1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COUNCILREGULATION(EEC)No2137/92
of23July1992
concerning the Community scale for the classification of carcases of ovine animals and deter-
mining the Community standard quality of fresh or chilled sheep carcases and extending
Regulation(EEC)No338/91
(OJ L 214, 30.7.1992, p. 1)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Council Regulation (EC) No 1278/94 of 30 May 1994 L 140 5 3.6.1994
►M2Council Regulation (EC) No 2536/97 of 16 December 1997 L 347 6 18.12.1997
Amended by:
►A1Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the
Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia,
the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of
Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the SlovakRepublic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the EuropeanUnion is foundedL 236 33 23.9.2003
▼B
COUNCILREGULATION(EEC)No2137/92
of23July1992
concerningtheCommunityscalefortheclassificationofcarcasesof
ovineanimalsanddeterminingtheCommunitystandardqualityoffresh or chilled sheep carcases and extending Regulation (EEC)
No338/91
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European EconomicCommunity,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3013/89 of 25
September 1989 onthe commonorgan izationof the market inthesheepmeat and goatmeat sector (
1), and in particular Article 4 (2)
thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Whereas a carcase classification standard is necessary in order to
improve market transparency in this sector;
Whereas the classificationmust be made onthe basis of con formation
and the degree of fat cover; whereas the combination of these two
criteria enables carcases of ovine animals to be divided into classes;
whereas classified carcases must be identified;
Whereas, however, other criteria, inparticular weight, meat colour an d
fat cover, may be used for the classificationof carcases of lambs less
than13 kg weight; whereas Member States wishin g to use these criteriainform the Commission and other Member States;
Whereas, in order to ensure the uniform application of this Regulation
in the Community, provision should be made for on-the-spot checks bya Community inspection group;
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 338/91 of 5 February 1991
determining the Community standard quality of fresh or chilled sheep
carcases (
2) applied for the 1991 and 1992 marketing years pending the
setting up of Community carcase classification standards;
Whereas it is not appropriate to set up the standards in question at
present; whereas it is preferable to first gain some experience, acquiredover a sufficiently long period with regard to the application of theclassification scale as provided for under this Regulation; whereas it istherefore necessary to extend the application of Regulation (EEC)No 338/91 by a marketing year, with the exception of the measure
provided for inArticle 7 inRegulation(EEC) No 3013/89, for which
the application should be extended until 30 June 1994;
Whereas it appears appropriate to set as anobjective the compulsory
application of the Community scale after a sufficiently representative
transitional period for all the slaughterhouses approved for intra-Community trade; whereas, however, for reasons of sound administra-tion, this compulsory application need not concern smallslaugtherhouses situated inregion s where the impact onthe market
price produced by the volume slaughtered insuch slaughterhouses is
negligible,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
This Regulation governs the provisions concerning the Community
scale for the classificationof sheep carcases.1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ No L 289, 7. 10. 1989, p. 1. Regulationas last amen ded by Regulation
(EEC) No 1741/91 (OJ No L 163, 13. 6. 1991, p. 41).
(2) OJ No L 41, 14. 2. 1991, p. 1.
▼B
Article 2
For the purpose of carcase classification, the following presentations
shall apply:
(a)carcase: the whole body of a slaughter animal as presented after
bleeding, evisceration and skinning, presented without the head
(severed at the atlantooccipital joint), the feet (severed at the carpo-metacarpal or tarso-metatarsal joints), the tail (severed between thesixth and seventh caudal vertebrae), the udder, the genitalia, theliver and the pluck. Kidneys and kidney fat are included in thecarcase;
(b)hall-carcase: (SIC!half-carcase: ) the product obtained by separ-
ating the carcase symmetrically through the middle of eachcervical, dorsal, lumbar and sacral vertebra and through the middleof the sternum and the ischiopublic symphysis.
However, Member States shall be authorized to permit different presen-
tations when the reference presentation is not used. In such instances,
the adjustments necessary to progress from those presentations to thereference presentation shall be determined in accordance with theprocedure laid downinArticle 30 of Regulation(EEC) No 3013/89.
Article 3
1. Carcases of ovine animals shall be divided into the following
categories:
— carcases of sheep under twelve months old,
— carcase of other sheep.
2. The carcases of ovine animals shall be classified by assessment
respectively of:
(a) conformation,
(b) fat cover,
as identified in Annexes I and II respectively.The conformation class designated in Anenx (SIC! Annex) I by the
letter S may be used by the Member States optionally to encompassthe higher (‘double-muscled carcase type’) conformation class. MemberStates intending to avail themselves of this option shall inform theCommissionan d the other Member States thereof.
However, for lambs of less than13 kg carcase weight, Member States
may be authorized to use the following criteria for classification:
(a) carcase weight,
(b) colour of meat,
(c) fat cover,
as defined in Annex III. Member States intending to make use of this
authorization shall notify the Commission and the other Member States
thereof by 5 April 1993.
If the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary,
Malta, Poland, Slovenia or Slovakia intends to make use of this author-isation, it shall notify the Commission and the other Member States nolater thanon e year after the date of accession
3. Member States shall authorized to subdivide each of the classes
provided for in Annexes I and II into a maximum of three sub-classes.
Member States making use of the classification system provided for in
Annex III shall be authorized to subdivide category C into two subca-tegories.1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 3
▼A1
▼B
▼M2
▼B
Article 4
1. Classificationof carcases or half-carcases shall take place as soon
as possible after slaughter and be carried out in the slaughterhouseitself.
2. The classified carcases or half-carcases shall be identified.
3. The detailed rules for applying this Article shall be adopted by 31
December 1992 inaccordan ce with the procedure laid downinArticle
30 of Regulation(EEC) No 3013/89.
Article 5
On-the-spot inspection shall be carried out, in collaboration with the
competent national authorities, by a Community inspection groupcomposed of experts from the Commission and experts appointed bythe Member States. This group shall report back to the Commission
and the other Member States on the checks carried out.
If appropriate, the measures necessary for the purpose of classification
shall be takeninaccordan ce with the procedures laid downinArticle30 of Regulation(EEC) No 3013/89.
The inspections shall be carried out on behalf of the Community,
which shall bear the resulting costs.
The detailed rules for applying this Article shall be adopted in accor-
dance with the procedure laid down in Article 30 of Regulation (EEC)No 3013/89.
Article 6
Additional provisions specifying the definition of the classes of confor-
mation, fat cover, carcase weight and colour of meat shall be adopted
not later than 31 December 1992 in accordance with the procedure laiddowninArticle 30 of Regulation(EEC) No 3013/89.
Article 7
1. From 5 April 1993 and until a new standard quality definition has
been introduced, Member States shall on a weekly basis notify theCommissionof the market prices recorded for the differen t classes in
the classificationscale.
2. The detailed rules for implementing this Article, and in particular
the frequency and extent of the recordings, shall be adopted in accor-dance with the procedure laid down in Article 30 of Regulation (EEC)
No 3013/89.
3. The information notified to the Commission by the Member
States shall be used for preparing the report and the proposals provided
for inArticle 8 (2).
Article 9
The Commissionshall submit a report to the Coun cil, by 31 July 2002
at the latest, on the operation of these arrangements, together with,where necessary, appropriate proposals, in particular with regard to
the classificationscale for carcases, with the aim of makin g the appli-
cation, if possible, compulsory.
Article 10
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day following its
publicationinthe Official Journal of the European Communities .
It shall apply from the 1993 marketing year.1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 4
▼M1
▼M2
▼B
▼B
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
inall Member States.1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 5
▼B
ANNEX I
CONFORMATION
Developmentofcarcaseprofiles,inparticulartheessentialparts(hindquarter,back,shoulder)
Conformation class Description
S
SuperiorAll profiles extremely convex; exceptional muscle development
(double-muscled carcase type)
E
excellentAll profiles convex to extremely convex; exceptional muscle
development
U
very goodProfiles on the whole convex; very good muscle development
R
goodProfiles onthe whole straight; good muscle developmen t
O
fairProfiles straight to concave; average muscle development
P
poorProfiles concave to very concave; poor muscle development1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 6
▼B
ANNEX II
DEGREEOFFATCOVER
Amountoffatontheoutsideofthecarcase andinthethoracic cavity
Class of fat cover Description
1
lowNone up to low fat cover
2
slightSlight fat cover, flesh visible almost everywhere
3
averageFlesh, with exception of the hindquarter and shoulder, almost
everywhere covered with fat; slight deposits of fat inthe thoracic
cavity
4
highFlesh covered with fat, but on the hindquarter and should still
partly visible; some distinctive fat deposits in the thoracic cavity
5
very highCarcase thickly covered with fat; heavy fat deposits inthe thoracic
cavity1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 7
▼M1
ANNEX III
CarcaseclassificationgridunderArticle 3(2),thirdsubparagraph
Category A B C
Weight ≤7 kg 7,1 — 10 kg 10,1 — 13 kg
Quality 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2ndMeat colour clear pink other
colour or
other fat
levelclear pink
or pinkother
colour or
other fat
levelclear pink
or pinkother colour
or other fat
level
Fat class(*) (2) (3) (2) (3) (2) (3)
(*) As defined in Annex II.1992R2137 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 002.001 — 8