1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 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
Corrected by:
►C1Corrigendum, OJ L 233, 22.8.1991, p. 31 (1274/91/EEC)
▼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 such marketing standards as were implemented in pursuance of pre-vious Regulations; whereas provision is made therein for detailed rulesnecessary for the implementation of such standards to be adopted inaccordance 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 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, grad-
ing and packing of eggs; whereas however certain producers are in a
position 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
for in Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90; whereas, however,
for a transitional period, it is appropriate to provide for a generalexemption 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 tograde eggs by 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 a dis-tinguishing 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 — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 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.
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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 with Council 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 of con-fusion, whether accidental or deliberate with that provided for in thecase 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 trans-
port; whereas such risks, including that of microbiological contamina-tion, can be substantially reduced by imposing severe restrictions onthe use of packing material; whereas detailed conditions need to belaid down in order to give effect to certain exemptions provided for in
the case of direct local deliveries for retail sale of eggs without spe-
cial 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 lay-ing;
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 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 limitednumber 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 toobtain prices higher than those prevailing for eggs of hens raised in1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 3
(1) OJ No L 212, 22. 7. 1989, p. 87.
(2) OJ No L 395, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13.
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batteries, it is necessary, in the case of the optional use of indications
relating to particular types of non-battery farming, to lay down mini-mum 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 particular
types of non-battery farming, and of those concerning the origin of
eggs, 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 a
trader wishes to sell eggs under his own name or when eggs in large
packs are required to be repacked in small packs; whereas it is alsonecessary in such cases that the origin and age of the eggs be givenin the notices affixed to bands, labels and packs; whereas thesenotices should 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 final consu-mer, 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 repackedeggs;
Whereas effective supervision of compliance with marketing standards
requires the examination of a sufficient number of eggs chosen so asto form a representative sample of the batch checked; whereas at the
end of 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 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 tol-erances; whereas, moreover, as storage and transport conditions canaffect the quality and weight of the batch, it is advisable to differenti-ate tolerances 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 Regu-
lation (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;1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 4
(1) OJ No L 13, 18. 1. 1969, p. 13.
(2) OJ No L 364, 23. 12. 1986, p. 20.
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Whereas, therefore, Regulation (EEC) No 95/69 as well as Commis-
sion Regulation (EEC) No 1295/70(1), as amended by Regulation
(EEC) No 36/85(2), should be repealed;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat
and Eggs,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
1. Eggs shall be delivered from producers to, or collected from pro-
ducers by, the establishments referred to in Article 4 (1) (a) of Regu-
lation (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 tem-peratures at which eggs are kept at the farm do not exceed 18 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 each producer.
However, such delivery 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 col-
lection 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 with Article 17 shall only be delivered from each producer, to,
or collected from each producer by, packing centres on the day of lay-
ing.
Eggs on which the laying date is stamped at the farm shall be deliv-
ered or collected not later than the working day following the day oflaying.
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 receivedat 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,
— 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
the day 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 a
temperature best suited to assure an optimal conservation of theirquality.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 5
(1) OJ No L 145, 3. 7. 1970, p. 1.
(2) OJ No L 5, 8. 1. 1985, p. 5.
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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 pre-
mises may be used for storing other products on condition that thelatter 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 onwhose territory the premises of the collector or centre are situated.
2. That authority shall give the packing centre approved by it a dis-
tinguishing number, the first figure of which shall be as follows:
Belgium 1
Germany 2
France 3
Italy 4
Luxembourg 5
Netherlands 6
Denmark 7
Ireland 8
United Kingdom 9
Greece 10
Spain 11
Portugal 12.
