Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 lays down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption.

Chapter VII of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 sets out the specific requirements for official controls concerning farmed game and farmed game meat. One of those requirements is that the farmed game or the farmed game meat inspected is to be accompanied by a certificate conforming to one of the specimens set out in Chapter X of that Section.

Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin2 provides that food business operators may slaughter farmed ratites and certain farmed ungulates at the place of origin with the authorisation of the competent authority, subject to certain conditions. In particular, those conditions include that the slaughtered animals are to be accompanied to the slaughterhouse by a declaration by the food business operator who reared the animals and by a certificate issued and signed by the official or approved veterinarian. The certificate issued and signed by the official or approved veterinarian is to attest, inter alia, to correct slaughter and bleeding of the animal and the time and date of slaughter.

Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 150/20113 permits that in certain cases, the attestation of the correct slaughter and bleeding of the animal and of the hour and date of slaughter be included in the declaration by the food business operator.

In such cases, it is appropriate to provide that the official or approved veterinarian carry out regular checks on the performance of the persons carrying out the slaughter and bleeding of the animals. Chapter VII of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.

In addition, the specimen health certificate for animals slaughtered at the holding is set out in Part B of Chapter X of Section IV of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. That specimen health certificate also includes entries certifying that slaughter and bleeding were carried out correctly. For cases where such certification is made in the declaration by the food business operator a new specimen health certificate should be provided.

Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 should therefore be amended accordingly.

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