ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
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COM (83) 647 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 237 
  
 
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Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
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r i R ®COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(83) 647 final
Brussels, 3 November 1983
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
concerning an amendment to Council Directive 71/118/EEC on health
problems affecting trade in fresh poultrymeat
COM(83) 647 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
Concerning an amendment to Council Directive 71/118/EEC on health problems
affecting trade in fresh poultrymeat
1. (a) On 14 February 1979, the Commission submitted to the Council a 
proposal for an amendment, in respect of chilling, to Council 
Directive 71/118/EEC of 15 February 1971 on health problems affecting 
trade in fresh poultrymeat (1); the purpose of the amendment is to 
allow the authorization to use the counterflow chilling process by 
immersion for fresh poultrymeat to be extended to carcases intended 
for marketing in the chilled state. Under Directive 71/118/EEC, the 
use of the said chilling process is limited to carcases which are 
immediately frozen or deep-frozen after chilling; under the Directive, 
Member States are, however, authorized to grant temporary derogations 
from those provisions.
(b) On 19 March 1981, the Commission submitted to the Council a proposal 
for an amendment to council Directive 71/118/EEC of 15 February 1971, 
on health problems affecting trade in fresh poultrymeat (2); the 
proposal was designed in particular to amend and further define the 
rules concerning the health inspection of poultrymeat, to settle 
the question of the financing of the cost of health inspection and 
control in slaughterhouses and cutting plants and to postpone until 
15 August 1986 the date of expiry of the derogation concerning the 
slaughter and evisceration of poultry.
2. When the said proposals for Directives were considered by the Council
it was felt that, as a precaution, the date of expiry of the derogations 
should be postponed until the entry into force of the Community rules 
on health inspection costs, on special hygiene requirements for extending 
the "counterflow" chilling process to poultry carcases which are not 
immediately frozen or deep-frozen, i.e. overcoming the problem of 
water absorption by the carcases and on the production and inspection 
of partly-eviscerated poultry.
(1) OJ C 65, 9.3.1979, p. 5.
(2) OJ C 97, 29.4.1981, p. 12.

-  2 -
The French authorities asked the Commission to set up a working group 
to consider, in the Light of technological progress,new guidelines 
for the health control of poultrymeat.
Under Council Directive 82/532/EEC of 19 July 1982 derogations are 
authorized only until 31 March 1984.
3. The Commission has undertaken a number of studies with a view to
collating the technical and scientific information required in order 
to draw up the regulations referred in point 2. The said studies 
have not yet been completed,in particular because of the subject's 
complex nature. A Group was formed within the Scientific Veterinary 
Committee in order to conduct the study proposed by the French 
authorities. A good deal of progress has been made. The work is seen 
as urgent but cannot, however, be completed before the end of 1983.
As the Commission sees it, the reports, together with any proposals, 
will be forwarded to the Council during the first six months of 1984.
Accordingly, the Commission hereby invites the Council to give further  
consideration to its proposals of 14 February 1979 and 19 March 1981 
(cf. point 1) so that an interim solution may be found as regards the  
expiry dates for the derogations. This would consist in allowing the  
current derogations to be maintained for a further year.