(fra kommisjonsforordningen)

(1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 lays down uniform practical arrangements for the performance of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625, including for meat inspection in slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments. 

(2) In particular, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 lays down requirements for ante-mortem inspection in slaughterhouses and for post-mortem inspection in slaughterhouses and game-handing establishments. Certain food business operators of certain Member States have developed and validated computer-based technologies that may use artificial intelligence, in particular to analyse pictures of animals, carcases or both, taken by cameras. Moreover, competent authorities may also develop and implement such technologies in the future. Such technologies provide a useful, supplementary tool for facilitating ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection, and it should be clarified that they can be used in slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments for that purpose. The data obtained by such technologies should be made available to the competent authorities for the detection and evaluation of possible abnormalities relevant for meat inspection. Articles 11 and 12 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 should be amended accordingly. 

(3) Article 13 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 provides for a derogation from the timing of post-mortem inspection in low-capacity slaughterhouses and gamehandling establishments by allowing a delay of a maximum period of 24 hours. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued on 21 October 2020 a scientific opinion on the evaluation of public and animal health risks in case of a delayed postmortem inspection in ungulates. The EFSA opinion does not identify major differences in the disease detection sensitivity for most public and animal health hazards between a delay of a maximum period of 24 hours and a delay of a maximum period of 72 hours where the meat is stored chilled. However, reduced sensitivity was observed for the detection of Salmonella and for certain pharmacologically active substances, resulting in a reduced effectiveness to detect them. A delay of a maximum period of 72 hours should therefore be allowed for ungulates, provided that sampling for compliance with the requirements for Salmonella and pharmacologically active substances is carried out no longer than 24 hours after slaughter. 

(4) In addition, competent authorities in many Member States face difficulties to comply with the requirement for the presence of the official veterinarian during post-mortem inspection. Allowing post-mortem inspection with a delay of a maximum period of 72 hours in low-capacity slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments facilitates the presence of the official veterinarian without posing a significant public or animal health risk. Article 13(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 should be amended accordingly. 

(5) Member States submitted data on the size of slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments. Those data demonstrate that increasing the threshold for the derogation from the timing of post-mortem inspection from 5 % to 10 % of the total amount of fresh meat produced in a Member State, would facilitate compliance with the requirement for the presence of the official veterinarian during post-mortem inspection in slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments. Article 13(2) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 should therefore be amended accordingly. 

(6) The EFSA opinion does not indicate that a delay of a maximum period of 72 hours is likely to lead a substantial reduction in the detection sensitivity of officially controlled animal health diseases. However, timely detection of such diseases is essential to impose control measures without delay. Delayed post-mortem inspection should therefore not be allowed in relation to these diseases and animals. Article 13 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 should be amended accordingly. 

(7) Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 should therefore be amended accordingly. 

(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,