ANNEX VIb

REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE OFFICIAL CONTROLS FOR THE INSPECTION OF MEAT

1. For the purpose of this Annex, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “controlled housing conditions and integrated production systems” means a type of animal husbandry where animals are kept under conditions in compliance with criteria set out in the Appendix;

(b) “young bovine animal” means a bovine animal of either gender, which is not older than eight months;

(c) “young ovine animal” means an ovine animal of either gender, not having any permanent incisor erupted and not older than 12 months;

(d) “young caprine animal” means a caprine animal of either gender, not older than six months of age;

(e) “herd” means an animal or group of animals kept on a holding as an epidemiological unit; if more than one herd is kept on a holding, each of these herds shall form a distinct epidemiological unit;

(f) “holding” means any establishment, construction or, in the case of an openair farm, any place situated within the territory of the same Member State, in which animals are held, kept or handled;

(g) “establishment carrying out discontinuous slaughter or game handling activities” means a slaughterhouse or game handling establishment designated by the competent authority on the basis of a risk analysis, in which, in particular, the slaughter or game handling activities do not take place either during the entire working day or during subsequent working days of the week.

2. Post-mortem inspections in establishments carrying out discontinuous slaughter or game handling activities.

(a) In accordance with point 2(b) of Chapter II of Section III of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004, the competent authority may decide that the official veterinarian need not be present at all times during post-mortem inspection, provided that the following conditions are complied with:

(i) the establishment concerned is an establishment carrying out discontinuous slaughter or game handling activities and has sufficient facilities to store meat with abnormalities until a final post-mortem inspection by the official veterinarian can take place;

(ii) an official auxiliary carries out the post-mortem inspection;

(iii) the official veterinarian is present in the establishment at least once a day when slaughter activities take place or have taken place;

(iv) the competent authority has put in place a procedure to assess on a regular basis the performance of official auxiliaries in these establishments, including: — monitoring individual performance, — verification of documentation with regard to inspection findings and comparison with the corresponding carcasses, — checks of carcasses in the storage room.

(b) The risk analysis carried out by the competent authority as referred to in point 1(g) to identify the establishments that may benefit from the derogation as laid down in point 2(a) shall at least take account of the following elements:

(i) the number of animals slaughtered or handled per hour or per day;

(ii) the species and class of animals slaughtered or handled;

(iii) the throughput of the establishment;

(iv) the historical performance of slaughter or handling activities;

(v) the effectiveness of any additional measures in the food chain for procurement of animals for slaughter taken to guarantee food safety;

(vi) the effectiveness of the HACCP-based system in place;

(vii) audit records;

(viii) the competent authority’s historical records of ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections.

3. Requirements for a risk-based meat inspection without incisions.

(a) In accordance with point 2 of Part B of Chapter IV of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004, the competent authority may limit the post-mortem inspection procedures of fattening pigs to a visual inspection, provided that the following conditions are complied with:

(i) the food business operator ensures that the animals are kept under controlled housing conditions and integrated production systems as laid down in the Appendix to this Annex;

(ii) the food business operator does not benefit from the transitional arrangements with regard to food chain information as laid down in Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005;

(iii) the competent authority implements or orders the implementation of regular serological and/or microbiological monitoring of a selected number of animals based on a risk analysis of food safety hazards which are present in live animals and relevant at the holding level.

(b) By way of derogation from the specific requirements of Chapters I and II of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004, the post-mortem inspection procedures of young bovine, ovine and caprine animals may be reduced to a visual inspection with limited palpation, provided that the following conditions are complied with:

(i) the food business operator ensures that young bovine animals are kept under controlled housing conditions and in an integrated production system as laid down in the Appendix to this Annex;

(ii) the food business operator ensures that young bovine animals are reared in an officially bovine tuberculosis-free herd;

(iii) the food business operator does not benefit from the transitional arrangements with regard to food chain information as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005;

(iv) the competent authority implements or orders the implementation of regular serological and/or microbiological monitoring of a selected number of animals based on a risk analysis of food safety hazards which are present in live animals and relevant at the holding level;

(v) post-mortem inspection of young bovine animals includes at all times palpation of the retropharyngeal, bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes.

(c) In the case of any abnormality detected, the carcass and offal shall be subjected to a full post-mortem inspection as provided for in Chapters I and II of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. However, the competent authority may decide on the basis of a risk analysis that meat with certain minor abnormalities as defined by the competent authorities, which pose no risk to animal or human health, does not need to be subjected to a full post-mortem inspection.

(d) Young bovine, ovine and caprine animals and weaned pigs that do not go directly from the holding of birth to a slaughterhouse may be moved on one occasion to another holding (for rearing or fattening) prior to dispatch to a slaughterhouse. In such cases:

(i) regulated assembly centres may be used for young bovine, ovine or caprine animals between the holding of origin and the rearing or fattening holding, as well as between these holdings and the slaughterhouse;

(ii) traceability shall be ensured at the level of the individual animal or batch of animals.

4. Additional requirement for the post-mortem examination of solipeds.

(a) Fresh meat from solipeds reared in countries not free of glanders in accordance with Article 2.5.8.2 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health shall not be placed on the market, unless such meat is derived from solipeds examined for glanders in accordance with point D of Chapter IX of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004.

(b) Fresh meat from solipeds in which glanders has been diagnosed shall be declared unfit for human consumption as provided for in point D of Chapter IX of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004.