21.6.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 162/3 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 584/2008 of 20 June 2008 implementing Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a Community target for the reduction of the prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium in turkeys (Text with EEA relevance) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the control of salmonella and other specified food- borne zoonotic agents (!) and, in particular Article 4(1) and Article 13 thereof, Whereas: The purpose of Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 is to ensure that proper and effective measures are taken to detect and control salmonella and other zoonotic agents at all relevant stages of production, processing and distri- bution, particularly at the level of primary production, in order to reduce their prevalence and the risk they pose to public health. Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 provides for a Community target to be established for the reduction of the prevalence of all salmonella serotypes with public health significance in turkeys at the level of primary production. Such reduction is important in view of the strict measures which are to apply to fresh meat from infected flocks of turkeys in accordance with that Regulation, as from 12 December 2010. In particular, fresh poultrymeat, including meat of turkeys, may not be placed on the market for human consumption unless it meets the following criterion: ‘salmonella absence in 25 grams'. Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 provides that the Community target is to include a numerical expression of the maximum percentage of epidemiological units remaining positive and/or the minimum percentage of reduction in the number of epidemiological units remaining positive, the maximum time limit within which the target must be achieved and the definition of the testing schemes necessary to verify achievement of the target. It is also to include a definition, where relevant, of serotypes with public health significance. () O) L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 24.10.2007, p. 5). 1237/2007 (O] L 280, S Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 provides that experience gained under existing national control measures and information forwarded to the Commission or to the European Food Safety Authority under existing Community  requirements, in particular in the framework of information provided for in Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents (%), and in particular Article 5 thereof, should be taken into account when setting the Community target. Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 provides that, when defining each Community target, the Commission shall provide an analysis of its expected costs and benefits. However, by way of derogation, the Community target for turkey, covering Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium may be establish for a transitional period without such analysis. Comparable data on the prevalence of the salmonella serotypes in flocks of turkeys in Member States have therefore been collected in accordance with Commission Decision  2006/662/EC  of 29 September 2006 concerning a financial contribution from  the Community towards a baseline survey on the prevalence of salmonella in turkeys to be carried out in the Member States (%). Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 provides that for a tran- sitional period of three years, the Community target for turkeys is to cover only Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella  typhimurium. Other serotypes with public health significance may be considered after that period. In order to verify progress on the achievement of the Community target, it is necessary to provide for repeated sampling of flocks of turkeys in this Regulation. In accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 21602003, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was consulted on the setting of the Community target for turkeys. () OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 31. Directive as amended by Council Directive 2006/104/EC (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 352). () O] L 272, 3.10.2006, p. 22.