Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/687 of 30 January 2025 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 as regards ante-mortem inspections in slaughterhouses, ante-mortem inspections at the holding of provenance and post-mortem inspections
Date: 2025-01-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: animal tuberculosis, brucellosis, food inspection, livestock, livestock farming, meat processing industry, transport of animals, veterinarian, veterinary inspection




L_202500687EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/687


7.4.2025







            COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2025/687
of 30 January 2025
         
amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 as regards ante-mortem inspections in slaughterhouses, ante-mortem inspections at the holding of provenance and post-mortem inspections
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation) (1), and in particular Article 18(7), points (a), (d) and (e), thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 (2) lays down specific rules for the performance of official controls on the production of products of animal origin intended for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625, including for ante-mortem inspections in slaughterhouses, ante-mortem inspections at the holding of provenance and post-mortem inspections.












(2)


Article 3(3), points (c) and (d) and Article 8, points (c) and (d), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 refer to tuberculosis and brucellosis. The scientific names of those diseases were respectively changed to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (M. bovis, M. caprae and M. tuberculosis) and infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis by Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). Therefore, it is necessary to change their names in Articles 3 and 8 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624.












(3)


Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 (4) sets out the criteria for granting disease-free status as regards infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis. That status is to be granted at the level of the establishment where the animals are kept rather than at herd level, pursuant to that Delegated Regulation. Articles 3 and 8 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 refer to animals that have not been declared officially free of tuberculosis and brucellosis. For reasons of consistency, it is necessary to amend those Articles in order to refer to the specific provisions of Regulation (EU) 2020/689 on the disease-free status.












(4)


Regulation (EU) 2016/429 defines in Article 4, point (41) a restricted zone as a zone where restrictions on the movements of certain animals are applied. However, derogations from movement restrictions in restricted zones may apply to kept terrestrial animals pursuant to Article 126(1), point (b)(iii), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429. Therefore, it is necessary to align the references to animal health restrictions in Articles 3 and 8 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 with those provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.












(5)


Article 6 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 lays down specific criteria and conditions establishing when ante-mortem inspections may be performed at the holding of provenance. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1141 (5) amended Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6). Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 as amended allows the slaughter of ovine and caprine animals at the holding of provenance under certain conditions. It also allows that farmed game slaughtered at the holding of provenance is transported to a game handling establishment. The specific criteria and conditions establishing when ante-mortem inspections may be performed at the holding of provenance, laid down in Article 6 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624, should be aligned with the conditions set out in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.












(6)


Article 6(2) and Article 6(4), point (a), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 refer to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/628 (7). Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 (8) replaced Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/628. For reasons of consistency and to avoid ambiguity, the references and terminology in Article 6(2) and Article 6(4), point (a), of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 should be adapted accordingly.












(7)


Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 is amended as follows:






(1)


in Article 3, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3.   The derogations in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply:






(a)


to animals that undergo emergency slaughter referred to in Section I, Chapter VI, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004;










(b)


to animals suspected of having a disease or condition that may adversely affect human health;










(c)


to bovine animals from establishments defined in Article 4, point (27), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1), which have not been granted the status “free from infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex” (M. bovis, M. caprae and M. tuberculosis) as laid down in Part II, Chapter 1, Sections 1 and 2, of Annex IV to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 (*2);










(d)


to bovine, ovine or caprine animals from establishments defined in Article 4, point (27), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which have not been granted the status “free from infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis without vaccination” as laid down in Part I, Chapter 1, Sections 1 and 2 of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689;










(e)


to animals coming from a restricted zone referred to in Article 126(1), point (b)(iii), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and subject to restrictions within that zone;










(f)


to animals subject to stricter controls due to the spread of emerging diseases or particular diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health.






(*1)  Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (“Animal Health Law”) (OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj)."
                        

(*2)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for surveillance, eradication programmes, and disease-free status for certain listed and emerging diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 211, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/689/oj).’;"
                        










(2)


Article 6 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 6
Species-specific criteria and conditions laying down when ante-mortem inspections may be performed at the holding of provenance

1.   The competent authorities shall apply the specific criteria and conditions laid down in this Article in the relevant cases of poultry, farmed game, domestic bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine animals and domestic solipeds.


2.   In the case of poultry reared for the production of “foie gras” and of delayed eviscerated poultry, slaughtered at the holding of provenance, the health certificate completed in accordance with the model health certificate set out in Chapter 2 of Annex IV to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 (*3) shall accompany the uneviscerated carcasses to the slaughterhouse or cutting plant or be sent in advance in any format, instead of the health certificate referred to in Article 5(2), point (f), of this Regulation.


3.   In the case of domestic bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine animals, domestic solipeds and farmed game slaughtered at the holding of provenance in accordance with Section I, Chapter VIa or Section III, point 3, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, the health certificate completed in accordance with the model health certificate set out in Chapter 3 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 shall accompany the animals to the slaughterhouse or, in the case of farmed game, either to the slaughterhouse or to the game-handling establishment, or it shall be sent in advance in any format, instead of the health certificate referred to in Article 5(2), point (f), of this Regulation.


4.   In the case of farmed game slaughtered at the holding of provenance in accordance with Section III, point 3(a), of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004:






(a)


a health certificate completed in accordance with the model health certificate set out in Chapter 4 of Annex IV to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 shall accompany the animals to the slaughterhouse or to the game-handling establishment, or it shall be sent in advance in any format, instead of the health certificate referred to in Article 5(2), point (f), of this Regulation;










(b)


the official veterinarian shall regularly verify that those carrying out the slaughter and bleeding properly perform their tasks.






5.   By way of derogation from Article 5(4), Member States may allow slaughter of farmed game until 28 days from the date of issue of the health certificate referred to in Article 5(2), point (f), if:






(a)


only small quantities of the farmed game meat are directly supplied by the producer to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying to the final consumer; and










(b)


not more than 50 animals are slaughtered per year and per holding of provenance.







(*3)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 of 16 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates, model official certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements within the Union of consignments of certain categories of animals and goods, official certification regarding such certificates and repealing Regulation (EC) No 599/2004, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 636/2014 and (EU) 2019/628, Directive 98/68/EC and Decisions 2000/572/EC, 2003/779/EC and 2007/240/EC (OJ L 442, 30.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/2235/oj).’;"
                        










(3)


Article 8 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 8
Performance of post-mortem inspections by the official veterinarian
Post-mortem inspection shall be performed by the official veterinarian in the following cases:






(a)


animals that undergo emergency slaughter referred to in Section I, Chapter VI, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004;










(b)


animals suspected of having a disease or condition that may adversely affect human health;










(c)


bovine animals from establishments defined in Article 4, point (27), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which have not been granted the status “free from infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex” (M. bovis, M. caprae and M. tuberculosis) as laid down in Part II, Chapter 1, Sections 1 and 2, of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689;










(d)


bovine, ovine or caprine animals from establishments defined in Article 4, point (27), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which have not been granted the status “free from infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis without vaccination” as laid down in Part I, Chapter 1, Sections 1 and 2 of Annex IV to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689;










(e)


animals coming from a restricted zone referred to in Article 126(1), point (b)(iii), of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and subject to restrictions within that zone;










(f)


when stricter controls are necessary to take account of emerging diseases or particular diseases listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health;










(g)


in case of derogation on the timing of post-mortem inspection in accordance with Article 13 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627.’




.





Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 30 January 2025.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj.

(2)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/624 of 8 February 2019 concerning specific rules for the performance of official controls on the production of meat and for production and relaying areas of live bivalve molluscs in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 131, 17.5.2019, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/624/oj).

(3)  Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj).

(4)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for surveillance, eradication programmes, and disease-free status for certain listed and emerging diseases (OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 211, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/689/oj).

(5)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1141 of 14 December 2023 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specific hygiene requirements for certain meat, fishery products, dairy products and eggs (OJ L, 2024/1141, 19.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/1141/oj).

(6)  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 (OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/853/oj).

(7)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/628 of 8 April 2019 concerning model official certificates for certain animals and goods and amending Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/759 as regards these model certificates (OJ L 131, 17.5.2019, p. 101, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/628/oj).

(8)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 of 16 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates, model official certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements within the Union of consignments of certain categories of animals and goods, official certification regarding such certificates and repealing Regulation (EC) No 599/2004, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 636/2014 and (EU) 2019/628, Directive 98/68/EC and Decisions 2000/572/EC, 2003/779/EC and 2007/240/EC (OJ L 442, 30.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/2235/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/687/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)