WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/01 by Pat Gallagher (UEN) to the Commission. Veterinary inspections in slaughterhouses.
Date: 2001-04-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: meat processing industry, veterinarian, veterinary inspection

C 81 E/8

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

Reply

(20 November 2001)

The Council can confirm that Germany raised within the Council bodies the matter of a nomination of a
German candidate for the Presidency of the ICAO Council. All Member States have expressed their support
for this candidature.

(2002/C 81 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/01

by Pat Gallagher (UEN) to the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Veterinary inspections in slaughterhouses

Can the Commission confirm that it would be correct to interpret Council Directive 64/433/EEC (1), and in
particular Article 2(d) and Article 9 thereof, as implying that the (cid:145)official veterinarian(cid:146) must be physically
present in the slaughterhouse during ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections?

(1) OJ B 121, 29.7.1964, p. 2012.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Council Directive 64/433/EEC as amended lays down health rules for the production and placing on the
market of fresh meat from domestic bovine animals, swine, sheep, goats and solipeds.

Article 3(1)(A) provides that carcase meat must (cid:145)(cid:133) (b) come from a slaughtered animal inspected ante
mortem by an official veterinarian (cid:133)(cid:146) and (cid:145)(d) have been inspected post mortem by an official
veterinarian (cid:133)(cid:146)

Article 9 provides that (cid:145)Member States shall ensure: (i) the permanent presence of at least one official
veterinarian in a slaughterhouse approved in accordance with Article 10 throughout the ante-mortem and
post-mortem inspections(cid:146).

However, Article 4, by way of derogation from Article 3, allows Member States to place meat from low-
throughput slaughterhouses on the market
territory under certain
conditions. These include a degree of latitude in that the slaughterhouse in question must notify the
veterinary service in advance of the time of slaughter to allow it to carry out the ante mortem inspection
either on the farm or at the slaughterhouse. In addition, the official veterinarian or an auxiliary under the
responsibility of the official veterinarian must carry out the post mortem inspection of the meat and where
the meat has lesions or appears to have deteriorated, the post mortem inspection must be carried out by
the official veterinarian.

for marketing in their national

(2002/C 81 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1063/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Making the Montenegrin people(cid:146)s choice with regard to independence no longer dependent on

punishing or rewarding the Yugoslav regime

1.
Can you confirm that on 9 February there was a visit, on behalf of the Union(cid:146)s (cid:145)troika(cid:146), to the
Montenegrin capital Podgorica when the view put across to the President and Prime Minister of
Montenegro was that Montenegro should reach an agreement with Serbia on maintaining a reformed
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia?