Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) AMENDING REGULATION (EEC) N° 3220/84 DETERMINING THE COMMUNITY SCALE FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES
Date: 1993-06-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: carcase, classification, meat processing industry, swine

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

C0M(93) 273 final 

Brussels, 15 June 1993 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
AMENDING REGULATION (EEC) N* 3220/84 DETERMINING THE COMMUNITY 
SCALE FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES 

(presented by the Commission) 

-1  ~ 

Explanatory Memorandum 

In November 1984 the Council adopted Regulation (EEC) N° 3220/84 determining 
the Community scale for grading pig carcases. This regulation lays down the 
general rules ensuring uniform grading of pig carcases, particularly in 
order to guarantee producers fair payment based on the weight and the 
composition of the pigs that they have delivered to the slaughterhouses. 

The present proposal aims to adapt, on a technical basis, certain provisions 
laid down in 1984 to recent technical developments. It is in particular 
based on the results of a Community study concerning the harmonization of 
methods for grading pig carcases, carried out between 1990 and 1992 and 
discussed several times with national experts. 

The first amendment concerns the presentation of a "pig carcase" as provided 
for in Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) N" 3220/84. At present this 
presentation includes flare fat, kidneys and diaphragm, several Member 
States derogate, however, from that presentation, because it is commercial 
practice to remove those three parts before weighing and grading. The 
removal of those parts changes the weight, and as a direct consequence the 
lean meat content of the carcase compared to a carcase which includes the 
three parts mentioned. It is therefore proposed to exclude the flare fat, 
kidneys and diaphragm from the standard presentation defined in article 2, 
in order to assure a uniform application of the Community grading scale and 
to make it possible to compare directly grading according to the estimated 
lean meat content. 

For some years several slaughterhouses have, for commercial reasons, 
produced dehided pig carcases. Such carcases do therefore not correspond 
with the standard presentation. This diverging presentation should therefore 
be provided for in the regulation. 

Article 2(3) provides that the total weight of the red striated muscles is 
obtained by a total dissection of the carcase. This method requires 
considerable work and is therefore very expensive. In accordance with the 
results of the Community study it is proposed also to use a partial 
dissection of the carcase on condition that it is based on statistically 
proved method. This amendment should reduce considerably the cost to be 
borne by the industry for the authorization of new classification devices. 

The Community scale for grading pig carcases, set up by Regulation (EEC) 
N° 3220/84 is used for the annual fixation of the basic price, for fair 
payment to pig producers, and in order to make the market more transparent. 
All those elements apply in a uniform manner to the pigmeat sector of the 
Community; it is therefore necessary that the main provisions serving to set 
up the scale and in particular the presentation of a pig carcase as well as 
the definition of the lean meat content should be adopted at Community 
level. 

-  2-

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EEC) N* 

/93 

AMENDING REGULATION  (EEC) N* 3220/84 DETERMINING THE COMMUNITY 
SCALE FOR GRADING PIG CARCASES 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic  Community, 

Having regard to Council Regulation  (EEC) N* 2759/75 of 29 October  1975 on 

the common organization of the market in pigmeatt1), as last amended by 

Regulation  (EEC) N°  1249/89<2), and in particular Articles 2 and 4  (5) 

thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas Article 2 of Regulation  (EEC) N° 3220/84 of  13 November  1984<3>, 

as last amended by Regulation  (EEC) N*  3577/90<4), defined the 

presentation of a "pig carcase" to be used to establish  its weight and its 

lean meat content; whereas a recent Comunity  study has shown that the trade 

in several Member States derogates  from this presentation regarding  flare 

fat, kidneys and diaphragm; whereas this practice leads to a difference in 

the lean-meat content of the carcases  from one Member State to another, 

jeopardising the uniform application of the Community  grading  scale and 

complicating the comparability  of the assessement results;  whereas it is 

therefore necessary to define more precisely the pig carcase  presentation 

by excluding the three parts referred to above; 

Whereas, for commercial reasons, several slaughterhouses are producing 

dehided pig carcases; whereas Member States should be authorised to provide 

for such a presentation on their territory; 

(1) OJ N* L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 1. 
(2) OJ N* L  129, 11.5.1989, p. 12. 
(3) OJ N* L 301, 20.11.1984, p. 1. 
(4) JO N#  L 353 du 17.12.1990, p. 23. 

- 3-

Whereas total dissection  as a means to calculate  the total weight  of the 

red striated muscles amounts to a long and costly process; whereas  it is 

therefore  justified to permit the use  of partial dissection  as well 

allowing Member States to adapt more rapidly their grading methods to 

technical progress; 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION  : 

Article 1 

Regulation  (EEC) N*  3220/84 is hereby amended as follows : 

1.  Article  2  (1) is replaced by the following  : 

"1. For the puroposes of this Regulation,  'pig carcase' shall mean the 

body of a slaughtered pig, bled and eviscerated, whole or divided 

down the mid-line, without tongue, bristles, hooves, genital 

organs, flare fat, kidneys and  diaphragm. 

With regard to pigs slaughtered  in their territory, the Member 

States may be authorized to provide for a different presentation of 

pig carcases  if one of the following conditions  is fulfilled : 

- if normal commercial practice  in their territory differs  from the 

standard presentation defined in the first  subparagraph, 

-  if technical requirements warrant it, 

- if pig carcases are dehided  in a uniform  and identical manner." 

2.  In Article 2  (3), the first subparagraph  is replaced by the follwing  : 

"3. For the purposes of this Regulation, the lean-meat content of a pig 

carcase  shall be the relationship between : 

- the total weight of the red striated muscles provided that they 

are separable by knife, and 

- the weight of the carcase. 

The total weight of the red striated muscles  is obtained either by 

total dissection of the carcase or by partial dissection  of the 

carcase based on proven statistical methods adopted  in accordance 

with the procedure laid down in Article 24 of Regulation  (EEC) 

N* 2759/75". 

- H--

Article 2 

This Regulation  shall enter into force on  1 January  1994 

This Regulation  shall be binding in its entirety  and directly applicable in 

all Member  states. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the council, 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

1.  BUDGET HEADING 

: Chap. 23 

APPROPRIATIONS  : 256 

Mio ECU 

DATE 

2.  TITLE : 

Draft proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation  (EEC) N*  3220/84 
determining the Community  scale for grading pig carcases. 

3.  L E G AL BASIS  : Council Regulation  (EEC) N* 2795/75 as last amended by R.  (EEC) 1249/89 

4.  AIMS OF THE PROJECT 

: 

to define more precisely the presentation of a pig carcase 

5.  FINANCIAL  IMPLICATIONS 

5 . 0  EXPENDITURE 

- CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET 
(REFUNDS/INTERVENTIONS) 
- NATIONAL  ADMINISTRATION 
-  OTHERS 
5.1  RECEIPTS 

- OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS DUTIES) 

-  NATIONAL 

5.0.1  ESTIMATED  EXPENDITURE 
5.1.1  ESTIMATED RECEIPTS 

5.2  METHOD OF CALCULATION  : 

PERIOD OF 
12 MONTHS 

CURRENT FI 
NANCIAL  YEAR 
(1993) 

FOLLOWING 

FINANCIAL YEAR 
(1994) 

p.m. 

p.m. 

p.m. 

p.m. 

p.m. 

p.m. 

1995 

p.m. 
p.m. 

1996 

1997 

p.m. 
p.m. 

p.m. 
p.m. 

1998 

p.m. 
p.m. 

6.0  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN THE RELEVANT 

CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET ? 

6.1  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF THE 

CURRENT BUDGET ? 

6.2  IS A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET NECESSARY ? 

6.3  WILL FUTURE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS BE NECESSARY ? 

OBSERVATIONS X 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(93) 273 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

02  03 

Catalogue number : CB-CO-93-303-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-56711-2 

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