, fishery products, milk and dairy products.  
Draft Delegated Regu lation focuses on who should carry out the meat inspection and 
provides derogations to the basic requirements laid down in Article 18 of Regulation 
(EU) 2017/625 on official controls.  
Draft Implementing Regulation lays down practical arrangements (what and  how) for the 
official controls in the products of animal origin.  
These draft Regulations intend to provide continuity of the current rules of Regulation 
(EC) No 854/2004 introducing adaptation to better define to adapt to currently most 
relevant hazards, using a risk -based approach based on scientific opinions of the 
European Food Safety Authority.  G/SPS/N/EU/277  
 
- 2 - 
 
  The two texts are notified together because they are linked to each other. One focuses 
on who is responsible for the official controls and the other on the spec ific tasks to be 
carried out.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant interna tional standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : CAC/RCP 58 -2005 
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Terrestrial Animal Health Code, 
Chapters 6.1 to 6.3  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, de scribe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Regulation (EC) No 854/2004, available in all the official 
languages of the European Union.   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Spring 2019.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Spring 2019.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 14 December 2019 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 11 December 2018  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [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: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2 ) 29 98090  
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: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu