Case C‑402/13

Cypra Ltd

v

Kypriaki Dimokratia

(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Anotato Dikastirio Kyprou)

‛Reference for a preliminary ruling — Agriculture — Animal health — Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 — Products of animal origin intended for human consumption — Official controls — Appointment of an official veterinarian — Slaughter of animals’

Summary — Judgment of the Court (First Chamber), 5 November 2014

Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Organisation of controls of products of animal origin intended for human consumption — Requirement for controls of slaughter by an official veterinarian — Determination by the competent authority of the time of slaughter — Lawfulness — Exception — Slaughter objectively necessary at a time set by the slaughterhouse — Determination by the national court

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 854/2004)

The provisions of Regulation No 854/2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption, as amended by Regulation No 1791/2006, must be interpreted, in principle, as not precluding the competent authority from determining the time at which the slaughter of animals takes place, with a view to the appointment of an official veterinarian for the purposes of supervising the slaughter, and refusing to provide such a veterinarian on the day and at the time determined by the slaughterer, unless it is objectively necessary for the slaughter to take place on a specific day, which it is for the referring court to ascertain.

(see para. 29, operative part)

Case C‑402/13

Cypra Ltd

v

Kypriaki Dimokratia

(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Anotato Dikastirio Kyprou)

‛Reference for a preliminary ruling — Agriculture — Animal health — Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 — Products of animal origin intended for human consumption — Official controls — Appointment of an official veterinarian — Slaughter of animals’

Summary — Judgment of the Court (First Chamber), 5 November 2014

Agriculture — Approximation of laws on animal health — Organisation of controls of products of animal origin intended for human consumption — Requirement for controls of slaughter by an official veterinarian — Determination by the competent authority of the time of slaughter — Lawfulness — Exception — Slaughter objectively necessary at a time set by the slaughterhouse — Determination by the national court

(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 854/2004)

The provisions of Regulation No 854/2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption, as amended by Regulation No 1791/2006, must be interpreted, in principle, as not precluding the competent authority from determining the time at which the slaughter of animals takes place, with a view to the appointment of an official veterinarian for the purposes of supervising the slaughter, and refusing to provide such a veterinarian on the day and at the time determined by the slaughterer, unless it is objectively necessary for the slaughter to take place on a specific day, which it is for the referring court to ascertain.

(see para. 29, operative part)