3. Only packing centres which have been subject to special regis-
tration may be authorized to pack Grade ‘A’ eggs marked ‘extra’ orto indicate 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 alist of the a pproved cen-tres 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 the otherMember States and to the Commission.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 6
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Article 5
1. Grade ‘A’ eggs shall have the following minimum characteris-
tics:
Shell and cuticle: normal, clean, undamaged;
Air space: height not exceeding 6 mm, stationary;
however, for eggs to be marked as ‘extra’,it shall not exceed 4 mm at the time ofpacking, or time of customs clearance, in
the case of imports;
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, notmoving appreciably away from the centreof the egg on rotation, free of extraneousmatter 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 refriger-
ated in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially main-tained at less than + 5 ºC. However, eggs which have been kept at atemperature below + 5 ºC during transport of not more than 24 hoursor on retail premises or in annexes thereto, shall not be considered as
refrigerated in so far as the quantity stored in these annexes does not
exceed the requirements for three days of retail sale on the premisesin question.
Article 6
1. Grade ‘B’ eggs shall have the following minimum characteris-
tics:
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 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 where
the 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 pre-mises or in annexes thereto, shall not be considered as refrigerated
in so far as the quantity stored in these annexes does not exceed
the requirements for three days of retail sale on the premises inquestion;
(b) refrigerated eggs:
Grade ‘B’ eggs which have been refrigerated in premises artifi-
cially maintained at a temperature below + 5 ºC;
(c) preserved eggs:1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 7
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Grade ‘B’ eggs which have been preserved, whether refrigerated
or not, in aga s mixture the composition of which differs fromthat of atmospheric air, and those which have undergone any other
preservative 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 to
food 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 typeat least 5 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 shallappear the letter 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 destina-tion.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 8
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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, 18
and 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 respectof 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 protectthe eggs from extraneous odour and the risk of quality deterioration.
2. Large packs, used for transporting and dispatching eggs, includ-
ing inner packing material, shall not be re-used unless they are as new
and meet the technical requirements of paragraph 1. Re-used largepacks, 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 kgfrom the packing centre and for daily quantities of less than3 600eggs per delivery and of less than 360 per buyer. The name,
address and number of the packing centre as well as the number of
eggs, quality and weight grades and grading date shall be indicated onaccompanying 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,weather and 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 the fol-lowing:
— 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 bythe operator at the time of packing. The laying date may, however,also be stamped on eggs at the farm.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 9
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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 remainsa reasonable storage period of at least seven days in the home. It shall
be fixed in such a way that Grade ‘A’ eggs will retain the characteris-
tics described in Article 5 (1) of this Regulation until the end of thatstorage period when properly stored. The best-before date correspondsto 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 contain-
ing 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 competent
authority 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
has already been stamped at the farm, broken down by buyer, andto include 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 stampedat the 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 accompany-
ing documents, the latter to be kept at the packing centre for a periodof at least 12 months.
4. Containers referred to in paragraph 3 shall be opened in the
packing centre immediately before grading starts. All eggs from a sin-gle container shall be graded and packed without interruption. The
laying date shall be stamped during or immediately after grading on
those eggs intended for such marking. In the case of packing centressupplied from their own production units situated at the same site,eggs are to be stamped, and/or graded and packed on the day of lay-ing or delivered to other 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 the
laying 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 inan uninterrupted 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 of1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 10
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paragraph 2, the third and fourth sentences only of paragraph 4, and
paragraph 5 shall apply.
7. Production units and packing centres referred to in paragraph 1
shall be inspected at least once every two months.
