31971R0166

Official Journal of the European Communities 37

29.1.71 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 23 / 3

REGULATION (EEC) No 166/71 OF THE COUNCIL

of 26 January 1971 laying down common marketing standards for shrimps of the genus Crangon sp. p.

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , Whereas shrimps have hitherto been graded only before being sold for the first time since a large Having regard to the Treaty establishing the proportion of these shrimps are immediately shelled European Economic Community; or otherwise processed ; whereas application of common standards should therefore be limited to the Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No first marketing stage in the Community; 2142/701 of 20 October 1970 on the common organisation of the market in fishery products, and in Whereas the standards must apply to all shrimps, particular Article 2 (3 ) thereof; including imported shrimps, marketed on the territory of the Member States of the Community; whereas it seems necessary, however, to exclude certain direct Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ; sales of small quantities to retailers or consumers from their field of application; whereas grading Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 2142/70 provides for should also be dispensed with for shrimps which are the possibility of determining common marketing proved not to be intended for human consumption ; standards ; whereas the application of such standards should help to improve the quality of shrimps Whereas freshness is a decisive factor in assessing the marketed and thus facilitate their sale ; quality of shrimps; whereas grading by size is also essential because of the diversity of consumers' Whereas one way of improving quality is to prevent buying habits and the processing methods normally shrimps which are not of a given degree of freshness used in the Community; or of a given size category being marketed for human consumption ; Whereas there is at present no objective method of assessing the freshness of shrimps both rapidly and Whereas virtually all Community shrimps are boiled cheaply; whereas only organoleptic examination, in water immediately after being caught to prevent which is, moreover, in use in the Member States, any deterioration in their freshness ; whereas it is meets this requirement and constitutes an acceptable therefore advisable as a first priority to lay down method ; standards for shrimps simply boiled in water; Whereas, in view of normal practice in most Member Whereas, in almost all Member States engaged in sea States, it is advisable that the industry should grade fishing, shrimps which have been judged fit for shrimps for freshness and size; whereas, with a view human consumption under national regulations are in particular to assessing freshness by organoleptic offered for sale after grading by size; whereas criteria, provision should be made for the shrimps are also graded according to degree of collaboration of experts appointed for this purpose freshness ; by the trade organisations concerned ;

Whereas the adoption of standards for shrimps has Whereas, in order to keep each other informed, each assumed particular importance in view of the Member State should supply the other Member measures on the determination and formation of States and the Commission with a list of the names prices provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 2142/70; and addresses of the experts and trade organisations whereas the grading hitherto carried out at national concerned ; level should therefore be standardised; Whereas it is essential that shrimps imported from third countries should conform to Community 1 OJ No L 236, 27.10.1970, p . 5 . standards ;

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Whereas the application of Community standards to category 2 of Article 7 (1 ) in accordance with the these shrimps means that additional information procedure laid down in Article 29 of Regulation must be given on packages; whereas, however, this ( EEC) No 2142/70 . information is not necessary in the case of shrimps , landed in the Community direct from the fishing 5 . Detailed rules for the application of paragraphs grounds from third country vessels, it being understood 2 and 3 shall be adopted in accordance with the however that these shrimps may only be marketed in procedure laid down in Article 29 of Regulation accordance with the provisions applicable to Com­ (EEC ) No 2142/70 . munity catches :

Article 4 HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : The marketing standards referred to in Article 1 shall Article 1 comprise : Marketing standards are hereby laid down for ( a) freshness categories and shrimps of the genus Crangon sp . p., simply boiled in ( b ) size categories. water, falling within sub-heading ex 03.03 A IV (b) 1 of the Common Customs Tariff. Article 5 Article 2 1 . The shrimps referred to in Article 1 shall be classified by lot in Freshness Category A, B or C. For the purposes of this Regulation ; ( a) 'marketing' means the first offering for sale and FRESHNESS CATEGORY the first sale after arrival in the Community; ( b) 'lot' means a quantity of shrimps packed as a ( a) Minimum, requirements : unit; — the shell must have a moist and shiny surface; (c) 'packaging' means the type of container in which the shrimps are offered for sale, such as boxes, — the shrimps must fall out separately when baskets, etc. poured from one container to another ; — the flesh must be free from any foreign Article 3 odour ; — the shrimps must be free from sand and other 1 . The shrimps referred to in Article 1 which form foreign bodies ; part of Community catches may be marketed within the Community only if they comply with the ( b ) Appearance of shrimp with shell: provisions of this Regulation. — clear reddish-pink in colour with small white 2. The shrimps referred to in Article 1 which are flecks ; • pectoral part of the shell should be graded in Freshness Category C referred to in Article light in colour; 5 ( 1 ) and those graded in Size Category 2 referred to — very incurved"; in Article 7 . ( 1 ) may not be marketed for human consumption . ( c) Condition of flesh during and after shelling: 3 . The provisions of this Regulation shall not, — it should shell easily with technically however, apply to : unavoidable losses of flesh ; ( a) small quantities of shrimps disposed of by — it should be firm, not tough ; inshore fishermen direct to retailers or consumers ; ( d ) Fragments : (b ) shrimps which the rightful owner can prove not Occasional fragments of shrimp allowed . to be for human consumption.

FRESHNESS CATEGORY 4. To the extent necessary to ensure supplies for certain regions of the Community, temporary ( a ) Minimum requirements: exceptions to the provisions of paragraph 2 may be made in respect of shrimps classified in size the same as for Freshness Category A ;

Official Journal of the European Communities 39

(b ) Appearance of shrimp with shell: 2 . Each lot must contain shrimps of the same size. A small lot need not however be uniform ; if this is — ranging in colour from slightly washed-out the case the lot shall be placed in Size Category 2. reddish-pink to bluish red with white flecks ; pectoral part of the shell should be light coloured tending towards grey; 3 . The size category must be clearly and indelibly marked, in characters which are at least 5 cm high, — incurved ; on labels affixed to the lots .

( c) Condition of flesh during and after shelling:

— it should shell less easily with small losses of Article 8 flesh; The industry shall grade shrimps for freshness and — it can be less firm, slightly tough ; size in collaboration, where necessary, with experts designated for that purpose by the trade ( d ) Fragments : organisations concerned. small quantity of fragments allowed.

FRESHNESS CATEGORY C Article 9

Not later than one month before the system laid Shrimps not satisfying the requirements for Freshness down by this Regulation begins to apply, each Categories A and B shall be placed in this category. Member State shall supply the other Member States and the Commission with a list of the names and Water content shall also be taken into consideration addresses of the experts and trade organisations when products are being classified by freshness referred to in Article 8 . The other Member States and category. the Commission shall be informed of any amendments to this list. Detailed rules for the application of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 29 of Regulation (EEC) No 2142 /70 . Article 10

1 . The shrimps referred to in Article 1 imported from third countries may be put on the market in the Article 6 Community only if:

1 . Each lot must contain products of the same ( a) they comply with the provisions of Articles 4, 5, 6 degree of freshness . A small lot need not however be and 7 ; of uniform freshness ; if this is the case the lot shall be placed in the lowest freshness category respresented by the products it contains . ( b ) they are presented in packages on which the following information is clearly and conspicuously marked : 2 . The freshness category must be clearly and indelibly marked, in characters which are at least 5 — country of origin, printed in Roman letters cm high, on labels affixed to the lots . which are at least 20 mm high;

— one of the following descriptions :

Crevettes grises Article 7 Garnelen 1 . Shrimps shall be graded in the following size Gamberetti grigi categories : Garnalen

Width of shell Shrimps per kg (Shrimps )

— freshness category and size category; Size 1 6-8 mm and over 620 or less Size 2 621 and over — net weight in kg of the shrimps in the Less than 6-8 mm package ;

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— date of grading and date of dispatch; Article 11

— name and address of sender. This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal 2. However, shrimps landed in a Community port of the European Communities. direct from the fishing grounds from vessels flying the flag of a third country shall be subject, when put on the market, to the same provisions as those The system provided for in this Regulation shall applicable to Community catches. apply from 1 February 1971 .

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States .

Done at Brussels, 26 January 1971 .

For the Council The "President

B. PONS