1991R1274 — EN — 01.06.1991 — 000.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 1274/91
of 15 May 1991
introducing detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing
standards for eggs
(OJ L 121, 16.5.1991, p. 11)
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 233, 22.8.1991, p. 31 (1274/91)
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COMMISSION REGULATION (EEC) No 1274/91
of 15 May 1991
introducing detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No
1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European EconomicCommunity,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 of 26 June
1990 on certain marketing standards for eggs (
1) and in particular
Articles 5 (3), 10 (3), 11 (2), 20 (1) and 22 (2) thereof;
Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 contains a thorough revision of
such marketing standards as were implemented in pursuance of previousRegulations; whereas provision is made therein for detailed rules neces-sary for the implementation of such standards to be adopted in accord-ance with Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75 (
2), as
last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1235/89 (3); whereas such rules
are in particular to be laid down as regards the conditions for registra-tion of collectors and packing centres, the identification, frequency ofcollection and the delivery and handling of eggs, quality criteria andweight gradings, the particulars of indications on eggs and their packs,terms to be used for indications of the type of farming, and criteriaconcerning the origin of eggs, and exemption in the case of smallquantities from the obligation for eggs to be packed in large packs;
Whereas both technological developments and consumer demand now
make it appropriate to provide for prompter delivery, collection, gradingand packing of eggs; whereas however certain producers are in aposition to provide guarantees of maintaining the temperature at whichthe eggs are kept at a level such as would make possible a permanentexemption from the general requirement of daily collection or deliveryin the case of eggs intended for labelling as ‘extra'eggs as provided forin Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90; whereas, however, for atransitional period, it is appropriate to provide for a general exemptionfor the benefit of all operators;
Whereas markets, access to which is restricted to authorized packing
and processing undertakings, provide guarantees of correct handlingsuch that they may be allowed to deliver eggs on the second workingday following that of reception;
Whereas the deliberate cumulation of the various time limits, to the
detriment of egg freshness, must be prevented in the case where apacking centre delivers ungraded eggs to another packing centre;
Whereas only undertakings whose premises and technical equipment are
suited to the scale of their operations, which therefore permit the properhandling of the eggs, should be authorized to collect, or to grade eggsby quality and weight;
Whereas, for the avoidance of confusion and in order to facilitate
identification of consignments of eggs for the purposes of the enforce-ment of this Regulation, each packing centre should be allotted adistinguishing registration number based on a uniform coding system;
Whereas, in order to ensure that the consumer is supplied with good
quality produce, criteria of a high standard should be fixed for eachquality grade;
Whereas quality characteristics for fresh eggs, also known as Grade ‘A'
eggs, should be defined so as to be limited to eggs of the highestquality; whereas certain eggs may be considered to be ‘extra fresh'in so
(1) OJ No L 173, 6. 7. 1990, p. 5.
(2) OJ No L 282, 1. 11. 1975, p. 49.
(3) OJ No L 128, 11. 5. 1989, p. 29.
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far as especially stringent arrangements apply to their collection and
further distribution;
Whereas eggs of ordinary quality, the characteristics of which do not
allow their inclusion in the grade ‘fresh eggs' must be described as‘second quality eggs' and graded as such; whereas eggs which haveundergone a process of cleaning, dipping refrigeration or preservationshould, as a general rule, be put in that grade;
Whereas a third quality grade should be established for eggs which do
not meet the requirements of the higher grades but are still suitable forhuman consumption;
Whereas in practice these eggs are largely intended for direct delivery
to the food industry, including food industry undertakings approved inaccordance with Council Directive 89/437/EEC of 20 June 1989 onhygiene and health problems affecting the production and placing on themarket of egg products(
1), as amended by Directive 89/662/EEC (2),
and on condition that packs containing them are labelled with thatdestination, do not in that case need to bear the distinguishing markwhich would otherwise identify them as Grade ‘C' eggs;
Whereas under the same conditions this waiver may also be extended to
Grade ‘B' eggs; whereas such labelling must also not allow of confu-sion, whether accidental or deliberate with that provided for in the caseof eggs unfit for human consumption which may be delivered only tothe non-food industry;
Whereas, since graded eggs are liable to depreciate in transport, high
standards should be enforced as regards packing, storage and transport;whereas such risks, including that of microbiological contamination, canbe substantially reduced by imposing severe restrictions on the use ofpacking material; whereas detailed conditions need to be laid down inorder to give effect to certain exemptions provided for in the case ofdirect local deliveries for retail sale of eggs without special packaging,otherwise known as loose sales;
Whereas, in addition to the mandatory packing date for use on egg
packs and grading date in the case of loose sales, relevant additionalinformation may be provided to the consumer by the optional indicationon eggs or on packs containing them of the recommended sell-by dateand/or best-before date and/or laying date; whereas it seems appropriateto relate the recommended sell-by date and best-before date to thequality criteria for eggs; whereas subject to certain safeguards it isappropriate to provide that the laying date may also be stamped on eggsat the farm;
Whereas, to counter the risk of fraud, not only daily collection and
immediate grading and marking, but also especially rigorous registra-tion, record-keeping and monitoring procedures need to be introduced inthe case of eggs on which it is intended to stamp the date of laying;
Whereas, in the case of eggs on which the date of laying has been
stamped at the farm, the rule providing for daily collection may berelaxed in order to avoid discrimination against producer establishmentsother than those supplying packing centres situated at the same site;
Whereas, in view of current commercial practice, it seems unnecessary
to provide for specific indications for the eggs of laying hens kept inbatteries; whereas, however, provision should be made for a limitednumber of indications for the eggs of hens not raised in batteries, so asto avoid confusion amongst consumers as regards the principal non-battery production systems;
Whereas, in order to safeguard the consumer from misleading state-
ments which might otherwise be made with the fraudulent intention toobtain prices higher than those prevailing for eggs of hens raised inbatteries, it is necessary, in the case of the optional use of indicationsrelating to particular types of non-battery farming, to lay down
(1) OJ No L 212, 22. 7. 1989, p. 87.
