Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs^f1 and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 12 thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin^f2 and in particular Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 lays down general rules for food business operators on the hygiene of foodstuffs based amongst others on the principles of hazard analysis and critical control points. It provides that food business operators are to comply with certain procedures based on those principles.

Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 lays down specific rules on the hygiene of food of animal origin for food business operators and supplements the rules laid down in Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. The rules laid down in Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 and (EC) No 853/2004 include structural requirements for milk processing establishments, as well as hygiene requirements concerning raw milk and dairy products.

By the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (the Act of Accession), Romania has been granted a transitional period, expiring on 31 December 2009, for compliance by certain milk processing establishments with the structural and hygiene requirements of Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 and (EC) No 853/2004.

Point (a) of Section B.I. of Chapter 5 of Annex VII to the Act of Accession, authorises until 31 December 2009 certain milk processing establishments that do not comply with the structural requirements laid down in Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 and (EC) No 853/2004.

Since the accession of Romania, the number of establishments in compliance with those structural requirements has increased. However, certain milk processing establishments are still undergoing the necessary structural improvements in order to comply with those requirements. In light of the ongoing structural improvements, it is necessary to provide for a time-limited derogation from the structural requirements laid down in Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 and (EC) No 853/2004. The list of establishments not in compliance with those structural requirements is set out in Annex I to this Decision.

In addition, point (c) of Section B.I. of Chapter 5 of Annex VII to the Act of Accession, authorises until 31 December 2009 certain milk processing establishments that do not comply with the hygiene requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.

Milk production holdings that do not comply with those hygiene requirements are spread over the whole territory of Romania. The proportion of raw milk that complies with those requirements, delivered to milk processing establishments in Romania, has only increased slightly during the last years.

Taking into account the current situation, it is appropriate to provide for a time-limited derogation from the hygiene requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 with a view to permitting Romania to bring its milk sector in compliance with those requirements.

In light of this situation, certain milk processing establishments listed in Annex II to this Decision should be allowed, by way of derogation from Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, to continue to process compliant and non-compliant milk provided that the processing is carried out on separate production lines. In addition, certain milk processing establishments listed in Annex III to this Decision should be allowed to continue to process non-compliant milk without separate production lines.

In addition, in order not to penalise milk processing establishments that comply with the structural requirements, it is appropriate to authorise such establishments to receive non-compliant milk on the same conditions as apply to milk processing establishments that do not comply with those requirements.

The marketing of dairy products derived from non-compliant milk should be restricted to Romania or used for further processing in the milk processing establishments covered by the derogations provided for in this Decision.

The transitional period granted by this Decision should be limited to twenty-four months from 1 January 2010. The situation in the milk sector in Romania should be reviewed before the end of that period. Therefore, Romania should submit annual reports to the Commission regarding progress in the upgrading of milk processing establishments in that Member State, milk production holdings supplying raw milk to those establishments and the system for collecting and transporting non-compliant milk.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: