COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(92) 160 final 
Brussels, 28 April 1992 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
laying down the hygiene rules applicable on board certain vessels 
in accordance with Article 3(1)(a)(i) of Directive 91/493/EEC 
(presented by the Commission) 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
On 22 July 1991 the Council adopted Directive 91/493/EEC laying down the 
health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery 
products(1). 
Article 3(1)(a)(i) provides for the establishment of health rules for fishery 
products caught and where appropriate handled for bleeding, heading, gutting 
and the removal of fins, chilled or frozen, on board vessels. The Article 
provides for the submission by the Commission of a proposal before 1 October 
1992. 
The health conditions set out in the draft proposal consist of general 
conditions applicable to fishing vessels and additional conditions applicable 
to fishing vessels on board which products are kept for more than 24 hours. 
It should be emphasized that the inspections and controls carried out pursuant 
to Directive 91/493/EEC will apply to the vessels referred to in this 
Directive. 
(1) OJNOL 268, 24. 9.1991, p. 15. 
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Proposal for a Council Directive 
laying down the hygiene rules applicable on board certain vessels 
in accordance with Article 3(1)(a)(i) of Directive 91/493/EEC 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, 
Having regard to Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the 
health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery 
products(1), and in particular Article 3(1)(a)(i) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas in accordance with Article 3(1)(a)(i) of council Directive 91/493/EEC 
it is essential that hygiene rules be laid down for fishery products caught 
and where appropriate handled for bleeding, heading, gutting and the removal 
of fins, chilled or frozen, on board certain vessels; 
Whereas general hygiene conditions applicable to fishing vessels should be 
laid down; 
Whereas it is essential to lay down additional hygiene conditions applicable 
to fishing vessels on board which catches are kept for more than 24 hours; 
Whereas provision should be made for the possibility of taking into 
consideration certain specific characteristics of certain fishing vessels; 
Whereas it is appropriate to point out that the inspections and controls 
carried out by the competent authorities of the Member States and by the 
commission experts pursuant to Council Directive 91/493/EEC apply equally to 
the vessels referred to in this Directive, 
(1) OJ No L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 15 
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HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
1. The general hygiene conditions laid down in Annex I shall apply to fishing 
vessels. 
2. The additional hygiene conditions laid down in Annex II shall apply to 
fishing vessels designed and equipped to preserve fishery products on 
board under satisfactory conditions for more than 24 hours, other than 
those equipped for keeping fish, shellfish and molluscs alive without 
other means of conservation on board. 
3. if necessary, and in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 2, 
derogations from or conditions additional to the provisions of Annex I may 
be laid down in order to take account of the specific characteristics, if 
any, of certain fishing vessels. 
Article 2 
The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Veterinary committee 
established by Council Decision 68/361/EEC. 
The commission representative shall present to the Committee a draft of 
the measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion thereon 
within a period to be determined by the chairman in relation to the 
urgency of the matter, if necessary, by proceeding to a vote. 
The opinion shall be entered in the minutes. Member States shall be 
entitled, furthermore, to request that their positions be inserted in the 
minutes. 
The commission shall take the greatest account of the opinion delivered by 
the Committee. It shall inform the Committee of the manner in which it 
has taken account of its opinion. 
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Article 3 
The Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and 
administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 
January 1993. They shall inform the commission thereof. 
Where Member States adopt such provisions they shall contain a reference to 
this Directive or be accompanied by such reference on their official 
publication. Details of this reference shall be adopted by the Member States. 
Article 4 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States 
Done at Brussels, 
For the Council 
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ANNEX I 
General hygiene conditions applicable to fishing vessels 
1. The sections of vessels or the containers reserved for the storage of 
fishery products must not contain objects or products liable to transmit 
harmful properties or abnormal characteristics to the foodstuffs. These 
sections or containers must be so designed as to allow them to be cleaned 
easily and to ensure that melt water cannot remain in contact with the 
fishery products. 
2. When used, the sections of vessels or the containers reserved for the 
storage of fishery products must be completely clean and, in particular, 
must not be capable of being contaminated by the fuel used for the 
propulsion of the vessel or by bilge water. 
3. As soon as they are taken on board, the fishery products must be protected 
from contamination and from the effects of the sun or any other source of 
heat. When they are washed, there must be no possibility that the water 
used might impair their quality or wholesomeness. 
4. The fishery products shall be handled and stored in such a way as to 
prevent bruising. The use of cp\ked instruments shall be tolerated for the 
moving of large fish or fish which might injure the handler, provided the 
flesh of these products is not damaged. 
