Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1906/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat^f1, and in particular to Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

Paragraphs 10, 12 and 12a of Article 14a of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 of 5 June 1991 introducing detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1906/90 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat^f2 provide for detailed guidelines regarding the levels of controls and actions to be undertaken by reference laboratories for monitoring water content in poultrymeat.

The Community Reference Laboratory ‘Het Spelderholt’ provided for in Article 14a(14) of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 is no longer in a position to continue its work.

Experience with the work of the reference laboratories has shown that there is no need for a separate Community Reference Laboratory any more. Instead it appears sufficient to establish a coordinating board for testing activities by national reference laboratories.

The coordinating board should consist of representatives of the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (JRC) — Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and of three national reference laboratories.

The representative of IRMM should be the chairperson of the board and should appoint the national reference laboratories on rotational basis.

Annex VIII to Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 contains the names and addresses of all reference laboratories. Several Member States have informed the Commission of a change of their national reference laboratories. Malta has sent the name and address of the Maltese National Reference Laboratory in a neighbouring Member State. It is therefore necessary to update the name and address of certain Reference Laboratories and introduce the name and address of the Maltese Reference Laboratory.

Annex IX to Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 contains the specific tasks to be performed by the Community Reference Laboratory and by the national reference laboratories. The change in organisational structure of reference laboratories for monitoring water content in poultrymeat should be laid down in Annex IX.

Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 should be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat and Eggs,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: