1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COMMISSIONREGULATION(EEC)No1274/91
of15May1991
introducing detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing
standardsforeggs
(OJ L 121, 16.5.1991, p. 11)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3540/91 of 5 December 1991 L 335 12 6.12.1991
►M2Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2221/92 of 31 July 1992 L 218 81 1.8.1992
►M3Commission Regulation (EC) No 3300/93 of 30 November 1993 L 296 52 1.12.1993
►M4Commission Regulation (EC) No 1259/94 of 31 May 1994 L 137 54 1.6.1994
►M5Commission Regulation (EC) No 3239/94 of 21 December 1994 L 338 48 28.12.1994
►M6Commission Regulation (EC) No 786/95 of 6 April 1995 L 79 12 7.4.1995
►M7Commission Regulation (EC) No 2401/95 of 12 October 1995 L 246 6 13.10.1995
►M8Commission Regulation (EC) No 1511/96 of 29 July 1996 L 189 91 30.7.1996
►M9Commission Regulation (EC) No 505/98 of 3 March1998 L 63 16 4.3.1998
►M10Commission Regulation (EC) No 1651/2001 of 14 August 2001 L 220 5 15.8.2001
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 233, 22.8.1991, p. 31 (1274/91)
►C2Corrigendum, OJ L 292, 8.10.1992, p. 34 (2221/92)
►C3Corrigendum, OJ L 320, 22.12.1993, p. 42 (3300/93)
►C4Corrigendum, OJ L 335, 19.12.2001, p. 24 (1651/2001)
▼B
COMMISSIONREGULATION(EEC)No1274/91
of15May1991
introducing detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EEC) No
1907/90oncertain marketingstandardsforeggs
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 of 26 June
1990 on certain marketing standards for eggs(1) and in particular Arti-
cles 5 (3), 10 (3), 11 (2), 20 (1) and 22 (2) thereof;
Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 contains a thorough revision of
suchmarketing standards as were implemented in pursuance ofprevious Regulations; whereas provision is made therein for detailedrules necessary for the implementation of such standards to be adoptedin accordance withArticle 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2771/
75(
2), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1235/89(3); whereas
suchrules are in particular to be laid down as regards th e conditionsfor registration of collectors and packing centres, the identification,frequency of collection and the delivery and handling of eggs, qualitycriteria and weight gradings, the particulars of indications on eggs andtheir packs, terms to be used for indications of the type of farming, and
criteria concerning the origin of eggs, and exemption in the case of
small quantities from the obligation for eggs to be packed in largepacks;
Whereas both technological developments and consumer demand now
make it appropriate to provide for prompter delivery, collection,
grading and packing of eggs; whereas however certain producers are
in a position to provide guarantees of maintaining the temperature atwhich the eggs are kept at a level such as would make possible apermanent exemption from the general requirement of daily collectionor delivery in the case of eggs intended for labelling as ‘extra’ eggs as
provided for in Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90; whereas,
however, for a transitional period, it is appropriate to provide for ageneral exemption for the benefit of all operators;
Whereas markets, access to which is restricted to authorized packing
and processing undertakings, provide guarantees of correct handling
such that they may be allowed to deliver eggs on the second working
day 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 theproper handling of the eggs, should be authorized to collect, or to gradeeggs by quality and weight;
Whereas, for the avoidance of confusion and in order to facilitate iden-
tification of consignments of eggs for the purposes of the enforcementof this Regulation, each packing centre should be allotted a distin-guishing 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 each
quality 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’ in1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 2
(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.