5. Fishery products other than those kept alive must undergo cold treatment 
as soon as pof ;ible after loading. However, in the case of fishing vessels 
where cooling is not possible from a practicable point of view, the 
fishery products must not be kept on board for more than 8 hours. 
6. Ice used for the chilling of products must be made from drinking water or 
clean seawater. Before use, it must be stored under conditions which 
prevent its contamination. 
7. After the fishery products have been unloaded, the containers, equipment 
r.d sections of vessels which are directly in contact with the fishery 
products must be cleaned with drinking water or clean seawater. 
8. liner e fish is headed and/or gutted on board, such operations must be 
carried out hygienically and the products must be washed immediately and 
thoroughly with drinking water or clean seawater. The viscera and parts 
which may pose a threat to public health must be removed and set apart 
from products intended for human consumption. Livers and roes intended for 
human consumption must be refrigerated or frozen. 
9. Equipment used for gutting, heading and the removal of fins, and 
containers and equipment in contact with the fishery products, must be 
made of or coated with a material which is waterproof, resistant to decay, 
smooth and easy to clean and disinfect. When used they must be completely 
clean. 
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ANNEX II 
Additional hygiene conditions applicable to the fishing vessels 
referred to in Article 1(2) 
1. Fishing vessels must be equipped with holds, tanks or containers for the 
storage of refrigerated or frozen fishery products at the temperatures 
laid down by Directive 91/493/CEE. These holds shall be separated from the 
machinery space and the quarters reserved for the crew by partitions which 
are sufficiently impervious to prevent any contamination of the stored 
fishery products. 
2. The inside surface of the holds, tanks or containers shall be watertight 
and easy to wash and disinfect. It shall consist of a smooth material or, 
failing that, smooth paint maintained in good condition, not being capable 
of transmitting to the fishery products substances harmful to human 
health. 
3. The holds shall be designed to ensure that melt water cannot remain in 
contact with the fishery products. 
4. Containers used for the storage of products must ensure their preservation 
under satisfactory conditions of hygiene and, in particular, allow 
drainage of melt water. When used they must be completely clean. 
5. The working decks, the equipment and the holds, tanks and containers shall 
be cleaned each time they are used. Drinking water or clean seawater shall 
be used for this purpose. Disinfection, the removal of insects or rat 
extermination shall be carried out whenever necessary. 
6. Cleaning products, disinfectants, insecticides and all potentially toxic 
substances shall be stored in locked premises or cupboards. Their use must 
not present any risk of contamination of the fishery products. 
7. If fishery products are frozen on board, this operation must be carried 
out in accordance with the conditions laid down in chapter IV(II)(1) and 
(3) of the Annex to Directive 91/493/EEC. Where freezing in brine is used, 
the brine shall not be a source of contamination for the fish. 
8. Vessels equipped for chilling of fishery products in cooled seawater, 
either chilled by ice (CSW) or refrigerated by mechanical means (RSW), 
shall comply with the following requirements : 
a) tanks must be equipped with adequate seawater filling and drainage 
installations and must incorporate devices for achieving uniform 
temperature throughout the tanks; 
b) tanks must have a means of recording temperature connected to a 
temperature sensor positioned in the section of the tank where 
temperatures are highest; 
c) the operation of the tank or container system must secure a chilling 
rate which ensures the mix of fish and seawater reaches 3°C at the most 
6 hours after loading and O'C at the most after 16 hours; 
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d) after each unloading, the tanks, circulation systems and containers 
must be completely emptied and thoroughly cleaned using drinking water 
or clean seawater. They should only be filled with clean seawater; 
e) the date and the number of the tank must be clearly indicated on the 
temperature recordings which must be kept available for the control 
authorities. 
9, The competent authority shall keep up to date for control purposes a list 
of the vessels equipped in accordance with points 7 or 8, with the 
exception however of vessels equipped with removable containers and not 
engaged regularly in preserving fish in chilled seawater. 
10. Staff assigned to the handling of fishery products shall be required to 
maintain a high standard of cleanliness for themselves and their clothes. 
13. Shipowners or their representatives shall take all the measures necessary 
to prevent persons liable to contaminate fishery products from working on 
and handling them, until there is evidence that such persons can do so 
without risk. The routine medical monitoring of such persons shall be 
governed by the national laws in force in the Member state concerned. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(92) 160 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 
Catalogue number: CB-CO-92'177-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-43556-9 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg