Commission Regulation (EC) No 315/2002 of 20 February 2002 on the survey of prices of fresh or chilled sheep carcasses on representative markets in the Community

Commission Regulation (EC) No 315/2002
of 20 February 2002
on the survey of prices of fresh or chilled sheep carcasses on representative markets in the Community
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2529/2001 of 19 December 2001 on the common organisation of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat(1), and in particular Articles 20 and 24 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 2529/2001 sets up a new system of premia to replace the system set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 2467/98 of 3 November 1998 on the common organisation of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat(2), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1669/2000(3). In order to take into account the new arrangements and in the interests of clarity it is necessary to establish new rules to replace those set out in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1481/86 of 15 May 1986 on the determination of prices of fresh or chilled lamb carcasses on representative Community markets and the survey of prices of certain other qualities of sheep carcasses in the Community(4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2877/2000(5).
(2) Pursuant to Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 2529/2001, Member States shall record prices of ovine animals and of meat of ovine animals. The rules for the application of price reporting should therefore be fixed.
(3) The prices shall be those recorded on the representative market or markets of each Member State for the various categories of fresh or chilled sheep carcasses. Moreover, where there is more than one representative market in a Member State the arithmetical or, if necessary, the weighted average of quotations recorded on these markets should be taken.
(4) The prices recorded on the market shall be based on the prices, excluding value added tax, of carcasses, but with no deductions authorised in respect of other charges. Market prices should be recorded in respect of the "carcass weight" as defined in Commission Decision 94/434/EC of 30 May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive 93/25/EEC as regards the statistical surveys to be carried out by Member States on sheep and goat population and production(6), as last amended by Decision 1999/47/EC(7). However, it should be permitted that this definition be not used in the case of carcasses of young lambs weighing between 9 and 16 kilograms, so that market practices, whereby whole carcasses marketed with head and offals command a greater commercial value, can be taken into account.
(5) In certain Member States prices relate to prices for live animals. These prices should then be converted by means of appropriate coefficients. However, in regions where the individual assessment of live animals is carried out in order to estimate carcass weight the conversion may be based on that assessment.
(6) In order to explain the basis on which Member States compile prices, they should notify the Commission with regard to the representative markets chosen and the categories of carcasses and the weighting or relative importance of those elements used for the calculation of the prices.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Sheep and Goats,