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 the
type of farming as referred to in Article 10 (3) of Regulation (EEC)No 1907/90:
on packs: on eggs:
(a) Huevos de gallinas camperas Camperas
Æg frafritgående høns Fritgående
Eier aus Freilandhaltung FreilandΑυγά ελεύθερης βοσκής Ελεύθερης βοσκής
Free range eggs Free range
Œufs de poules élevées en libre parcours Libre parcoursUova di allevamento all'aperto — sistema
estensivoAperto estensivo
Eieren van hennen met vrije uitloop —
extensief systeemVrije uitloop — extensief
Ovos de galina criada ao ar livre Ar livre;
(b) Huevos de gallinas criadas en parque Parque
Æg frafritgående høns — intensivt system Fritgående — int.Eier aus intensiver Auslaufhaltung Auslauf
Αυγά περιορισµένης βοσκής Περιορισµένης βοσκής
Semi-intensive eggs Semi-intensiveŒufs de poules élevées en plein air Plein air
Uova di allevamento all'aperto Aperto
Eieren van hennen met vrije uitloop Vrije uitloopOvos de galinha criada em parque Parque;
(c) Huevos de gallinas explotadas en el suelo Suelo
Skrabeæg Skrabeæg
Eier aus Bodenhaltung BodenhaltungΑυγά δαπέδου µε στρωµνή ∆απέδου -στρωµνή
Deep litter eggs Deep litter
Œufs de poules élevées au sol Poules au solUova di galline allevate a terra Allevate a terraScharreleieren Scharrelei
Ovos de cama Cama;
(d) Huevos de gallinas criadas en aseladero Aseladero
Æg fravolierehønsehold Voliere
Eier aus Volierenhaltung Voliere
Αυγά κλιµακωτής σχάρας Κλιµακωτής σχάραςPerchery eggs (Barn eggs) Perchery (Barn)Œufs de poules élevées sur perchoirs Perchoirs
Uova di galline allevate in voliera Voliera
Volière-eieren VolièreOvos de capoeira Capoeira.
The terms given may be used only for eggs produced in poultry enter-
prises meeting the criteriaset 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 respectiveterm.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 11
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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 competentauthority of the 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 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.
3. In accordance with Article 4 (4) each Member State shall pro-
vide the other Member States and the Commission with a list of the
packing centres in its territory thus registered, and any alteration tothat 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 paragraph1 in one or more Community languages. Deliveries shall be identified
by name and address of producer, type, number or weight of eggs and
date of dispatch and delivery, and up-to-date records thereof and ofstocks on a 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
competent 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 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 thename and address of buyer, number of packs, the number and/or
weight of eggs sold by grade of weight and date of delivey, instead of
keeping sales records, they may, however, keep files of invoices ordelivery notes marked as indicated in paragraph 1.
7. Large packs containing eggs or small packs marked in accor-
dance with paragraph 1 shall bear one of the indications referred to inparagraph 1.
8. The provision of paragraphs 1 to 7 shall apply without prejudice
to national technical measures going beyond the minimum require-ments set out in the Annex, which are applicable only to producers ofthe Member State concerned, provided that they are compatible withCommunity law and are in conformity with the common marketing
standards for eggs.
9. The national measures referred to in paragraph 8 shall be com-
municated 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
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 tothe Member State and/or to an administrative or other region, defined
by the competent authority to the Member State in which the eggs
were produced. In the case of loose egg sales these indications of theorigin of eggs may be used only if individual eggs are marked withthe respective 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 by1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 12
▼B
origin, showing the name and address of the producer, the number or
weight of eggs and the date of delivery. The producer shall keep cur-rent 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 of the purchaser.
3. Packing centres as referred to in paragraph 2 shall keep separate
records of the daily quality and weight grading and sales of smallpacks and of eggs marked with the terms and/or symbols referred toin paragraph 1, including name and addresss of the buyer, the numberof packs, the number or weight of eggs sold and the date of delivery,
as well 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
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,
— annual, before 1 April, the average number of laying hens pre-
sent(
1), the number or weight of eggs delivered as recorded in
accordance with Article 18 (2) and (4) as well as the number or
weight 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 inArticle 18 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
in black.
2. Apart from the information provided for in Article 10 of Regula-
tion (EEC) No 1907/90, these bands and labels, which may be num-bered, 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 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
and label to the other Member States and to the Commission. Theyshall show in clearly visible and legible black type:1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 13
(1) Average number of laying hens present =
number of hens placed × laying weeks
52
▼B
(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 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 the
band 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 black let-ters at least 0,8 cm high, in one or more languages of the Commu-
nity.
