Malta requests agricultural transitional period

In its negotiations with the European Union, the government is arguing that the Maltese agricultural sector requires time to adopt certain EU-wide laws and regulations in the spheres of veterinary services, the phytosanitary sector and the organisation of the common market.

As such, the government has requested a number of transitional periods for the implementation of certain laws and regulations.

Veterinary public health
The government has requested three transitional periods of three years each in the area of veterinary public health. The request will allow for the implementation of directives on health problems in terms of trade in fresh meat, meat products, minced meat and meat preparation. The aim is to allow the restructuring of cutting, de-boning and processing establishments.

Another two transitional periods of two years each have been requested to implement a directive on health problems affecting trade in poultry and another on public health and animal health problems in the production and sale of rabbit meat and farmed game meat. The aim is to allow the implementation of self controls and restructuring of slaughtering and cutting establishments.

A transitional period of six years has also been requested in order to implement a directive on health rules for the production and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products – with the aim of allowing the upgrading and restructuring of farms and dairy establishments and the control of mastitis in the herds.

Animal welfare
Two years have been requested for the implementation of a directive regarding the minimum standard for the protection of pigs, with the aim of restructuring farms and to control the stock density of units built prior to 1994.

An additional three years have been requested in this filed in order to implement a directive regarding the minimum standards for the protection of laying hens kept in battery cages, with the aim of restructuring farms and to control the stock density of units built prior to 1990.

Animal nutrition
Five years have been requested to align Malta with EU directives concerning the approval and registration of certain establishments and intermediaries operating in the animal feed trade, allowing for the restructuring of feed mills.

Processed fruit and vegetables
Five years have been requested regarding the regulation on aid for individual producers.