Council Regulation (EEC) No 3220/84 of 13 November 1984 determining the Community scale for grading pig carcases

COUNCIL  REGULATION (EEC) No 3220/84
of 13 November 1984
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) No 2759/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in pigmeat (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2966/80 (2), and in particular Articles 2 and 4 (5) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas, before 1 August of each year, a basic price must be fixed for slaughtered pigs of a standard quality defined by reference to a Community scale for grading pig carcases;
Whereas it is therefore necessary to lay down general rules ensuring uniform grading of pig carcases, particularly in order to guarantee producers fair payment based on the weight and composition of the pigs they have delivered to slaughterhouses; whereas this grading is also intended to make the market more transparent as regards trade in pig carcases;
Whereas the value of a pig carcase is determined in particular by its lean-meat content in relation to its weight; whereas assessment of the lean-meat content on the basis of an objective consideration of the weight of the carcase and the thickness of the backfat together with a subjective assessment of muscle development in the principal parts of the carcase can provide a correct assessment of this value; whereas, however, the subjective element represented by the assessment of muscle development can also lead to wide variations in assessments; whereas, therefore, it is necessary to introduce throughout the Community the principle of direct establishment of the lean-meat percentage, on the basis of objective measurement of one or more anatomical parts of the pig carcase, without however ruling out possible use of further criteria for the determination of its commercial value;
Whereas the presentation, weight and lean-meat content of the carcase need to be accurately defined to ensure that the assessment results are comparable;
Whereas, given the differences in pig production in the Community, pig carcases should be divided according to their lean-meat content into five commercial grades, each covering a range of 5 % of lean meat; whereas Member States should nonetheless be given the option of adding an additional grade for carcases with a high percentage of lean meat;
Whereas a monitoring system should be established to ensure that the methods for assessing the percentage of lean meat are correctly applied; whereas, in addition, market transparency should be improved by requiring carcases to be marked according to their lean-meat content;
Whereas, in order to establish quotations for pig carcases on a common basis and to make them comparable to the basic price valid for the standard quality, the Community scale should be used in particular for determining the average price for pig carcases referred to in Article 4 of Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75;
Whereas, in view of the amendments referred to above, all the rules which apply should be consolidated and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2760/75 of 29 October 1975 determining the Community scale for grading pig carcases (3) should accordingly be repealed;
Whereas, however, in view of the variety of slaughterhouse structures and practices, it is not possible to provide for simultaneous implementation throughout
the Community of the new scale for grading pig carcases; whereas it is therefore necessary to allow some Member States to continue, during a transitional period, to apply the method of grading pig carcases laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2760/75,