Vol. 530 No. 5
30 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if the traceability provisions in force in the Federal Republic of Germany provide the same facility and level of information as is available in relation to Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4122/01]
Last year, the European Union adopted regulations to introduce compulsory labelling of beef at all stages of production and marketing up to and including the final point of sale to the consumer. The regulations in question are European Parliament and Council Regulation No. 1760/2000 of 17 July 2000 which, establishes a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and the labelling of beef and beef products; and Commission Regulation No. 1825/2000 of 25 August 2000, which lays down detailed rules for the application of Regulation 1760/2000.
Under these regulations, operators or organisations involved in the production and marketing of beef are, since 1 September 2000, required to label it with the following information: a reference number or code which enables the beef to be traced back to the animal or group of animals from which it was derived; the approval number of the slaughterhouse and member state or third country in which it is located; and the approval number of the de-boning hall and member state or third country in which it is located.
These regulations, which are fully enforced in Ireland, have direct legal effect in all member states of the European Union, which are also required to enforce them in full.