(2) OJ No L 395, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13.
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minimum husbandry criteria to be respected, as well as especially
rigorous registration, record-keeping, and monitoring procedures;
Whereas, in order to ensure uniform application of the provisions of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, and in particular of those concerningsupervision, including the special arrangements to be implemented formonitoring the use of the laying date, and of indications of particulartypes of non-battery farming, and of those concerning the origin ofeggs, provision should be made for the continuous exchange of informa-tion between the Member States and the Commission;
Whereas bands and labels must allows easy identification of the packs
and contents thereof;
Whereas special attention should be given to large and small packs
containing industrial eggs, on the one hand, and ‘extra'eggs on theother;
Whereas packing centres should be in a position to repack eggs, this
being necessary, in particular, when the packing is damaged, when atrader wishes to sell eggs under his own name or when eggs in largepacks are required to be repacked in small packs; whereas it is alsonecessary in such cases that the origin and age of the eggs be given inthe notices affixed to bands, labels and packs; whereas these noticesshould show that the eggs have been regraded or repacked;
Whereas it is necessary, in the interest of correct and unequivocal
information to wholesale and retail purchasers and to the finalconsumer, to make special arrangements for the labelling of eggs whichhave been repacked, and in particular in cases where packs are re-used,as well as where eggs are regraded in a lower quality grade;
Whereas the additional delay caused by repacking makes it essential to
forbid the use of the indication ‘extra' in the case of repacked eggs;
Whereas effective supervision of compliance with marketing standards
requires the examination of a sufficient number of eggs chosen so as toform a representative sample of the batch checked; whereas at the endof the checking process the batch checked should be marked with thedecision of the checker;
Whereas, following the provision for and definition of loose sales
enacted in Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, the sampling parametersshould also be extended to such sales;
Whereas, since the methods used for grading eggs by quality and weight
are not fully accurate, the process should admit of certain tolerances;whereas, moreover, as storage and transport conditions can affect thequality and weight of the batch, it is advisable to differentiate tolerancesaccording to marketing stage;
Whereas, in order to facilitate marketing and the checking of eggs
graded by quality and weight when contained in large packs, provisionshould be made for an average minimum net weight for each weightgrade;
Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 delegates to the Commission
the enactment of a number of provisions formerly contained in Regula-tion (EEC) No 2772/75, in order to facilitate future amendments;whereas this has made necessary a large number of amendments toCommission Regulation (EEC) No 95/69 (
1), as last amended by Regu-
lation (EEC) No 3906/86 (2), which should for the sake of clarity be
redrafted;
Whereas, therefore, Regulation (EEC) No 95/69 as well as Commission
Regulation (EEC) No 1295/70 (3), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No
36/85 (4), should be repealed;
(1) OJ No L 13, 18. 1. 1969, p. 13.
(2) OJ No L 364, 23. 12. 1986, p. 20.
(3) OJ No L 145, 3. 7. 1970, p. 1.
(4) OJ No L 5, 8. 1. 1985, p. 5.
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Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordancewith the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat andEggs,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. Eggs shall be delivered from producers to, or collected from
producers by, the establishments referred to in Article 4(1) (a) ofRegulation (EEC) No 1907/90 at least every third working day.
However, delivery or collection from producers to packing centres only
may take place once a week in those cases where ambient temperaturesat which eggs are kept at the farm do not exceed 18 °C.
2. Eggs intended for marketing as ‘extra',as provided by Article 12
of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, shall only be delivered to, orcollected by, packing centres every working day from each producer.However, such delivery or collection may take place every secondworking day in those cases where ambient temperatures at which eggsare kept at the farm do not exceed 18 °C.
During a transitional period until 31 December 1992, delivery and
collection of these eggs may generally take place every second workingday.
3. Eggs on which it is intended to indicate the laying date in accord-
ance with Article 17 shall only be delivered from each producer, to, orcollected from each producer by, packing centres on the day of laying.
Eggs on which the laying date is stamped at the farm shall be delivered
or collected not later than the working day following the day of laying.
4. All collectors shall deliver eggs to packing centres not later than
the working day following that of reception.
However, operators at markets within the meaning of Article 2 (2) (a) of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 may deliver eggs not later than thesecond working day following that of reception by the market.
5. Each delivery shall be identified by the name and address of the
producer or collector and the date of dispatch.
6. Packing centres are to grade and pack eggs at the latest on the
second working day following that on which the eggs were received atthe packing centre, except in cases where:
— the eggs received from producers are delivered to other packing
centres not later than the working day following that of reception,
— it is intended to indicate the laying date on eggs in which case they
shall be graded and packed on the day of laying.
7. The indications provided for in Articles 7 and 10 (1) and (2) (c) of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 shall be apposed not later than on theday of grading and packing.
Article 2
Eggs shall be maintained, during storage at the producer’s premises and
during transport from producer to collector or packing centre, at atemperature best suited to assure an optimal conservation of theirquality.
Article 3
1. Only undertakings and producers satisfying the conditions laid
down in paragraphs 2 to 4shall be approved as collector or packingcentres within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90.
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2. The premises of collectors and packing centres must be:
(a) of sufficient area in relation to the volume of work done;
(b) so built and equipped:
— that they afford suitable ventilation and lighting,
— that they may be properly cleaned and disinfected,— that the eggs are protected from wide variations in the outside
temperature;
(c) reserved for handling and storing eggs; however, a part of the
premises may be used for storing other products on condition thatthe latter do not impart extraneous odours to the eggs.
3. The technical equipment of packing centres must ensure proper
handling of the eggs and include in particular:
(a) suitable candling equipment continuously manned throughout and
allowing the quality of each egg to be examined separately. Whereuse in made of an automatic machine for candling, sorting andgrading, the equipment must include an independent candling lamp;
(b) devices for measuring the height of the air space;
(c) a machine for grading the eggs by weight;
(d) one or more adjusted balances for weighing eggs;
(e) equipment for stamping eggs, where use is made of the provisions
of Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90.
4. The premises and technical equipment must be kept clean and in
good repair and be free of extraneous odours.
Article 4
1. Any request for the approval of a collector or packing centre shall
be submitted to the competent authority of the Member State on whoseterritory the premises of the collector or centre are situated.
2. That authority shall give the packing centre approved by it a
distinguishing number, the first figure of which shall be as follows:
Belgium 1
Germany 2France 3Italy 4Luxembourg 5Netherlands 6Denmark 7Ireland 8United Kingdom 9Greece 10Spain 11Portugal 12.
3. Only packing centres which have been subject to special registra-
tion may be authorized to pack Grade ‘A' eggs marked ‘extra' or toindicate the laying date in accordance with Article 17 or the termsprovided for in Article 18.
4. Each Member State shall provide the other Member States and the
Commission, before 1 June 1991, with a list of the approved centres inits territory, showing the name and address and the number allotted toeach centre. Any alteration of that list shall be communicated at thebeginning of each quarter of the calendar year to the other MemberStates and to the Commission.
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Article 5
1. Grade ‘A'eggs shall have the following minimum characteristics:
Shell and cuticle: normal, clean, undamaged;
Air space: height not exceeding 6 mm, stationary;
however, for eggs to be marked as ‘extra', itshall not exceed 4mm at the time of packing,or time of customs clearance, in the case ofimports;
White: clear, limpid, of gelatinous consistency, free of
extraneous matters of any kind;
Yolk: visible on candling as a shadow only, without
clearly discernible outline, not moving appre-ciably away from the centre of the egg onrotation, free of extraneous matter of any kind;
2. Grade ‘a'eggs shall not be washed or cleaned by any other means
before or after grading.
3. Grade ‘A'eggs shall not be treated for preservation or refrigerated
in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially maintained atless than + 5 °C. However, eggs which have been kept at a temperature
below + 5 °C during transport of not more than 24hours or on retail
premises or in annexes thereto, shall not be considered as refrigerated inso far as the quantity stored in these annexes does not exceed therequirements for three days of retail sale on the premises in question.
Article 6
1. Grade ‘B'eggs shall have the following minimum characteristics:
Shell: normal and undamaged;
Air space: height not exceeding 9 mm;White: clear, limpid, free of extraneous matter of any kind;Yolk: — visible on candling as a shadow only; this charac-
teristic is not required of eggs preserved in lime,
— free of extraneous matter of any kind;
Germ cell: imperceptible development;Odour: free of extraneous odour.
2. Grade ‘B' shall include three types of eggs:
(a) eggs neither refrigerated nor preserved:
Grade ‘B' eggs which have not undergone any preservative treat-
ment and have not been refrigerated in premises or plants where thetemperature is artificially maintained at less than +5 °C.
However, eggs which have been kept at a temperature below +5 °C
during transport of not more than 24hours or on retail premises orin annexes thereto, shall not be considered as refrigerated in so faras the quantity stored in these annexes does not exceed the require-ments for three days of retail sale on the premises in question;
(b) refrigerated eggs:
Grade ‘B'eggs which have been refrigerated in premises artificially
maintained at a temperature below + 5 °C;
(c) preserved eggs:
Grade ‘B'eggs which have been preserved, whether refrigerated or
not, in a gas mixture the composition of which differs from that ofatmospheric air, and those which have undergone any other preser-vative treatment.
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Article 7
Grade ‘C' eggs shall be eggs which do not meet the requirements
applicable to eggs in Grades ‘A'and ‘B'.They may only be passed tofood industry undertakings approved in accordance with Article 6 ofDirective 89/437/EEC or to non-food industry undertakings.