▼B
so 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 for
human consumption;
Whereas in practice these eggs are largely intended for direct delivery
to the food industry, including food industry undertakings approved inaccordance withCouncil Directive 89/437/EEC of 20 June 1989 on
hygiene and health problems affecting the production and placing on
the market of egg products(
1), as amended by Directive 89/662/
EEC(2), and on condition that packs containing them are labelled with
that destination, do not in that case need to bear the distinguishingmark which 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 ofconfusion, whether accidental or deliberate with that provided for inthe case of eggs unfit for human consumption which may be deliveredonly to the 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,can be substantially reduced by imposing severe restrictions on theuse of packing material; whereas detailed conditions need to be laiddown in order to give effect to certain exemptions provided for in the
case of direct 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 indica-tion on eggs or on packs containing them of the recommended sell-by
date and/or best-before date and/or laying date; whereas it seems
appropriate to relate the recommended sell-by date and best-beforedate to the quality criteria for eggs; whereas subject to certain safe-guards it is appropriate to provide that the laying date may also bestamped on eggs at 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 introducedin the 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 be
relaxed in order to avoid discrimination against producer establish-ments other than those supplying packing centres situated at the samesite;
Whereas, in view of current commercial practice, it seems unnecessary
to provide for specific indications for the eggs of laying hens kept in
batteries; whereas, however, provision should be made for a limited
number of indications for the eggs of hens not raised in batteries, soas to avoid confusion amongst consumers as regards the principalnon-battery production systems;
Whereas, in order to safeguard the consumer from misleading state-
ments which might otherwise be made with the fraudulent intention to
obtain prices higher than those prevailing for eggs of hens raised inbatteries, it is necessary, in the case of the optional use of indications1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 3
(1) OJ No L 212, 22. 7. 1989, p. 87.
(2) OJ No L 395, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13.
▼B
relating to particular types of non-battery farming, to lay down
minimum husbandry criteria to be respected, as well as especiallyrigorous 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 concerning
supervision, including the special arrangements to be implemented for
monitoring 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 infor-mation 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 also
necessary in such cases that the origin and age of the eggs be given
in the 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 eggswhich have been repacked, and in particular in cases where packs arere-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 the
decision of the checker;
Whereas, following the provision for and definition of loose sales
enacted in Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90, the sampling parameters
should 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 toler-
ances; whereas, moreover, as storage and transport conditions can
affect the quality and weight of the batch, it is advisable to differentiatetolerances according 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 to
Commission 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;1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 4
(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.
▼B
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee forPoultrymeat and Eggs,
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, in Finland and Sweden delivery or collection from producersto packing centres or to the industry may take place once a week onlyin those cases where the temperature at which eggs are kept at the farmis artificially maintained below 14 ºC.
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 eachproducer.
However, suchdelivery or collection may take place every second
working day in those cases where ambient temperatures at which eggsare kept at the farm do not exceed 18 ºC.
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 accor-
dance withArticle 17 sh all only be delivered from eachproducer, to,or collected from eachproducer by, packing centres on th e day oflaying.
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 the
second working day following that of reception by the market.
5. Each container shall be identified by the name and address or
registered number of the producer establishment, the day or period of
laying and the date of dispatch before leaving the production site.
In the case of packing centres supplied from their own production units
situated at the same site with eggs which are not in containers, identi-fication shall take place at the packing centre.
Where ungraded eggs are passed from the first packing centre to other
packing centres in different containers, eachcontainer must be identi-fied with this information before leaving the packing centre.
Where the period of laying is indicated, the determination of the date
of minimum durability and of the recommended sell-by date in accor-dance withArticle 14(1a) and Article 16(2) respectively sh all be made
starting from the first date of that period.
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
at the 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,1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 5
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— it is intended to indicate the laying date on eggs which are supplied
by production units situated at the same site as the packing centreand which are not in sealed containers in which case they shall be
graded and packed on the day of laying or, if the day of laying falls
on a non-working day, on the first subsequent working day.
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 4 shall be approved as collector or packing
centres within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90.
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. Where
use is made of an automatic machine for candling, sorting andgrading, the equipment must include an independent candlinglamp. In the case of automated systems, the competent authoritymay dispense with continuous manning of the machine;
(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 whose
territory 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 41991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 6
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▼B
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Luxembourg 5
Netherlands 6Denmark 7Ireland 8United Kingdom 9
Greece 10
Spain 11Portugal 12
Austria 13
Finland 14
Sweden 15.
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 terms
provided 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 approvedcentres in its territory, showing the name and address and the numberallotted to each centre. Any alteration of that list shall be communi-cated at the beginning of each quarter of the calendar year to theother Member States and to the Commission.
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 marketed as‘extra’, it shall not exceed 4 mm;
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 appreciably away from the centreof the egg on rotation, free of extraneousmatter of any kind;
Germ cell: imperceptible development;
Odour: free of extraneous odour.
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 refriger-
ated in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially
maintained at less than + 5 ºC. However, eggs which have been keptat a temperature below + 5 ºC during transport of not more than 24hours or on retail premises or in annexes thereto, shall not be consid-ered as refrigerated in so far as the quantity stored in these annexesdoes not exceed the requirements 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;1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 7
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Yolk: — visible on candling as a shadow only;
this characteristic is not required ofeggs 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 wherethe temperature is artificially maintained at less than +5 ºC.
