Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 is amended as follows:
(1)
in Article 7, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:
‘2. In the course of audits in slaughterhouses or game-handling establishments, the competent authorities shall verify the evaluation of food chain information, as laid down in Section III of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.’;
(2)
Article 9 is replaced by the following:
‘Article 9
Obligations of the competent authorities as regards checks of documents other than the checks of the food chain information referred to in Article 10(1)
1. The competent authorities shall inform the food business operator of the holding of provenance of the minimum elements of food chain information to be supplied to the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment in accordance with Section III of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.
2. The competent authorities shall perform the necessary checks of documents to verify that:
(a)
the food chain information is consistently and effectively communicated between the food business operator who raised or kept the animals before dispatch and the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment;
(b)
the food chain information is valid and reliable;
(c)
feedback of relevant information to the holding of provenance, if applicable, is provided in accordance with Article 39(5).
3. Where animals are dispatched for slaughter to another Member State, the competent authorities at the holding of provenance and the place of slaughter shall cooperate to ensure that the food chain information provided by the food business operator of the holding of provenance is easily accessible to the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment receiving it.’
;
(3)
in Article 10, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:
‘1. When carrying out ante-mortem inspections, the official veterinarian shall verify the results of the checks and evaluations of food chain information provided by the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment in accordance with Section III of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. The official veterinarian shall take those checks and evaluations into account when carrying out ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, together with any other relevant information from the records of the animals’ holding of provenance.’
;
(4)
Article 18 is amended as follows:
(a)
in paragraph 1, point (b) is replaced by the following:
‘(b)
animals under 20 months old if kept without access to pastureland during their whole life in an officially tuberculosis-free Member State or zone thereof listed in Part I of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 ( *1 ) .
( *1 ) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620 of 15 April 2021 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the approval of the disease-free and non-vaccination status of certain Member States or zones or compartments thereof as regards certain listed diseases and the approval of eradication programmes for those listed diseases ( OJ L 131, 16.4.2021, p. 78 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2021/620/oj ).’;"
(b)
in paragraph 3, the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(5)
in Article 19(2), the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(6)
in Article 20(2), the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(7)
in Article 21(2), the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(8)
in Article 22(2), the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(9)
in Article 23(2), the introductory sentence is replaced by the following:
‘When there are indications of a possible risk to human health, animal health or animal welfare in accordance with Article 24, the official veterinarian shall proceed with those of the following post-mortem inspection procedures that are relevant based on indications of a possible risk, in accordance with Article 18(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and Articles 7 and 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/624, using incision and palpation of the carcase and offal:’;
(10)
in Article 27, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:
‘2. Where the animals have been slaughtered outside the slaughterhouse, the official veterinarian at the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment shall verify the certificate.’
;
(11)
in Article 33, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:
‘1. Where animals have reacted positively or inconclusively to tuberculin, or there are other grounds for suspecting infection, they shall be slaughtered or handled separately from other animals, taking precautions to avoid the risk of contamination of other carcases, the production line and staff present in the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment.’
;
(12)
in Article 34, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:
‘1. Where animals have reacted positively or inconclusively to a brucellosis test, or there are other grounds for suspecting infection, they shall be slaughtered or handled separately from other animals, taking precautions to avoid the risk of contamination of other carcases, the production line and staff present in the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment.’
;
(13)
Article 39 is amended as follows:
(a)
in paragraph 2, point (a) is replaced by the following:
‘(a)
the official veterinarian shall inform the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment;’;
(b)
paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:
‘3. The competent authorities shall enter the results of official controls in relevant databases, at least where the collection of such information is required under Article 4 of Directive 2003/99/EC, Articles 3 and 4 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 ( *2 ) and Annex III to Directive 2007/43/EC.
( *2 ) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2002 of 7 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to Union notification and Union reporting of listed diseases, to formats and procedures for submission and reporting of Union surveillance programmes and of eradication programmes and for application for recognition of disease-free status, and to the computerised information system ( OJ L 412, 8.12.2020, p. 1 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/2002/oj ).’;"
(14)
in Article 40, the following paragraph is added:
‘4. The official veterinarian shall also ensure that animals are not slaughtered unless he or she has verified the relevant food chain information in accordance with Article 9(2), point (b), in the case of:
(a)
emergency slaughter outside the slaughterhouse in accordance with Section I, Chapter VI, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004;
(b)
slaughter, other than emergency slaughter, at the holding of provenance of domestic bovine animals other than bisons, ovine, caprine and porcine animals and domestic solipeds in accordance with Section I, Chapter VIa, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004;
(c)
slaughter at the holding of origin of farmed ratites and farmed even-toed game mammals in accordance with Section III, point 3, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and of bisons in accordance with Section III, point 4, of Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.’
;
(15)
in Article 42(2), the first sentence is replaced by the following:
‘The competent authorities shall take action against the food business operator responsible for the holding of provenance of the animals, or any other person involved, including the operator of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment.’;
(16)
in Article 45, point (e) is replaced by the following:
‘(e)
derives from animals affected by animal diseases for which animal health rules are laid down in, or are adopted on the basis of, Part III, Title II, or Article 259, of Regulation (EU) 2016/429, in particular derives from animals affected by animal diseases for which animal health rules are laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 ( *3 ) , except if it is obtained in conformity with the specific requirements provided for in Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687; this exception shall not apply if otherwise provided for in the requirements on the official controls of tuberculosis and brucellosis provided for in Articles 33 and 34 of this Regulation;
( *3 ) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards rules for the prevention and control of certain listed diseases ( OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 64 , ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj .).’;"
(17)
Article 48 is amended as follows:
(a)
in paragraph 2, point (b) is replaced by the following:
‘(b)
the health mark is applied on the external surface of the carcase, by stamping in ink or hot branding, in such a manner that, if carcases are cut in the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment into half carcases or quarters, or half carcases are cut into three pieces, each piece bears a health mark.’;
(b)
the following subparagraph is added in paragraph 3:
‘The requirements on the form of the health mark in Annex II of this Regulation may be replaced by the requirements for a special health mark laid down on the basis of Article 67, second subparagraph, point (a), Article 71(3) or (4), or Article 259 of Regulation (EU) 2016/429.’;
(18)
in Annex I, the heading of point 5 of the model document is replaced by the following:
‘5.
Contact details of slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment (approval number)’;
(19)
in Annex II, points 1(b) and (c) are replaced by the following:
‘(b)
the approval number of the slaughterhouse or game-handling establishment;
(c)
(when the mark is applied in an establishment located in the Union) the abbreviations EC, EU, EL, UE, EE, AE, ES or EÚ. Those abbreviations must not appear on marks applied on meat imported into the Union from slaughterhouses or game-handling establishments located outside the Union.’.