Article 8
Grade ‘A' eggs shall be graded by weight as follows:
— Grade 0: 75 g and over,
— Grade 1: from 70 g up to 75 g,— Grade 2: from 65 g up to 70 g,— Grade 3: from 60 g up to 65 g,— Grade 4: from 55 g up to 60 g,— Grade 5: from 50 g up to 55 g,— Grade 6: from 45 g up to 50 g,— Grade 7: under 45 g.
Article 9
In the case of stamping Grade ‘A'eggs in accordance with Article 7 of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, the following applies:
— the Grade ‘A'distinguishing mark shall be a circle of at least 12 mm
in diameter,
— the distinguishing mark for weight grading shall be a number
between 2 mm and 3 mm high, placed inside the abovementionedcircle,
— the packing centre number shall be of three or more figures at least
5 mm high,
— the indication of dates consists of letters and figures at least 5 mm
high showing the terms listed in Annex I, followed by day andmonth as defined in Article 14.
Article 10
1. The distinguishing mark showing quality grading for Grade
‘B'eggs shall be as follows:
(a) for ‘eggs neither refrigerated nor preserved',a circle at least 12 mm
in diameter in which shall appear the letter B in roman type at least5 mm high;
(b) for ‘refrigerated eggs',an equilateral triangle with each side at least
10 mm long;
(c) for ‘preserved eggs', a rhombus with diagonals of 16 mm and 7
mm.
Anyone who refrigerates or otherwise preserves eggs shall mark them
as indicated in (b) or (c) before doing so.
For eggs preserved in lime, however, these marks may be applied after
the preserving process has been carried out.
2. The distinguishing mark for the quality grading of Grade ‘C'eggs
shall be a circle at least 12 mm in diameter in which shall appear theletter C in roman type at least 5 mm high.
3. Notwithstanding the above, Grade ‘B' and ‘C' eggs need not be
marked in the case of direct deliveries to the food industry, providedthat packs containing them are clearly marked to show this destination.
Article 11
1. The distinguishing marks applied in accordance with Articles 9
and 10 and the indications on eggs provided for in Articles 16, 17, 18and 19 must be clearly legible.
2. Eggs shall be marked in an indelible colour resistant to boiling.
The product used must comply with the provisions in force in respect of
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colouring matters which may be used in foodstuffs intended for human
consumption.
Article 12
1. Packs, including inner packing material, must be shock-resistant,
dry, clean and in good repair, and made of materials which protect theeggs from extraneous odour and the risk of quality deterioration.
2. Large packs, used for transporting and dispatching eggs, including
inner packing material, shall not be re-used unless they are as new andmeet the technical requirements of paragraph 1. Re-used large packs,must not bear any previous marking likely to lead to confusion.
3. Small packs may not be re-used.4. The derogation referred to in Article 11 (2) of Regulation (EEC)
No 1907/90 applies in the case of delivery within a radius of 20 kg fromthe packing centre and for daily quantities of less than 3 600eggs perdelivery and of less than 360 per buyer. The name, address and numberof the packing centre as well as the number of eggs, quality and weightgrades and grading date shall be indicated on accompanying documents.
Article 13
1. Eggs must be stored in clean, dry premises, free of extraneous
odour.
2. Eggs in transport and during storage must be kept clean, dry and
free of extraneous odour and effectively protected from shocks, weatherand the effect of light.
3. Eggs in store and in transport must be protected from extremes of
temperature.
Article 14
The indication of the packing date referred to in Articles 7 and 10 of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 shall comprise one or more of thefollowing:
— EMBALADO EL: …,
— PAKKET DEN: …,— VERPACKT AM: …,—ΗΜΕΠΟΜΗΝΙΑ ΣΥΣΚΕΥΑΣΙΑΣ :… ,
— PACKING DATE: …,— EMBALLÉ LE: …,— DATE D’IMBALLAGGIO: …,— VERPAKT OP: …,— EMBALADO EM: ….
For this purpose the date shall be indicated by two sets of figures
representing, in the following order:
— the day, from 01 to 31,
— the month, from 01 to 12.
Article 15
In addition to the packing date, as a date, the recommended sell-by date
and/or best-before date and/or laying date may be indicated by theoperator at the time of packing. The laying date may, however, also bestamped on eggs at the farm.
Article 16
The recommended sell-by date is an indication of the last date eggs
should be offered for sale to the consumer, after which there remains areasonable storage period of at least seven days in the home. It shall befixed in such a way that Grade ‘A'eggs will retain the characteristicsdescribed in Article 5 (1) of this Regulation until the end of that storage
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period when properly stored. The best-before date corresponds to the
end of this storage period.
The indication must be worded in such a way that the meaning of these
dates is clear.
Article 17
1. Where the laying date is indicated on eggs and on packs
containing them, packing centres shall keep separate records:
— of the names and addresses of the producers supplying such eggs,
who shall be registered following an inspection by the competentauthority of the Member State,
— at the request of this authority, of the number of laying hens kept by
each producer.
2. The producers referred to in paragraph 1 shall subsequently be
inspected regularly. They shall keep current records:
— of the date of placing, the age at placing and the number of laying
hens, broken down by henhouse,
— of the daily egg production of each henhouse,— of the number or weight of eggs delivered and on which it is
intended to indicate the laying date, or on which the laying date hasalready been stamped at the farm, broken down by buyer, and toinclude the latter’s name, address, and packing centre number.