However, eggs which have been kept at a temperature below +5 ºC
during transport of not more than 24 hours or on retail premises orin annexes thereto, shall not be considered as refrigerated in so far
as 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 artifi-
cially maintained at a temperature below + 5 ºC;
(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 of
atmospheric air, and those which have undergone any other preser-vative treatment.
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 withArticle 6 ofDirective 89/437/EEC or to non-food industry undertakings.
Article 8
1. Grade ‘A’ eggs shall be graded by weight as follows:
— XL-very large: 73 g and more,
— L-large: from 63 g up to 73 g,— M-medium: from 53 g up to 63 g,— S-small: under 53 g.
2. On packs the weight-grading shall be indicated by the respective
letters or by the respective terms as defined in paragraph 1 or by acombination of both, which may be supplemented by the correspondingweight ranges. No subdivision of the weight ranges referred to in para-graph1 sh all be made using different pack colours, symbols,
trademarks or other indications.
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 the letters as
defined in Article 8 (1), between 2 and 3 mm high, placed insidethe abovementioned circle,1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 8
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— 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 and
monthas 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 typeat least 5 mm high;
(b) for ‘refrigerated eggs’, an equilateral triangle witheachside 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, provided
that 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 colouring matters which may be used in foodstuffs intended forhuman 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 daily quantities of less than 3 600eggs per delivery and of less than 360 eggs per buyer. The name,address and number of the packing centre as well as the number of
eggs, quality and weight grades and date of minimum durability shall
be indicated on accompanying documents.
Article 13
1. Eggs must be stored in clean, dry premises, free of extraneous
odour.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 9
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2. Eggs in transport and during storage must be kept clean, dry and
free of extraneous odour and effectively protected from shocks,weather and the effect of light.
3. Eggs in store and in transport must be protected from extremes of
temperature.
Article 14
1. The indication of the date of minimum durability referred to in
Articles 10 and 15 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 shall be made atthe time of packaging in accordance with Article 9 (2) of Council
Directive 79/112/EEC(
1). It shall comprise one or more of the
following:
— Consúmase preferentemente antes del …,
— Mindst holdbar til …,
— Mindestens haltbar bis …,—Ανάλωση κατά προτίµηση πριν από …,
— Best before …,— À consommer de préférence avant le …,— Da consumarsi preferibilmente entro …,— Ten minste houdbaar tot …,— A consumir de prefêrencia antes de …,
— Parasta ennen …,
— Bäst före …
For this purpose the date shall be indicated by two sets of figures
representing, in the following order:
— the day, from 1 to 31,
— the month; from 1 to 12.
1a. The date of minimum durability shall be the date until which
grade ‘A’ eggs will retain the characteristics described in Article 5(1)
when properly stored. It shall be fixed at not more than 28 days afterlaying.
2. Large packs, and small packs even when contained in large packs,
shall bear on the outer surface in clearly visible and legible type anindication to advise consumers to keep eggs refrigerated after purchase.
3. In case of loose egg sales, wording equivalent to the indication
referred to in paragraph2 sh all be indicated in sucha manner as to beclearly visible and unequivocal to the consumer.
Article 15
The indication of the packing date referred to in Articles 10 and 15 of
Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 shall comprise one or more of the
following:
— Embalado el: …,
— Pakket den: …,— Verpackt am: …,—Ηµεροµηνία συσκευασίας: …,
— Packing date: …,— Emballé le: …,— Data d'imballaggio: …,— Verpakt op: …,— Embalado em: …,1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 10
(1) OJ No L 33, 8. 2. 1979, p. 1.▼M3
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— Pakattu: …,
— Förpackat den: …
followed by the two sets of figures as referred to in the second subpar-
agraphof Article 14 (1).
Article 16
1. In addition to the date of minimum durability and/or the packing
date, the recommended sell-by date may be indicated by the operator at
the time of packing on eggs or on packs containing them or on both.
2. The recommended sell-by date shall not exceed the maximum
time limit for the delivery of eggs to the consumer of 21 days afterlaying as laid down in Article 3(1) of Council Decision 94/371/EC(
1).
3. The laying date may be indicated by the operator on packs at the
time of packing, in which case it shall also be indicated on the eggscontained in the packs. The laying date may, however, also be stamped
on eggs at the farm.
4. For the indication of the dates referred to in this Article on eggs,
and in the case of the sell-by and laying dates also on packs, one ormore of the terms listed in Annex I shall be used.
5. The dates referred to in this Article shall be indicated by two sets
of figures, as referred to the second subparagraph of Article 14 (1).
Article 17
Where the laying date is indicated on eggs and on packs containing
them in accordance with the provisions of ►
M3Article 16 ◄,t he
following conditions shall apply:
1. 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 thecompetent authority of the Member State,
— at the request of this authority, of the number of laying hens kept
by eachproducer;
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
has already been stamped at the farm, broken down by buyer,and to include the latter's name, address, and packing centrenumber;
3. eggs on which it is intended to indicate the laying date shall be
delivered to packing centres in sealed containers except in cases ofproduction units situated at the same site. Deliveries of these eggsand of eggs on which the laying date has already been stamped at
the farm shall be identified by:
— the laying date,
— 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.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 11
(1) OJ L 168, 2.7.1994, p. 34.▼M3
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This information shall be shown on the container and on accompa-
nying documents, the latter to be kept at the packing centre for aperiod of at least six months;
4. containers referred to in point 3 shall be opened in the packing
centre immediately before grading starts. All eggs from a singlecontainer shall be graded and packed without interruption.►
C2The laying date shall be ◄stamped during or immediately
after grading on those eggs intended for such marking;
5. in the case of packing centres supplied from their own production
units situated at the same site with eggs which are not in sealedcontainers, eggs are to be:
— stamped with the laying date on the day of laying; however, eggs
laid on non-working days may be stamped on the first subse-
quent working day, together with the eggs laid on that day with
the date of the first non-working day, or
— graded and packed in accordance withth e provisions of Article 1
(6), or
— delivered to other packing centres or industry on the day of
laying or, if the day of laying falls on a non-working day, onthe first subsequent working day.
If these packing centres are also supplied with eggs from external
producers on which it is not intended to indicate the laying date,these eggs shall be stored and handled separately. Daily records ofcollection or reception and grading of sucheggs sh all be kept;
6. 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 whichthe laying date has already been stamped at the farm, includingthe producer's name, address, and registration number,
— daily quality and weight grading of these eggs,
— the number and/or weight of eggs sold, by weight grade and
buyer, together with the latter's name and address;
7. production units and packing centres referred to in point 1 shall be
inspected at least once every two months.
Article 18
1. In order to indicate the farming method as referred to in Article 7
and Article 10(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 withth e exception
of organic or biological farming as referred to in Council Regulation
(EEC) No 2092/91(
1), on eggs and on packs containing eggs, no other
terms except those set out hereunder and the corresponding terms in theother Community languages listed in Annex II may be used and in anycase only if the relevant conditions laid down in Annex III are fulfilled:
On packs On eggs
Free range eggs Free range
Barn eggs BarnEggs from caged hens Cage
These terms may be supplemented by indications referring to the parti-
cular characteristics of the respective farming method.
The terms on eggs may be replaced by a code designating the produ-
cer's distinguishing number permitting to identify the farming methodprovided that the meaning of the code is explained on the pack.
In the case of loose sales, the indications of the farming method may
be used only if individual eggs are marked at the farm or packing1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 12
(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1.▼B
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centre with the respective term or the producer code, if the latter
permits to identify the farming method, provided that its meaning isexplained on a separate sign.
When the Member States have attributed the distinguishing number
referred to in Article 7 of Council Directive 1999/74/EC(
1) to producer
establishments covered by this Directive no other codes shall be used.
If a Member State decides to attribute distinguishing numbers also for
establishments not falling under the scope of Directive 1999/74/EC no
other codes shall be used.
2. Packing centres authorised to use the terms referred to in para-
graph 1 shall keep a separate record by farming method for at leastsix months after the producer ceases to supply eggs or after the flock
is disposed of:
— 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 eachproducer.
The said producers shall subsequently be inspected regularly. They
shall keep records of the date of placing, the age at placing and thenumber of laying hens by type of poultry system, showing also thenumber of eggs produced and delivered per day, the date of dispatchand the names of the purchasers. ►
M9Suchrecords sh all be kept
on-farm for at least six months after the flock has been disposed of. ◄
Each Member State shall provide the other Member States and the
Commission, before 1 January 1993 with the list of the registeredproducers in its territory, for each type of farming showing the name
and address of each of them and any number alloted to them. Any
alteration of that list shall be comunicated at the beginning of eachcalendar year to the other Member States and to the Commission.
3. In accordance withArticle 4 (4) eachMember State sh all 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 as referred to in paragraph1 sh all be delivered to packing
centres and to food industry undertakings approved in accordance withDirective 89/437/EEC in containers bearing one of the terms referred toin paragraph1 in one or more Community languages. Containers sh all
be identified by name and address or registered number of producer,
type of eggs, their number or weight and date of dispatch beforeleaving the production site. The date of delivery and records of allinformation on containers, and of physical stocks on a weekly basisshall be kept at the packing centre and food industry establishment fora period of at least six months.
5. Eggs as referred to in paragraph1 sh all be graded and packed
only on days indicated at least one working day in advance to thecompetent authority of the Member State. During storage, grading and
packing they shall be clearly separated from any other eggs.
6. Packing centres as referred to in paragraph2 sh all keep separate
records of daily quality and weight grading and of sales of eggs and
small packs marked in accordance withparagraph1 including th ename and address of buyer, number of packs, the number and/or weightof eggs sold by grade of weight and date of delivery as well as ofphysical stocks on a weekly basis. Instead of keeping sales records,they may, however, keep files of invoices or delivery notes marked as1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 13
(1) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 53.▼B
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indicated in paragraph1. Suchrecords and files sh all be kept for at
least six months.
6a. Collectors and wholesalers are required to maintain records on
purchases and sales transactions and physical stock records for eggsreferred to in paragraph1(a) and (b), for a period of at least sixmonths.
Collectors shall be able to show for these eggs:
(a) dates and quantities of collections;
(b) the names and addresses of the producers;
(c) dates and quantities of deliveries to the relevant packing stations.
Wholesalers (including dealers who do not physically handle eggs)
shall be able to show for these eggs:
(a) dates and quantities of bothpurch ases and sales
(b) names and addresses of the suppliers/purchasers
In addition, those wholesalers who physically handle these eggs shall
keep a weekly record of physical stock.
Instead of keeping specific records on purchases and sales transactions,
collectors and wholesalers may keep files of invoices or delivery notesmarked as indicated in paragraph1.
7. Large packs containing eggs or small packs marked in accordance
with paragraph 1 shall bear one of the indications referred to in para-
graph1.
7a. The provisions of paragraphs 2 to 6a do not apply when the term
referred to in paragraph1(c) is used.
7b. Packs containing eggs destined for food industry undertakings
approved in accordance withDirective 89/437/EEC may be markedwith the indications referred to in paragraph 1 provided that the eggsare produced in poultry establishments meeting the respective require-ments set out in Annex III and that the monitoring measures referred to
in paragraphs 2 to 6 are applied.
8. The provisions of paragraphs 1 to 7 shall apply without prejudice
to national technical measures going beyond the minimum require-ments set out in Annex II, which are applicable only to producers ofthe Member State concerned, provided that they are compatible with
Community law and are in conformity withth e common marketing
standards 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 with Commu-nity law and their conformity with the common marketing standards foreggs.
Article 18 a
1. The Member States shall take all measures necessary to ensure
the confidential character of information supplied pursuant to Article17, Article 18(2), Article 18c(1) and Article 19(2) insofar as naturalpersons are concerned.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 14
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2. The data entered in the registers may be used only for the appli-
cation of this Regulation.
Article 18b
Supervision of the indications of the farming method used as referred
to in Article 18(1), including indications regarding the particular char-acteristics of the respective farming method and of indications howlaying hens are fed as referred to in Article 18c, may be delegated tobodies designated by the Member Sates which provide the necessary
independence vis-à-vis the producers concerned and which shall
comply withth e criteria set out in European Standard No EN/45011in force.
These bodies shall be licensed and supervised by the competent autho-
rities of the Member State concerned.
The costs of controls charged by these bodies shall be borne by the
operator using the indications referred to above.
Article 18c
Where grade A eggs and packs bear an indication of how laying hens
are fed, the following conditions and those laid down in Annex IVshall apply:
1. packing centres which make use of such indications shall keep a
detailed record of deliveries, showing the name and address or regis-
tered number of the producer, the number or weight of eggs and thedate of delivery. The producer shall keep current record of quantityand type of feed supplied and mixed on-site, date of supply andname of feed manufacturer or supplier, the number and age oflaying hens, showing also the number of eggs produced and deliv-
ered, the date of dispatch, and the names of the purchaser.
These records shall be kept for at least six months after the producer
ceases to supply eggs or after the flock is disposed of;
2. feed manufacturers and suppliers shall keep records showing the
composition of the feed supplied to the producers referred to inparagraph1 for at least six month s after dispatch ;
3. packing centres as referred to in paragraph1 sh all keep separate
records of the daily quality and weight grading and sales of smallpacks and of eggs marked withth e terms referred to in paragraph1, including name and address of the buyer, the number or weightof eggs sold and the date of delivery, as well as of physical stocks
on a weekly basis for a period of at least six months.
Instead of keeping sales records, they may however keep files of
invoices or delivery notes bearing indications of how laying hens
are fed;
4. large packs containing eggs or small packs marked withth e indica-
tion of how laying hens are fed shall bear the same indications. Inthe case of loose egg sales, the indications may be used only if indi-
vidual eggs are marked withth e respective terms;
5. inspections regarding compliance with the statements made shall be
carried out at the farm and feed manufacturer at least once a year;
6. the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 4 shall apply without prejudice to
national technical measures going beyond the minimum require-ments set out in Annex IV, which are applicable only to producersof the Member State concerned, provided that they are compatible
withCommunity law and are in conformity withth e common
marketing standards for eggs;
7. the national measures referred to in paragraph 6 shall be communi-
cated to the Commission;
8. at any time and at the request of the Commission, Member States
shall provide all the information necessary for assessing the compat-ibility of the measures referred to in this Article with Community1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 15
▼M10
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law and their conformity with the common marketing standards for
eggs.
Article 19
1. In order to indicate the origin of Grade ‘A’ eggs or small packs
containing eggs in accordance withArticle 10 (3) of Regulation (EEC)No 1907/90, terms and/or symbols may be used which refer to the
Member State and/or to an administrative or other region, defined by
the 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 withth erespective terms and or symbols.
2. Packing centres which make use of the terms and/or symbols
referred to in paragraph1 sh all keep a detailed record of deliveries byorigin, showing the name and address or registered number of theproducer, the number or weight of eggs and the date of delivery. Theproducer shall keep current records of the number and age of layinghens, showing also the number of eggs produced and delivered, the
date of dispatch, and the names of the purchaser. Such records shall
be kept for at least six months after the producer ceases to supplyeggs or after the flock has been disposed of.
3. Packing centres as referred to in paragraph2 sh all keep separate
records of the daily quality and weight grading and sales of smallpacks and of eggs marked withth e terms and/or symbols referred toin paragraph 1, including name and address of the buyer, the numberor weight of eggs sold and the date of delivery, as well as of physical
stocks on a weekly basis for at least six months. Instead of keeping
records, they may however keep files of invoices or delivery notesmarked as indicated in paragraph1.
4. Large packs containing eggs or small packs marked withth e
terms and/or symbols referred to in paragraph 1 shall bear the same
terms and/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,
— annually, before 1 April, the average number of laying hens
present(
1), the number or weight of eggs delivered as recorded in
accordance withArticle 18(2) and (7)(b) as well as th e 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 withth e 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 printedin black on these bands and labels.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 16
(1) Average number of laying hens present =
number of hens placed × laying weeks
52▼B
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▼B
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 competent
authority. Each Member State shall before 1 June 1991 provide one or
more specimens of the band and label to the other Member States andto the 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:
(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 ‘ ►
C2EGGS FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY ◄’i n
letters, 2 cm high, in one or more languages of the Community.
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 orlabel.
2. The band and the label mentioned in paragraph 1 shall conform to
a model laid down by the competent authority. Each Member State
shall, before 1 June 1991, provided one or more specimens of theband and label to the other Member States and to the Commission.The band and 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 blackletters at least 0,8 cm high, in one or more languages of theCommunity.
Article 24
1. The band or label referred to in Article 12 of Regulation (EEC)
No 1907/90 must be printed or affixed in such a way that none of the
information on the pack is obscured by the position of the band orlabel. The term ‘extra’ shall be printed on the band or label in italicsat least 1 cm high followed by the word ‘until’ and the two sets offigures referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 14 (1) indi-
cating the seventh day after packing or the ninth day after the laying
date.
Where the packing date is indicated on the packs, the indication
referred to above may be replaced by the following indication:
‘extra until seventhday after packing’.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 17
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Where the laying date is indicated on the packs, the indication referred
to above may be replaced by the following indication:
‘extra until ninthday after laying’.
