TEXT OF THE DIRECTIVE

Interpretation

Article 2

For the purposes of this Directive:

(a)‘meat’ means all parts of domestic bovine animals (including buffalo), swine, sheep, goats and solipeds which are suitable for human consumption;

Domestic buffalo are included in the group domestic ‘bovine animals’ by definition. All requirements for bovine animals must be observed. (Establishments in third countries approved for the slaughter of bovines need not be separately listed for the slaughter of domestic buffalo. Buffalo may only be slaughtered in establishments listed for bovines.)

(b)‘fresh meat’ means meat, including meat vacuum-wrapped or wrapped in a controlled atmosphere, which has not undergone any treatment other than cold treatment to ensure preservation;

(c)‘mechanically recovered meat’ means meat obtained by mechanical means from flesh-bearing bones apart from the bones of the head, the extremities of the limbs below the carpal and tarsal joints and, in the case of swine, the coccydeal vertebrae, and intended for establishments approved in accordance with Article 6 of Directive 77/99/EEC;

See also Article 5 (b), (exclusion from intra-Community trade) and Article 7 (3) which provides for a Council Decision on hygienic production of mechanically recovered meat and for national rules to continue to apply in the interim, provided that these are in accordance with the Treaty.

(d)‘carcase’ means the whole body of a slaughtered animal after bleeding, evisceration and removal of the limbs at the carpus and tarsus, removal of the head, tail and the udder, and in addition, in the case of bovine animals, sheep, goats and solipeds, after flaying;

Offals (including pig and sheep heads and pigs' feet), need not be physically separated from the carcase provided that it is possible to complete the post-mortem inspection in accordance with Chapter VII of Annex I.

(e)‘offal’ means fresh meat other than that of the carcase as defined in (d), even if it remains naturally connected to the carcase;

(f)‘viscera’ means offal from the thoracic, abdominal and pelvic cavities, including the trachea and oesophagus;

(g)‘official veterinarian’ means the veterinarian designated by the competent central authority of the Member State;

It must be ensured that the official veterinarian can enforce his professional judgement without interference from plant management. The official veterinarian must enjoy a status guaranteeing his impartiality towards those running the establishment.

(h)‘exporting country’ means the Member State from which fresh meat is sent to another Member State;

(i)‘country of destination’ means the Member State to which fresh meat is sent from another Member State;

(j)‘means of transport’ means the freight-carrying parts of motor vehicles, rail vehicles and aircraft and the holds of ships or containers for transport by land, sea or air;

‘Freight’ includes livestock.

(k)‘establishment’ means an approved slaughterhouse, an approved cutting plant or an approved store;

Approved in accordance with Article 8.1.

(l)‘wrapping’ means the protection of fresh meat by the use of an initial wrapping or initial container in direct contact with the fresh meat concerned as well as the initial wrapper or initial container itself;

(m)‘packaging’ means the placing of wrapped fresh meat in a second container as well as the latter container itself.