The Country of Origin of Certain Meats Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision to enforce certain provisions of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1337/2013 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for fresh, chilled and frozen meat of swine, sheep, goats and poultry (OJ No L 335, 14.12.13, p 19) (“the Commission Regulation”).

Regulation 3 sets out that each district council within its district is the competent authority for the purposes of Article 5(1) and (2) of the Commission Regulation. Regulation 4 makes District Councils responsible for enforcement of the Regulations.

Regulation 5 requires food business operators to keep records for 12 months from the end of the calendar year to which each record relates.

Regulation 6 and the Schedule apply certain provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (1991 N.I. 7) with modifications. This includes the application (with modifications) of Article 9(1), enabling an improvement notice to be served requiring compliance with specified provisions of the Commission Regulation or with regulation 5. The provisions, as applied, make the failure to comply with an improvement notice an offence.