The term ‘extra’ may be followed by the word ‘fresh’.
2. Where the band or label referred to in paragraph 1 cannot be
removed from the pack, the pack must be removed from the salesarea not later than the seventh day after packing or the ninth day after
laying and the eggs must be repacked.
3.►
C2Large 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 Commu-nity.
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,
each pack 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) — for grade A eggs: the original date of minimum durability, and
below this the words ‘regraded eggs’,
— for eggs of other grades: 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 asprovided for in the second subparagraph of Article 14 (1);
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 paragraph2, in clearly visible and legible
characters; in cases where the original packs are being re-used, theparticulars which are no longer applicable shall be covered over. Inaddition, small packs may bear the trade mark of the undertakingwhich regraded the eggs or had them regraded.
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
small packs only by packing centres. Each pack shall contain only the
eggs of a 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;1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 18
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▼B
▼B
(c) the quality and weight grading;
(d) the number of eggs packed;
(e) — for grade A eggs: the original date of minimum durability, and
below this the words ‘repacked eggs’,
— for eggs of other grades: 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 asprovided for in Article 14 (1);
(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 para-graph 2. In addition, small packs may bear the trade mark of theundertaking which repacked the eggs or had them repacked. The word‘extra’ may not 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 withArticle 12 (2) sh all 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 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.
2. Where the eggs are in large packs not containing small packs, at
least the following numbers of eggs shall be checked as samples.
Number of eggs in the batchNumber of eggs to be checked
% of batchMinimum number
of eggs
up to 180 100 —
181 to 1800 15 180
1 801 to 3 600 10 270
3 601 to 10800 5 360
10801 to 18000 4 540
18001 to 36000 3 720
36001 to 360000 1,5 1080
over 360000 0,5 54001991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 19
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3. Where the eggs are in small packs, whether or not these are
inside large packs, at least the following numbers of small packs andeggs shall 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 1800 15 100
1 801 to 3 600 10 100
3 601 to 10800 5 100
10801 to 18000 4 100
18001 to 36000 3 100
36001 to 360000 1,5 100
over 360000 0,5 100
4. For batches of not more than 18000 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 tenlarge packs.
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
greater quantities 15 % of the eggs with a minimum of 180 eggs shallbe checked 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 shallaffix to the pack a band bearing an official stamp and the followingparticulars:
(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 or
label.
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 toler-
ances shall be allowed:
(a) on dispatchfrom th e 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 withmeat 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 ofpacking or 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 withmeat or blood stains.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 20
▼B
2. In the checking of a batch of Grade ‘B’ eggs, a toleance of 7 %
of eggs withquality defects sh all 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
With the exception of the case provided for in Article 13 (3) of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 1907/90, in the checking of a batch of Grade A eggs,a tolerance shall be allowed as regards the weight per egg. Such abatch may contain not more than 12 % of eggs of weight gradesbordering on that marked on the packing, but not more than 6 % ofeggs of the next lower weight grade.
Where the batch checked is of less than 180 eggs, the abovementioned
percentages shall be doubled.
Article 33
Large packs of grade ‘A’ eggs, graded according to weight-grades,
shall have the following minimum net weights:
— XL-very large: 7,3 kg/100 eggs,
— L-large: 6,4 kg/100 eggs,
— M-medium: 5,4 kg/100 eggs,
— S-small: 4,5 kg/100 eggs.
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 is
immediately communicated to that Member State and, at the request
of that 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.
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 effect
from 1 June 1991.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 21
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ANNEX I
1.Dateofminimumdurability:
►C3cons. preferente ◄
Mindst holdbar til
Mind. haltbar
Ανάλωση πριν απόBest before
à cons. de préf. av. or DCR(
1)
da cons. pref. entrotenm. houdb. tot
Cons. pref.
parasta ennen
bäst före
2.Packingdate:
►
C3emb.◄
Pakket
Verp.
ΣυσκευασίαPacked
Emb. le
Imball. ilVerp.
Emb.
pakattu
förp. den
3.Sell-bydate:
vender antes
Sidste salgsdato
Verkauf bis
ΠώλησηSell by
à vend. préf. av. or DVR(
1)
data vend. racc.uit. verk. dat.
Vend. de pref. antes de
viimeinen myyntipäivä
sista försäljningsdag
4.Layingdate:
Puesta
Læggedato1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 22
(1) If the terms DVR or DCR are used, the indication on the pack must be worded in such
a way that the meaning of these initials is clear.▼M10
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Gelegt
ΩοτοκίαLaidPondu le
Deposto il
GelegdPostura
munintapäivä
värpta den1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 23
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ANNEX II
Termsfortheindicationofthetypesofeggfarming(a):onpacks;(b)oneggs
Code 1 2 3
EN a) Free-range eggs Barn eggs Eggs from caged hens
b) Free-range Barn Cage
FR a) Œufs de poules élevées
en plein airŒufs de poules élevées
au solŒufs de poules élevées
en cage
b) Plein air Poules au sol Cage
DE a) Eier aus Freilandhal-
tungEier aus Bodenhaltung Eier aus Käfighaltung
b) Freiland Boden Käfig
IT a) Uova da allevamento
all'apertoUova da allevamento a
terraUova da allevamento in
gabbie
b) Aperto A terra Gabbia
NL a) Eieren van hennen met
vrije uitloopScharreleieren Kooieieren
b) Vrije uitloop Scharrel Kooi
DA a) Frilandsæg Skrabeæg Buræg
b) Frilandsæg Skrabeæg Buræg
ES a) Huevos de gallinas
camperasHuevos de gallinas
criadas en el sueloHuevos de gallinas
criadas en jaulas
b) Camperas Suelo Jaulas
PT a) Ovos de galinhas
criadas ao ar livreOvos de galinhas
criadas no soloOvos de galinhas criadas
em gaiolas
b) Ar livre Solo Gaiolas
FI a) Ulkokanojen munia Lattiakanojen munia Häkkikanojen munia
b) Ulkokanan Lattiakanan Häkkikanan
SV a) Ägg från utehöns Ägg från frigående höns
inomhusÄgg från burhöns
b) Frigående (alt. Frig.)
uteFrigående (alt. Frig.)
inneBurägg
ELα) Αυγά ελεύθερης
βοσκήςΑυγά δαπέδου µε
στρωµνήΑυγά κλωβοστοιχίας
β) Ελεύθερης βοσκής ∆άπεδο µε στρωµνή Κλωβοστοιχία1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 24
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ANNEX III
Minimumrequirementstobemetbypoultryestablishmentsforthevarious
eggfarmingmethods
(a) ‘Free range eggs’ must be produced in poultry establishments which satisfy
at least the conditions specified in Article 4 of Directive 1999/74/EC with
effect from the dates referred to in that Article and in which:
— hens have continuous daytime access to open-air runs, except in the case
of temporary restrictions imposed by veterinary authorities,
— the open-air runs to which hens have access is mainly covered with
vegetation and not used for other purposes except for orchards, wood-
land and livestock grazing if the latter is authorised by the competent
authorities,
— the open-air runs must at least satisfy the conditions specified in Article
4(1)(3)(b)(ii) of Directive 1999/74/EC whereby the maximum stocking
density is not greater than 2 500 hens per hectare of ground available
to the hens or one hen per 4 m2at all times and the runs are not
extending beyond a radius of 150 m from the nearest pophole of the
building; an extension of up to 350 m from the nearest pophole of the
building is permissible provided that a sufficient number of shelters
and drinking troughs within the meaning of that provision are evenly
distributed throughout the whole open-air run with at least four shelters
per hectare.
(b) ‘Barn eggs’ must be produced in poultry establishments which satisfy at
least the conditions specified in Article 4 of Directive 1999/74/EC with
effect from the dates referred to in that Article.
(c) ‘Eggs from caged hens’ must be produced in poultry establishments which
satisfy at least:
— the conditions specified in Directive 88/166/EEC until 31.12.2002,
— the conditions specified in Article 5 of Directive 1999/74/EC as from
1.1.2003 until 31.12.2011, or
— the conditions specified in Article 6 of Directive 1999/74/EC as from
1.1.2002.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 25
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ANNEX IV
Reference to the following particular feed ingredients may only be made where:
in the case of cereals, they account for at least 60 % in weight of the feed
formula given which may include not more than 15 % of cereal by-products;
however, where reference is made to specific cereals, each shall account for at
least 30 % of the feed formula used in the case of one cereal mentioned and for
at least 5 % of several cereals mentioned.1991R1274 — EN — 01.01.2002 — 011.001 — 26