3. Eggs on which it is intended to indicate the laying date shall be
delivered to packing centres in sealed containers. Deliveries of theseeggs and of eggs on which the laying date has already been stamped atthe farm shall be identified by:
— date of lay,
— name, address and number of producer, together with a coded
reference to the henhouse from which the eggs came,
— the date of dispatch,— the number or weight of the eggs in the delivery.
This information shall be shown on the container and on accompanying
documents, the latter to be kept at the packing centre for a period of atleast 12 months.
4. Containers referred to in paragraph 3 shall be opened in the
packing centre immediately before grading starts. All eggs from a singlecontainer shall be graded and packed without interruption. The layingdate shall be stamped during or immediately after grading on those eggsintended for such marking. In the case of packing centres supplied fromtheir own production units situated at the same site, eggs are to bestamped, and/or graded and packed on the day of laying or delivered toother packing centres.
5. Packing centres shall keep separate records of:
— daily quantities, by producer, of eggs arriving at the centre and on
which it is intended to indicate the laying date, or on which thelaying date has already been stamped at the farm, including theproducer’s name, address and registration number,
— the number and/or weight of eggs sold, by weight grade and buyer,
together with the latter’s name and address, as well as referencenumbers of small packs, and in the case of loose sales, of largepacks, containing these eggs. Such reference numbers shall be in anuninterrupted ascending numerical sequence.
6. Where packing centres are supplied only from their own produc-
tion units situated at the same site, the first and second indents ofparagraph 2, the third and fourth sentences only of paragraph 4, andparagraph 5 shall apply.
7. Production units and packing centres referred to in paragraph 1
shall be inspected at least once every two months.
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Article 18
1. Grade ‘A' eggs as well as as small packs containing such eggs
may carry one of the following terms, as appropriate, to indicate thetype of farming as referred to in Article 10 (3) of Regulation (EEC) No1907/90:
on packs: on eggs:
(a)Huevos de gallinas camperas Camperas
Æg fra fritgående høns Fritgående
Eier aus Freilandhaltung Freiland
Αυγά ελεύθερης βοσκής Ελεύθερης βοσκής
Free range eggs Free range
Œufs de poules élevées en libre parcours Libre parcours
Uova di allevamento all’aperto —
sistema estensivoAperto estensivo
Eieren van hennen met vr ĳe uitloop —
extensief systeemVrĳe uitloop —
extensief
Ovos de galina criada ao ar livre Ar livre;
(b)Huevos de gallinas criadas en parque Parque
Æg fra fritgående høns — intensivt
systemFritgående — int.
Eier aus intensiver Auslaufhaltung Auslauf
Αυγά περιορισµένης βοσκής Περιορισµένης
βοσκής
Semi-intensive eggs Semi-intensive
Œufs de poules élevées en plein air Plein air
Uova di allevamento all’aperto Aperto
Eieren van hennen met vr ĳe uitloop Vr ĳe uitloop
Ovos de galinha criada em parque Parque;
(c)Huevos de gallinas explotadas en el
sueloSuelo
Skrabeæg Skrabeæg
Eier aus Bodenhaltung Bodenhaltung
Αυγά δαπέδου µε στρωµνή ∆απέδου -στρωµνή
Deep litter eggs Deep litter
Œufs de poules élevées au sol Poules au sol
Uova di galline allevate a terra Allevate a terra
Scharreleieren Scharrelei
Ovos de cama Cama;
(d)Huevos de gallinas criadas en aseladero Aseladero
Æg fra volierehønsehold Voliere
Eier aus Volierenhaltung Voliere
Αυγά κλιµακωτής σχάρας Κλιµακωτής
σχάρας
Perchery eggs (Barn eggs) Perchery (Barn)
Œufs de poules élevées sur perchoirs Perchoirs
Uova di galline allevate in voliera Voliera
Volière-eieren Volière
Ovos de capoeira Capoeira.
The terms given may be used only for eggs produced in poultry enter-
prises meeting the criteria set out in the Annex.
In the case of loose sales, these indications of the type of farming may
be used only if individual eggs are marked with the respective term.
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2. Packing centres authorized to use the terms referred to in para-
graph 1 shall keep a separate record, by type of farming:
— of the names and addresses of the producers of such eggs, who shall
be registered following an inspection by the competent authority ofthe Member State,
— at the request of this authority, of the number of laying hens kept by
each producer.
The said producers shall subsequently be inspected regularly. They shall
keep records of the date of placing, the age at placing and the number oflaying hens by type of poultry system, showing also the number of eggsproduced and delivered per day, the date of dispatch and the names ofthe purchasers.
3. In accordance with Article 4(4 ) each Member State shall provide
the other Member States and the Commission with a list of the packingcentres in its territory thus registered, and any alteration to that list.
4. Eggs are referred to in paragraph 1 shall be delivered to packing
centres in containers bearing one of the terms referred to in paragraph 1in one or more Community languages. Deliveries shall be identified byname and address of producer, type, number or weight of eggs and dateof dispatch and delivery, and up-to-date records thereof and of stocks ona weekly basis shall be kept at the packing centre.
5. Eggs as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be graded and packed only
on days indicated at least one working day in advance to the competentauthority of the Member State. During storage, grading and packingthey shall be clearly separated from any other eggs.
6. Packing centres as referred to in paragraph 2 shall keep separate
records of daily quality and weight grading and of sales of eggs andsmall packs marked in accordance with paragraph 1 including the nameand address of buyer, number of packs, the number and/or weight ofeggs sold by grade of weight and date of delivey, instead of keepingsales records, they may, however, keep files of invoices or deliverynotes marked as indicated in paragraph 1.
7. Large packs containing eggs or small packs marked in accordance
with paragraph 1 shall bear one of the indications referred to in para-graph 1.
8. The provision of paragraphs 1 to 7 shall apply without prejudice to
national technical measures going beyond the minimum requirementsset out in the Annex, which are applicable only to producers of theMember State concerned, provided that they are compatible withCommunity law and are in conformity with the common marketingstandards for eggs.
9. The national measures referred to in paragraph 8 shall be commu-
nicated to the Commission.
10. At any time and at the request of the Commission, Member
States shall provide all the information necessary for assessing thecompatibility of the measures referred to in this Article withCommunity law and their conformity with the common marketing stan-dards for eggs.
Article 19
1. In order to indicate the origin of Grade ‘A' eggs or small packs
containing eggs in accordance with Article 10 (3) of Regulation (EEC)No 1907/90, terms and/or symbols may be used which refer to theMember State and/or to an administrative or other region, defined bythe competent authority to the Member State in which the eggs wereproduced. In the case of loose egg sales these indications of the originof eggs may be used only if individual eggs are marked with therespective terms and or symbols.
2. Packing centres which make use of the terms and/or symbols
referred to in paragraph 1 shall keep a detailed record of deliveries byorigin, showing the name and address of the producer, the number orweight of eggs and the date of delivery. The producer shall keep current
1991R1274 — EN — 01.06.1991 — 000.001 — 13
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records of the number and age of laying hens, showing also the number
of eggs produced and delivered, the date of dispatch, and the names ofthe purchaser.
3. Packing centres as referred to in paragraph 2 shall keep separate
records of the daily quality and weight grading and sales of small packsand of eggs marked with the terms and/or symbols referred to inparagraph 1, including name and addresss of the buyer, the number ofpacks, the number or weight of eggs sold and the date of delivery, aswell as of stocks on a weekly basis.
Instead of keeping records, they may however keep files or invoices or
delivery notes marked as indicated in paragraph 1.
4. Large packs containing eggs or small packs marked with the terms
and/or symbols referred to in paragraph 1 shall bear the same termsand/or symbols.
Article 20
1. Each Member State shall report to the other Member States and to
the Commission:
— the monitoring methods applied for the implementation of Articles
17, 18 and 19,
— annual, before 1 April, the average number of laying hens
present(
1), the number or weight of eggs delivered as recorded in
accordance with Article 18 (2) and (4) as well as the number orweight of eggs sold, as recorded in accordance with Article 18 (6),in the previous calendar year.
2. The checks carried out in the Member State shall be discussed, on
a regular basis, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article18 of Regulation (EEC) No 2771/75.
Article 21
1. The bands and labels provided for in Article 11 of Regulation
(EEC) No 1907/90 shall be white and the indications shall be printed inblack.
2. Apart from the information provided for in Article 10 of Regula-
tion (EEC) No 1907/90, these bands and labels, which may benumbered, shall bear an official marking laid down by the competentauthority. Each Member State shall before 1 June 1991 provide one ormore specimens of the band and label to the other Member States and tothe Commission.
Article 22
1. The following shall be marketed in packs with a yellow band or
label which cannot be re-used after the pack has been opened:
(a) eggs referred to in Article 2 (2) (b) of Regulation (EEC) No
1907/90 and not of Grade ‘A', ‘B' or ‘C';
(b) Grade ‘A' or ‘B' eggs which no longer have the characteristics of
those grades but have not been regraded;
(c) Grade ‘C' eggs.
2. The bands of labels mentioned in paragraph 1 shall conform to a
model laid down by the competent authority. Each Member State shall,before 1 June 1991, provide one or more specimens of the band andlabel to the other Member States and to the Commission. They shallshow in clearly visible and legible black type:
(1) Average number of laying hens present =
number of hens placed × laying weeks
52
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(a) the name or business name and address of the undertaking which
dispatched the eggs;
(b) the number or net weight of the packed eggs;
(c) the marking ‘EGGS FOR THE FOODSTUFFS INDUSTRY'in in
black capital letters, 2 cm high, in one or more languages of theCommunity.
Article 23
1. Industrial eggs within the meaning of Article 1 (2) of Regulation
(EEC) No 19078/90 shall be marketed in packs with a red band or label.
2. The band and the label mentioned in paragraph 1 shall conform to
a model laid down by the competent authority. Each Member Stateshall, before 1 June 1991, provided one or more specimens of the bandand label to the other Member States and to the Commission. The bandand the label shall bear:
(a) the name or business name and address of the undertaking to which
the eggs are being sent;
(b) the name or business name and address of the undertaking which
dispatched the eggs;
(c) the marking ‘industrial eggs'in black capital letters, 2 cm high, and
the marking ‘unsuitable for human consumption'in black letters atleast 0,8 cm high, in one or more languages of the Community.
