Report on meeting of Council Working Group on the hygiene regulations: 18 January 2010

• Commission intends to introduce a two-stage approach for imports of composite products from third countries, to be discussed at the next Working Group meeting, with the intention of it coming into force by 1 January 2011.
• Continued support for the Commission’s farmed game measure from most MS. Commission to consider drafting certificate for FBO and OV / VA declarations based on UK documents.
• SANCO 1489/2007 and 1490/2007: cold stores and traceability. The Commission has developed a model for costing 1490/2009, based on the hours required to record the additional information and potential additional labelling requirements. The Commission had consulted with industry and will consider further in light of this (it was still considering MS responses as well).
• Further discussion on future meat controls; Commission intends to hold a “round table” discussion on this issue with stakeholders on 8th May.
• The Commission reported that the validation had concluded that Trichineasy only partially met requirements.
• Discussion on raw milk vending machines showed varying national measures with regard to raw milk.
• Discussion on mobile slaughterhouses. A couple of MS indicated that they did not identify any mobile slaughterhouses in current operation.
• Crocodile slaughter legislation not expected this year. The Commission is sympathetic to possible national measures in the meantime.
• Agreement on amending certain typos and translation errors in the Commission’s guidance documents on the hygiene legislation.
• The Commission indicated that the two documents on Flexibility for Small Slaughterhouses (one for FBOs, one for Competent Authorities) would be probably ready to go to SCOFCAH in February / March.
• Concerns about chicken meat that had been cooked on the bone, followed by the usual MSM procedures (i.e. pressured removal). The Commission confirmed that MSM was limited to fresh meat.
• Commission invites comments on new code for import of egg products.
• Date of next meeting expected to be early March.

Import of 'Composite Products' from Third Countries
Commission proposes first to introduce a new certificate and procedure in line with animal health requirements and second to engage with EFSA on developing proposals for a risk-based approach (requiring amendment to Article 6(4) of Regulation 853/2004, with Co-decision applying). The Commission intends to have draft legislation for stage 1 within a few months, which will be presented at the next meeting in February or March 2010. Overall Member States offered qualified support.

SANCO/4449/2009
Further discussions still taking place on the proposed wording on the requirement to dispatch Live Bivalve Molluscs for sale in sealed packaging. This will be voted at the next SCOFCAH meeting.

SANCO/4456/2009: Shellfish / lists of animal diseases that might render meat unfit for consumption

• Various discussions around the Commission’s intention to exclude marine gastropods from the requirements for classification of production areas, including stakeholder feedback on cooking of gastropods and concerns on applying LBM health standards to them. The Commission asked MS for comments in writing.
• Regarding the lists of animal diseases, a questionnaire had been circulated to MS.

Future Meat Controls
The Commission explained that they wished to focus on the EFSA mandate, the first draft of which had been circulated.

Species priority and animal health / welfare
Overall MS felt animal health and welfare were part of the production process and should be included in the mandate, alongside public health. The Commission indicated that it would request that EFSA work on several species at the same time, and that it intended to retain animal health and welfare in the mandate.

Pilot Project
The Commission indicated that the Commission intended have a role in coordinating Member State pilot projects, which would need to be notified to them under Article 17 of 854/2004 (not under TRIS).

Trichinella Testing
The Commission asked MS to feed back any comments on the validation received from National Reference Laboratories.

Import of egg products
The Commission indicated that there was an issue with the import certificate for boiled eggs (which fell under the definition of an 'egg product'). The correct custom code for this product should be '04-07', but the certificate could not code this number. The Commission intended to have this code included, and asked for any comments on this via email.