Commission Decision of 30 November 2009 on transitional measures under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regard the processing of non-compliant raw milk in certain milk processing establishments in Bulgaria (notified under document C(2009) 9282) (Text with EEA relevance) (2009/861/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

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⁽¹⁾ and in particular Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

1. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs⁽²⁾ 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.

2. 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 Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 include hygiene requirements for raw milk and dairy products.

3. Pursuant to point (c) of Section B of Chapter 4 of Annex VI to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania (the Act of Accession), Bulgaria has been granted a transitional period, expiring on 31 December 2009, for compliance by certain milk processing establishments with those hygiene requirements.

4. Certain establishments which are authorised to process raw milk which does not comply with the requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 (non-compliant milk) are listed in Chapter I of the Appendix to Annex VI to the Act of Accession. Certain establishments which are authorised to process both compliant and non-compliant milk, provided that such processing is carried out on separate production lines, are listed in Chapter II of that Appendix.

5. Milk production holdings that do not comply with the hygiene requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 are spread over the whole territory of Bulgaria. The proportion of raw milk that complies with those requirements, delivered to milk processing establishments in Bulgaria, has only increased slightly during the last years.

6. 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 Bulgaria to bring its milk sector in compliance with those requirements.

7. In light of this situation, certain milk processing establishments listed in Annex I to this Decision should be allowed, by way of derogation from Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, to continue to process also after 31 December 2009 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 II to this Decision should be allowed to continue to process non-compliant milk without separate production lines.

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

9. The transitional period granted by this Decision should be limited to 24 months from 1 January 2010. The situation in the milk sector in Bulgaria should be reviewed before the end of that period. Bulgaria should therefore submit annual reports to the Commission regarding progress in the upgrading of milk production holdings supplying raw milk to milk processing establishments in that Member State and the system for collecting and transporting non-compliant milk.

10. 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: