Member States shall ensure that official controls with respect to fresh meat take place in accordance with Annex I.
The official veterinarian shall carry out inspection tasks in slaughterhouses, game handling establishments and cutting plants placing fresh meat on the market in accordance with the general requirements of Section I, Chapter II, of Annex I, and with the specific requirements of Section IV, in particular as regards:
food chain information;
ante-mortem inspection;
animal welfare;
post-mortem inspection;
specified risk material and other animal by-products; and
laboratory testing.
The health marking of carcasses of domestic ungulates, farmed game mammals other than lagomorphs, and large wild game, as well as half-carcasses, quarters and cuts produced by cutting half-carcasses into three wholesale cuts, shall be carried out in slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments in accordance with Section I, Chapter III, of Annex I. Health marks shall be applied by, or under the responsibility of, the official veterinarian when official controls have not identified any deficiencies that would make the meat unfit for human consumption.
After carrying out the controls mentioned in points 1 and 2, the official veterinarian shall take appropriate measures as set out in Annex I, Section II, in particular as regards:
the communication of inspection results;
decisions concerning food chain information;
decisions concerning live animals;
decisions concerning animal welfare; and
decisions concerning meat.
Official auxiliaries may assist the official veterinarian with official controls carried out in accordance with Sections I and II of Annex I as specified in Section III, Chapter I.
In that case, they shall work as part of an independent team.
Member States shall ensure that they have sufficient official staff to carry out the official controls required under Annex I with the frequency specified in Section III, Chapter II.
A risk-based approach shall be followed to assess the number of official staff that need to be present on the slaughter line in any given slaughterhouse. The number of official staff involved shall be decided by the competent authority and shall be such that all the requirements of this Regulation can be met.
Member States may allow slaughterhouse staff to assist with official controls by carrying out certain specific tasks, under the supervision of the official veterinarian, in relation to the production of meat from poultry and lagomorphs in accordance with Annex I, Section III, Chapter III, Part A. If they do so, they shall ensure that staff carrying out such tasks:
are qualified and undergo training in accordance with those provisions;
act independently from production staff; and
report any deficiency to the official veterinarian.
Member States may also allow slaughterhouse staff to carry out specific sampling and testing tasks in accordance with Annex I, Section III, Chapter III, Part B.
Member States shall ensure that official veterinarians and official auxiliaries are qualified and undergo training in accordance with Annex I, Section III, Chapter IV.