Article 26

1. Implementing rules regarding Article 26 (3) of Regulation 1169/2011 (pig, sheep, goat and poultry meats)Working Group on the Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers 10 September 2013

2. Article 26 • Implementing rules as regards mandatory labelling of origin for pre-packed fresh, chilled or frozen pig, poultry, sheep and goat meat shall be adopted by the Commission by 13.12.2013 following an impact assessment

3. Time frame • March-June 2013– Commission Impact Assessment based on an external study • July-August 2013 – Commission inter-service consultation of the legal proposal • September 2013 – TBT notification • Sep-October 2013 – discussion of the proposal in SCoFCAH WG and in MANCOM for animal proucts • November 2013 – vote in SCoFCAH • 13 December 2013 – implementing acts adopted • 13 December 2014 [1st April 2015] – it applies • 13 December 2019 – report to Council and EP

4. Labelling options presented in IA • Option 1 (simple): EU/non-EU (minimum period of rearing before slaughter) • Option 2 (intermediate): MS/third country of of rearing (minimum period of rearing before slaughter) and MS/third country of slaugther. • Option 3 (beef): MS/third country of birth, of rearing and of slaughter

5. Averagecost per option andmeat type

6. Assessment of options Option 1: very low additional costs in the chain as well as administrative ones, no trade impacts butlittle meaning for consumers Option 2:Cost impact ≈50% of option 3, limited trade impacts, meaningful for consumers, moderate administrative costs Option 3:Highest costs in the chain (pork poultry sheep) and for administration, limited trade impacts; as meaningful as option 2.

7. The principles of the draft implementing regulation • Rules on mandatory origin labelling should provide necessary and meaningful information to consumers while not creating unnecessary burderns on the supply chain and consumers themselves. • Follows the legal drafting logic of the beef labelling regulations No 1760/2000 (Council) and 1825/2000 (Commission);

8. Background of the proposal • The proposal is based on evidence from external study and impact assessment, i.e. empiric evidence and stakeholder consultations. • The proposed provisions for the indication of origin are a combination of the three labelling options thoroughly analysed in the IA in order to require only necessary information and to provide for flexibility in cases where the general rules would be too burdensome.

9. Main elements of the proposal • DefinitionsofFBO, minced meat, slaughterhouse and cutting plant from basic Act and hygiene legislation applies. Definitons of trimmings and batch are added. • Traceability systems of FBOs to link the meat and the animal or group of animals is required as intrinsic to the origin labelling obligation. • General rules to indicate the place of rearing and of slaughter. Simplified rule when are the same. Rule for mixtures. • Specific cases or exemptions for meat from third countries and for trimmings and minced meat

10. The label shall indicate: • Origin of the meat: • -the last MS or third country of rearing (at least 2 months for pigs, sheep and goats and 1 month for poultry) indicated as 'Reared in: (name of the MS or third country)'; • -MS or third country of slaughter indicated as 'Slaughtered in: (name of the MS or third country)'; • - a reference code for the link between the meat and the animal or group of animals;

11. Simple option of labelling • In case both rearing and slaughter took place in the same MS or third country origin can be indicated as 'Reared and slaughtered in: (name of MS or third country)';

12. Labelling of several origins • The list of MS or third countries of rearing and slaughter should be provided where several cuts of meat (of the same or of different species) derived from animals reared and slaughtered in several MSs or third countries, are packed in the same pack.