Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat

• Coming into Force: 30 June 1964
• End of Effective Date: 31 December 2005
• Celex Number: 31964L0433
• ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1964/433/oj
• Published date: 29 July 1964
• Date: 26 June 1964
• Official Gazette Publication: Journal officiel des Communautés européennes, P 121, 29 juillet 1964

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Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat /* CONSOLIDATED VERSION SEE 375Y0820(02) */

Official Journal 121 , 29/07/1964 P. 2012 - 2032
Finnish special edition: Chapter 3 Volume 1 P. 0089
Danish special edition: Series I Chapter 1963-1964 P. 0175
Swedish special edition: Chapter 3 Volume 1 P. 0089
English special edition: Series I Chapter 1963-1964 P. 0185
Greek special edition: Chapter 03 Volume 1 P. 0129
Spanish special edition: Chapter 03 Volume 1 P. 0101
Portuguese special edition Chapter 03 Volume 1 P. 0101

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat (64/433/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43 and 100 thereof;

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament 1;

Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee 2;

Whereas Council Regulation No 20 3 on the progressive establishment of a common organisation of the market in pigmeat is already in force and a similar regulation is to be adopted for beef and veal;

Whereas Council Regulation No 20 substitutes for the numerous traditional means of protection at the frontier a single system designed in particular to facilitate intra-Community trade ; whereas the regulation to be adopted for beef and veal is also designed to eliminate obstacles to such trade;

Whereas, so long as intra-Community trade is hindered by differences between the health requirements of Member States concerning meat, the implementation of the above-mentioned regulations will not have the desired effect;

Whereas, to eliminate such differences, the health provisions of the Member States must be approximated in line with regulations already adopted or in preparation on the progressive establishment of a common organisation of markets;

Whereas the object of this approximation must be in particular to standardise health requirements for meat in slaughterhouses and cutting rooms and during storage and transportation ; whereas the competent authorities of the Member States should be responsible for approving for intra-Community trade, slaughterhouses and cutting plants which meet the health requirements laid down by this Directive and for ensuring that the conditions for such approval are observed ; whereas provision should also be made for approval of cold stores by Member States;

Whereas the issue of a health certificate prepared by an official veterinarian of the exporting country is considered to be the best way of assuring the competent authorities of the country of destination that a consignment of meat complies with the provisions of this Directive ; whereas this certificate must accompany the consignment of meat to the place of destination;

Whereas Member States must have the right to prohibit the introduction of meat into their territory if it is found to be unfit for human consumption or if it does not comply with Community health provisions;

Whereas the consignor should at his own request or upon request of his representative be allowed to return the meat unless on health grounds there are reasons to the contrary;

Whereas, in case of a prohibition or restriction, the reasons therefor should be made known to the consignor or his representative and also, in certain cases, the competent authorities of the exporting country so that they may be aware of the reasons why such measures were imposed;

Whereas, in the event of dispute between himself and the authorities of the Member State of destination as to the justification for a prohibition or restriction, the consignor should be enabled to obtain the opinion of a veterinary expert whom he may select from a panel drawn up by the Commission;

1 OJ No 134, 14.12.1962, p. 2871/62. 2 OJ No 121, 29.7.1964, p. 2028/64. 3 OJ No 30, 20.4.1962, p. 945/62. Whereas, however, a rapid Community procedure should be provided for settling disputes between Member States as to the justification for the approval of a slaughterhouse or cutting room;

Whereas, in certain fields presenting special problems, the provisions in Member States cannot be approximated until a more thorough study has been made;

Whereas animal health provisions governing trade in live animals and meat will be the subject of other Community directives ; whereas it now seems necessary to take the first steps towards approximating national provisions in these fields by laying down certain conditions under which Member States may prohibit or restrict the introduction of meat into their territory for animal health reasons and by providing for a consultation procedure;

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

1. This Directive shall apply to intra-Community trade in fresh meat of domestic animals of the following species : bovine animals, swine, sheep and goats and solipeds.

2. All parts of these animals which are fit for human consumption shall be considered to be meat.

3. All meat which has not undergone any preserving process shall be considered to be fresh meat ; however, chilled and frozen meat shall for the purposes of this Directive be considered to be fresh meat.

Article 2

For the purposes of this Directive: (a) "carcase" means the whole body of a slaughtered animal after bleeding, evisceration, removal of udders in the case of cows and, except in the case of pigs, skinning and separation of the head and limbs, the latter being cut off at the carpus and tarsus;

(b) "offal" means fresh meat other than that of the carcase as defined in paragraph (a);

(c) "viscera" means offal from the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities, including the trachea and oesophagus;

(d) "official veterinarian" means the veterinarian designated by the competent central authority of the Member State;

(e) "exporting country" means the Member State from which fresh meat is sent to another Member State;

(f) "country of destination" means the Member State to which fresh meat is sent from another Member State.

Article 3

1. Each Member State shall ensure that only fresh meat which, without prejudice to Article 8, meets the following requirements is sent from its territory to that of another Member State: (a) it has been obtained from a slaughterhouse approved and supervised in accordance with Article 4 (1);

(b) it has, in the case of cuts smaller than the quarters listed in Article 6 (1) (A) (a), been cut in a cutting plant approved and supervised in accordance with Article 4 (1);

(c) it comes from a slaughter animal inspected ante mortem by an official veterinarian in accordance with Chapter IV of Annex I and found to be healthy;

(d) it has been treated under satisfactory hygienic conditions in accordance with Chapter V of Annex I;

(e) it has been inspected post mortem by an official veterinarian in accordance with Chapter VI of Annex I, and has shown no change except for traumatic lesions incurred shortly before slaughter or localised malformations or changes, provided that it is established, if necessary by appropriate laboratory tests, that these do not render the carcase and offal unfit for human consumption or dangerous to human health;

(f) it is stamped in accordance with Chapter VII of Annex I;

(g) it is accompanied by a health certificate during transportation to the country of destination in accordance with Chapter VIII of Annex I;

(h) in accordance with Chapter IX of Annex I, it is stored after post mortem inspection under satisfactory hygienic conditions in slaughterhouses and cutting plants approved and supervised in accordance with Article 4 (1) or in approved and supervised cold stores within the meaning of Article 4 (4);

(i) in accordance with Chapter X of Annex I, it is transported to the country of destination under satisfactory hygienic conditions.

2. The official veterinarian may, when carrying out the post mortem inspection referred to in 1 (e), be helped in purely material tasks by assistants specially trained for the purpose.

The Commission may after consulting the Member States lay down detailed rules governing such assistance.

3. The...