Article 24
►
C11. The band ◄or label mentioned in Article 12 of Regula-
tion (EEC) No 1907/90 must be affixed in such a way that none ofthe information on the pack is obscured by the position of the band orlabel.
2. The word ‘extra’ shall be printed in white in italics 1 cm high,
on ared ba ckground.
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,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) 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 particu-lars which are no longer applicable shall be covered over. In addition,1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 14
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small packs may bear the trade mark of the undertaking which
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 orsmall packs only by packing centres. Each pack shall contain only theeggs of asingle ba tch.
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 ofrepacking, 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 visi-
ble and legible characters, only the particulars provided for in para-
graph 2. In addition, small packs may bear the trade mark of the
undertaking 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 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,
large packs may bear the trade mark of the undertaking whichrepacked the eggs or had them repacked.
Article 28
The forms of wording defined in this Regulation for use on eggs and
packs shall be expressed
— in the case of sales to the ultimate consumer: in a language easily
understood by purchasers as referred to in Article 14 of CouncilDirective 79/112/EEC(
1) in the Member State in which such sales
take place; this provision shall not prevent such particulars frombeing indicated in various languages;
— in any other case: in one or more languages of the Community.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 15
(1) OJ No L 33, 8. 2. 1979, p. 1.▼M1
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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
in accordance 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
%o fb at c hMinimum 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 4 540
18 001 to 36 000 3 720
36 001 to 360 000 1,5 1 080
over 360 000 0,5 5 400
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 1 800 15 100
1 801 to 3 600 10 100
3 601 to 10 800 5 100
10 801 to 18 000 4 100
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 large 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 forgreater 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 shall
affix to the pack a band bearing an official stamp and the following
particulars:
(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 fas-
tened before the check, it shall be refastened by means of the checkband, which may, if appropriate, be affixed over the original band orlabel.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 16
▼B
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 tol-
erances 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, visi-
ble 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 packing 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, visi-
ble 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 of 7 %
of eggs with quality defects shall be allowed.
3. Where the batch checked is of less than 180 eggs, the percen-
tages 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 not
more than 6 % of 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 eggs
Grade 1: 7,1 kg/100 eggsGrade 2: 6,6 kg/100 eggs
Grade 3: 6,1 kg/100 eggs
Grade 4: 5,6 kg/100 eggs
Grade 5: 5,1 kg/100 eggs
Grade 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 requestof that Member State, to the competent authority which it designates.
Article 35
Member States shall communicate to the Commission before 1 Janu-
ary 1992 measures taken in application of this Regulation.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 17
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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.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 18
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ANNEX I
1.Packingdate:
emb.
pakket
verp.συσκ.packed
emb. le
imb.verp.
emb.
2.Sell-bydate:
vender antes
Sælges til
Verkauf bis
ΠώλησηSell byà vend. de préf. av.
davendersi
uit. verk. dat.Lim. de venda
3.Best-beforedate:
cons. preferente
Mindst holdbar tilMind.-haltbar
Λήξη
Best beforeà cons. de préf. av.daconsuma rsi
tenm. houdb. tot
Lim. de consumo
4.Layingdate:
puesta
lagtgelegtωοτοκία
laid
pondu ledeposizione
gelegd
post1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 19
▼B
ANNEX II
Minimum criteria to be met by poultry enterprises producing eggs as
referred toinArticle18(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 vegeta-
tion,
— the maximum stocking density is not greater than 1 000hens per hectare
of ground available to the hens or one hen per 10 m2,
— 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 pro-
duced 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 vegeta-
tion,
— the maximum stocking density is not greater than 4 000 hens per hec-
tare of ground available to the hens or one hen per 2,5 m2,
— 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 alength sufficient
to ensure at least 15 cm of perch space for each hen.1991R1274 — EN — 09.12.1991 — 001.001 — 20