EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY DECISION No 1/19/COL

of 16 January 2019

extending the special guarantees concerning Salmonella spp. laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council to meat and eggs of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus), and meat derived from turkeys intended for Iceland [2019/546]

THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY,

Having regard to the Act referred to at point 17 in Part 6.1 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement, Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (1), and in particular Article 8(3)(b) thereof,

as adapted to the EEA Agreement by point 4(d) of Protocol 1 to the EEA Agreement and Articles 1(1)(c), 1(2) and 3 of Protocol 1 to the Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators, with certain special guarantees for certain food of animal origin intended for the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian markets. Accordingly, food business operators intending to place meat from specified animals and eggs on the market in those EEA States are to comply with certain rules in respect of Salmonella. Furthermore, consignments of such products are to be accompanied respectively by a trade document or certificate stating that a microbiological test has been carried out with negative results in accordance with EEA legislation.

(2) In addition, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005 (2) specifies those special guarantees, laying down rules on the sampling of such products and microbiological methods for the examination of those samples. It also sets out a trade document and a certificate to accompany consignments of the products.

(3) On 5 July 2018, the Icelandic Government submitted a request to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (‘the Authority’) for special guarantees concerning Salmonella to be extended to Iceland, in respect of poultry meat and eggs in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. (3) The request includes the Icelandic Salmonella Control Programme for poultry farming and poultry products.

(4) The Icelandic Salmonella Control Programme covers the whole of poultry production including domestic fowls, turkeys, ducks, geese and other poultry populations. However, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) concerning EEA targets for the reduction of the prevalence of Salmonella serotypes and national control programmes, and its implementing measures, in particular Commission Regulations (EU) No 200/2012 (5), (EU) No 200/2010 (6), (EU) No 517/2011 (7) and (EU) No 1190/2012 (8) establishing EEA targets for the reduction of the prevalence of certain Salmonella serotypes in certain poultry populations, only cover, as regards poultry, flocks of broilers, breeding flocks and laying hens of Gallus gallus, and flocks of turkeys.

(5) During its meeting of 18 June 2008, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health agreed on a Commission staff working document entitled ‘Guidance document on the minimum requirements for Salmonella control programmes to be recognised equivalent to those approved for Sweden and Finland in respect of meat and eggs of Gallus gallus’ (‘the Guidance document’) (9).

(6) The Authority, in cooperation with the European Commission, has examined the provisions of the Icelandic Salmonella Control Programme concerning meat and eggs of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) and meat derived from turkeys. The programme was also presented by the Icelandic Government and discussed at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, Section Biological Safety of the Food Chain of 5 October 2018.

(7) The provisions of the Icelandic Salmonella Control Programme concerning meat and eggs of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) and meat derived from turkeys are considered equivalent to those approved for Finland, Sweden and Norway, and in line with the Guidance document and corresponding requirements applicable to turkeys.

(8) The special guarantees should therefore be extended to consignments of meat and eggs of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) and meat derived from turkeys intended for Iceland. In addition, the rules laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005 concerning the sampling of such meat and of the flocks of origin of the eggs, the microbiological methods for the examination of those samples and the trade document or certificate should apply to such consignments.

(9) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the EFTA Veterinary and Phytosanitary Committee.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Iceland is authorised to apply the special guarantees concerning Salmonella laid down in Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 to consignments of meat and eggs of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus), and meat derived from turkeys, intended for Iceland.

Article 2 1. The sampling of meat referred to in Article 1 and the microbiological testing of these samples shall be carried out in accordance with, respectively, Articles 3 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005. 2. The sampling of the flocks of origin of eggs referred to in Article 1 and the microbiological testing of these samples shall be carried out in accordance with, respectively, Articles 4 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005. 3. Consignments of meat referred to in Article 1 shall be accompanied by a trade document complying with the model set out in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005. 4. Consignments of eggs referred to in Article 1 shall be accompanied by a certificate complying with the model set out in Annex V to Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005.

Article 3 This Decision shall enter into force on 16 January 2019.

Article 4 This Decision is addressed to Iceland.

Article 5 This Decision shall be authentic in the English language.

Done at Brussels, 16 January 2019. For the EFTA Surveillance Authority, Bente ANGELL-HANSEN President Frank J. BÜCHEL College Member Högni KRISTJÁNSSON Responsible College Member Carsten ZATSCHLER Countersigning as Director, Legal and Executive Affairs

(1) OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55.

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1688/2005 of 14 October 2005 implementing Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards special guarantees concerning salmonella for consignments to Finland and Sweden of certain meat and eggs (OJ L 271, 15.10.2005, p. 17), referred to at point 51 in Part 6.2 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(3) Doc No 922555.

(4) Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the control of salmonella and other specified food-borne zoonotic agents (OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 1), referred to at point 8b in Part 7.1 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(5) Commission Regulation (EU) No 200/2012 of 8 March 2012 concerning a Union target for the reduction of Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium in flocks of broilers, as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 71, 9.3.2012, p. 31), referred to at point 57 in Part 7.2 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(6) Commission Regulation (EU) No 200/2010 of 10 March 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a Union target for the reduction of the prevalence of Salmonella serotypes in adult breeding flocks of Gallus gallus (OJ L 61, 11.3.2010, p. 1), referred to at point 53 in Part 7.2 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(7) Commission Regulation (EU) No 517/2011 of 25 May 2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a Union target for the reduction of the prevalence of certain Salmonella serotypes in laying hens of Gallus gallus and amending Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 200/2010 (OJ L 138, 26.5.2011, p. 45), referred to at point 8(b) in Part 7.1 and at points 53 and 55 in Part 7.2 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(8) Commission Regulation (EU) No 1190/2012 of 12 December 2012 concerning a Union target for the reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in flocks of turkeys, as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 340, 13.12.2012, p. 29), referred to at point 51 in Part 7.2 of Chapter I of Annex I to the EEA Agreement.

(9) https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/biosafety_food-borne-disease_salmonella_guidance_min-req_eggs-poultry-meat.pdf.