Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1978 of 31 October 2017 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin as regard echinoderms harvested outside classified production areas (Text with EEA relevance. )

• CELEX: Regulation (EU) 2017/1978
• Articles: 3

Article 1

Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2019.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

Section VII of Annex III to Regulation (EC) 853/20004 is amended as follows:

(1)

In the introductory part, point 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.

This Section applies to live bivalve molluscs. With the exception of the provisions on purification, it also applies to live echinoderms, live tunicates and live marine gastropods. The provisions on the classification of production areas set out in Chapter II, Part A, of that Section do not apply to marine gastropods and to echinoderms which are not filter feeders.’

(2)

Chapter IX is replaced by the following:

‘CHAPTER IX:     SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR PECTINIDAE, MARINE GASTROPODS AND ECHINODERMS WHICH ARE NOT FILTER FEEDERS HARVESTED OUTSIDE CLASSIFIED PRODUCTION AREAS

Food business operators harvesting pectinidae, marine gastropods and echinoderms which are not filter feeders, outside classified production areas or handling such pectinidae, and/or such marine gastropods and/or echinoderms must comply with the following requirements:

1.

Pectinidae, marine gastropods and echinoderms which are not filter feeders, must not be placed on the market unless they are harvested and handled in accordance with Chapter II, Part B, and meet the standards laid down in Chapter V, as demonstrated by a system of own-checks;

2.

In addition to point 1, where data from official monitoring programmes enable the competent authority to classify fishing grounds — where appropriate, in cooperation with food business operators — the provisions of Chapter II, Part A, apply by analogy to pectinidae;

3.

Pectinidae, marine gastropods and echinoderms which are not filter feeders, must not be placed on the market for human consumption otherwise than via a fish auction, a dispatch centre or a processing establishment. When they handle pectinidae and/or such marine gastropods, and/or echinoderms food business operators operating such establishments must inform the competent authority and, as regards dispatch centres, comply with the relevant requirements of Chapters III and IV;

4.

Food business operators handling pectinidae, live marine gastropods and live echinoderms which are not filter feeders, must comply with the following requirements:

(a)

with the documentary requirements of Chapter I, points 3 to 7, where applicable. In this case, the registration document must clearly indicate the location of the area where the pectinidae and/or live marine gastropods and/or live echinoderms were harvested; or

(b)

with the requirements of Chapter VI, point 2 concerning the closing of all packages of live pectinidae, live marine gastropods and live echinoderms dispatched for retail sale and Chapter VII concerning identification marking and labelling.’