Hygiene of foodstuffs

PURPOSE: to amend Regulation 852/2004/EC on the hygiene of foodstuffs by excluding micro-enterprises from the requirement of maintaining permanent procedures based on the HACCP principles.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: on 14 November 2006, the Commission presented a Strategic Review of Better Regulation in the EU (see INI/2007/2095), including a proposal for a target to reduce the administrative burdens on businesses by 25% by 2012. Ten concrete proposals for "fast track action" were identified the Action Programme for reducing administrative burdens in the EU (see the summary dated 27/01/2007), based on broad stakeholder consultation and suggestions from Member States and Commission experts. The "fast track actions" aim at significantly reducing administrative burdens on businesses through minor legislative changes without challenging the level of protection or the original purpose of the legislation.

This proposal deals with a "fast track action" relating to Regulation 852/2004/EC on the hygiene of foodstuffs. The purpose is to exempt small food businesses able to control food hygiene simply by implementing the other requirements of Regulation 852/2004/EC from the requirement to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the hazard analysis and critical control points ("HACCP") principles. This exemption will apply to micro-enterprises that are predominantly selling food directly to the final consumer. These enterprises have less than ten employees and have an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total that does not exceed EUR 2 million. The exemption would therefore not apply to large surface supermarkets and franchisers of supermarket chains.

Another "fast track action" relates to Regulation No 11 852/2004/EC concerning the abolition of discrimination in transport rates and conditions, by removing outdated documentation (see COD/2007/0037A).