Article 24
►
C11. The band ◄or label mentioned in Article 12 of Regulation
(EEC) No 1907/90 must be affixed in such a way that none of theinformation on the pack is obscured by the position of the band or label.
2. The word ‘extra'shall be printed in white in italics 1 cm high, on a
red background.
3. Large packs containing small packs marked ‘extra' shall be
marked in capital letters 2 cm high, ‘PACK CONTAINING SMALL“EXTRA”PACKS' in one or more languages of the Community.
Article 25
1. Eggs which have been regraded in accordance with Article 8 (2)
of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 may be marketed in the packs inwhich they were contained before regrading. If they are repacked, eachpack may contain only the eggs of a single batch.
2. The band or label on large packs shall bear in clear and legible a
black characters at least the following information:
(a) the name or business name and address of the undertaking which
regraded the eggs or had them regraded;
(b) the distinguishing number of the packing centre which first packed
the eggs or, in the case of imported eggs, the country of origin;
(c) the quality and weight grading;
(d) the number of eggs packed;
(e) the words ‘packing date:', followed by the date of first packing;
and below this the word ‘regraded:' followed by the date of the
regrading in the same manner as provided for in Article 14;
(f) particulars of the refrigeration or method of preservation, uncoded
and in Roman type, for refrigerated or preserved eggs.
3. Small packs containing regraded eggs shall bear only the particu-
lars provided for in paragraph 2, in clearly visible and legible charac-ters; in cases where the original packs are being re-used, the particularswhich are no longer applicable shall be covered over. In addition, smallpacks may bear the trade mark of the undertaking which regraded theeggs or had them regraded.
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Article 26
1. Except in the case provided for in Article 8 (2) of Regulation
(EEC) No 1907/90 packed eggs may be repacked in other large or smallpacks only by packing centres. Each pack shall contain only the eggs ofa single batch.
2. The band or label on large packs shall bear in clearly visible and
legible black characters at least the following information:
(a) the name or business name and address of the undertakings which
repacked the eggs or had them repacked;
(b) the distinguishing number of the packing centre which repacked the
eggs;
(c) the quality and weight grading;
(d) the number of eggs packed;
(e) the words ‘packing date:',followed by the date of first packing; and
below this the word ‘repacked:',followed by the date of repacking,in the same manner as provided for in Article 14;
(f) particulars of the refrigeration or method of preservation, uncoded
and in Roman type, for refrigerated or preserved eggs;
(g) the distinguishing number of the packing centre which first packed
the eggs or, in the case of imported eggs, the country of origin;
3. Small packs containing repacked eggs shall bear, in clearly visible
and legible characters, only the particulars provided for in paragraph 2.In addition, small packs may bear the trade mark of the undertakingwhich repacked the eggs or had them repacked. The word ‘extra'maynot be used.
4. The provisions of Article 1 (6) and (7) shall apply.
Article 27
1. The provisions of Article 21 shall apply to the bands and labels
mentioned in Articles 25 and 26. The specimens shall be suppliedbefore 1 June 1991.
2. If the original packs are used for regrading and repacking they
shall be considered as re-used within the meaning of Article 12 (2).
3. The particulars on the bands or labels of large packs which are
re-used in accordance with Article 12 (2) shall be completely coveredover by new bands or new labels or rendered illegible in some othermanner.
4. Large packs may bear one or more of the particulars appearing on
the bands and labels with which they are fastened. In addition, largepacks may bear the trade mark of the undertaking which repacked theeggs or had them repacked.
Article 28
The forms of wording defined in this Regulation for use on eggs and
packs shall be expressed at least in the language or languages of theMember State in which retailing or any other use takes place.
Article 29
1. The decisions provided for in Article 19 (2) of Regulation (EEC)
No 1907/90 shall not be taken unless the check has been carried out inaccordance with the provisions of paragraphs 2 to 5.
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2. Where the eggs are in large packs not containing small packs, atleast the following numbers of eggs shall be checked as samples.
Number of eggs to be checked
Number of eggs in the batch
% of batchMinimum number
of eggs
up to 180 100 —
181 to 1 800 15 180
1 801 to 3 600 10 270
3 601 to 10 800 5 360
10 801 to 18 000 454 0
18 001 to 36 000 3 720
36 001 to 360 000 1,5 1 080
over 360 000 0,5 540 0
3. Where the eggs are in small packs, whether or not these are inside
large packs, at least the following numbers of small packs and eggsshall be checked as samples.
Number of eggs in the batchPercentage of small
packs checkedNumber of eggs to
be checked per
back checked (%)
up to 180 100 100
181 to 1 800 15 100
1 801 to 3 600 10 100
3 601 to 10 800 5 100
10 801 to 18 000 4100
18 001 to 36 000 3 100
36 001 to 360 000 1,5 100
over 360 000 0,5 100
4. For batches of not more than 18 000 eggs, the eggs to be checked
shall be selected from at least 20 % of the large packs.
For batches of more than 18 000 eggs, the eggs to be checked shall be
selected from at least 10 % of the large packs and from at least ten largepacks.
5. In the case of non-packed eggs which are displayed or put up for
sale in the retail trade, 100 % of the eggs up to 180 eggs and for greaterquantities 15 % of the eggs with a minimum of 180 eggs shall bechecked as samples.
Article 30
1. After the check and after any necessary correction of the batch for
compliance with Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, the checker shall affixto the pack a band bearing an official stamp and the following particu-lars:
(a) ‘Checked on (date) …,
at (place) …;'
(b) the number allotted to the checker by the checking agency.
2. The check band shall be white red imprint. If the pack was
fastened before the check, it shall be refastened by means of the checkband, which may, if appropriate, be affixed over the original band orlabel.
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3. After small packs marked ‘extra' have been checked, the check
band small include the particulars referred to in paragraph 1 and theword ‘extra' in italics 1 cm high.
Article 31
1. In the checking of a batch of Grade ‘A' eggs, the following
tolerances shall be allowed:
(a) on dispatch from the packing centre:
— 5 % of eggs with quality defects, of which not more than:
— 2 % of eggs which are broken or with a cracked shell,
visible to the naked eye,
— 1 % of eggs with meat or blood stains.
However, in the checking of eggs marketed as ‘extra'no tolerance shall
be allowed for the height of the air space either at the time of packingor on customs clearance.
(b) at the other marketing stages:
— 7 % of eggs with quality defects, of which not more than:
— 4% of eggs which are broken or with a cracked shell,
visible to the naked eye,
— 1 % of eggs with meat or blood stains.
2. In the checking of a batch of Grade ‘B'eggs, a toleance o f7%o f
eggs with quality defects shall be allowed.
3. Where the batch checked is of less than 180 eggs, the percentages
referred to in paragraphs I and 2 shall be doubled.
Article 32
In the checking of a batch of Grade ‘A' eggs, a tolerance shall be
allowed as regards the weight per egg. Such a batch may contain notmore tha n6%o f eggs of the next lower weight grade.
Where the batch checked is of less than 180 eggs, the abovementioned
percentage shall be doubled.
Article 33
Large packs of Grade ‘A'eggs, graded according to weight grades, shall
have the following minimum net weights:
Grade 0: 7,5 kg/100 eggsGrade 1: 7,1 kg/100 eggsGrade 2: 6,6 kg/100 eggsGrade 3: 6,1 kg/100 eggsGrade 4: 5,6 kg/100 eggsGrade 5: 5,1 kg/100 eggsGrade 6: 4,6 kg/100 eggsGrade 7: minimum weight not laid down.
Article 34
Each Member State on whose territory a batch of eggs from another
Member State is regraded shall ensure that the decision to regrade isimmediately communicated to that Member State and, at the request ofthat Member State, to the competent authority which it designates.
Article 35
Member States shall communicate to the Commission before 1 January
1992 measures taken in application of this Regulation.
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Article 36
Regulation (EEC) Nos 95/69 and 1295/70 are hereby repealed.
Article 37
This Regulation shall apply with effect from 1 July 1991. However,
Articles 4(4 ), 21 (2), 22 (2), 23 (2) and 27 (1) shall apply with effectfrom 1 June 1991.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in
all Member States.
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ANNEX I
1.Packing date:
emb.pakketverp.συσκ.
packedemb. leimb.verp.emb.
2.Sell-by date:
vender antesSælges tilVerkauf bisΠώλησηSell byà vend. de préf. av.da vendersiuit. verk. dat.Lim. de venda
3.Best-before date:
cons. preferenteMindst holdbar tilMind.-haltbarΛήξηBest beforeà cons. de préf. av.da consumarsitenm. houdb. totLim. de consumo
4.Laying date:
puestalagtgelegtωοτοκίαlaidpondu ledeposizionegelegdpost
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ANNEX II
Minimum criteria to be met by poultry enterprises producing eggs as
referred to in Article 18 (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d)
(a) Eggs in small packs bearing the words ‘Free range eggs'must be produced in
poultry enterprises in which:
— hens have continuous daytime access to open-air runs,
— the ground to which hens have access in mainly covered with vegetation,— the maximum stocking density is not greater than 1 000hens per hectare
of ground available to the hens or one hen per 10 m
2,
— the interior of the building must satisfy the conditions specified in (c) or
(d).
(b) Eggs in small packs bearing the words ‘Semi-intensive eggs'must be
produced in poultry enterprises in which:
— hens have continuous daytime access to open-air runs,
— the ground to which hens have access is mainly covered with vegetation,— the maximum stocking density is not greater than 4000 hens per hectare
of ground available to the hens or one hen per 2,5 m
2,
— the interior of the building must satisfy the conditions specified in (c) or
(d).
(c) Eggs in small packs bearing the words ‘Deep litter eggs'must be produced in
poultry enterprises in which:
— the maximum stocking density is not greater than seven hens per square
metre of floor space available to the hens,
— at least a third of this floor area is covered with a litter material such as
straw, wood shavings, sand or turf,
— a sufficiently large part of the floor area available to the hens is used for
the collection of bird droppings.
(d) Eggs in small packs bearing the words ‘Perchery eggs (Barn eggs)'must be
produced in poultry enterprises in which:
— the maximum stocking density is not greater than 25 hens per square
metre of floor space available to the hens,
— the interior or the building is fitted with perches of a length sufficient to
ensure at least 15 cm of perch space for each hen.