22.12.2005 Official Journal of the European Union L 338/83 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2076/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down transitional arrangements for the implementation of Regulations (EC) No 853/2004, (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Regulations (EC) No 853/2004 and (EC) No 854/2004 (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 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (!), and in particular Article 9 thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption (3), and in particular Article 16 thereof, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules (%), and in particular Article 63(1) thereof, Whereas: (1) The entry into application on 1 January 2006 of Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parlia- ment and of the Council (), (EC) No 853/2004, (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 will entail considerable changes to the rules and procedures to be followed by food operators and the competent autho- rities of the Member States. The application of some of these measures with immediate effect from 1 January 2006 would present practical difficulties in some cases. A period should therefore be envisaged in order to permit a smooth transition to the full implementation of the new rules and procedures. (2) It is appropriate that the duration of the transitional period be fixed taking into account a first review of the new regulatory framework on hygiene scheduled within the first four years. (3) Provision should therefore be made for a transitional period during which certain requirements laid down in ()  OJL 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55, corrected by OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 22. ( OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 206, corrected by OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 83. () OJ L 165, 30.4.2004, p. 1, corrected by OJ L 191, 28.5.2004, p. 1 () OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1, corrected by OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 3. ©) —_— those Regulations can be progressively implemented. With a view to a harmonised approach, that transitional period should in principle last four years but could, where justified, be shorter. Provision should also be made for the possibility or reviewing any of those arrange- ments in the light of experience gained. As a standard transitional arrangement, it should continue to be possible to place on the market products produced before the application of the new rules. The arrangement should apply for the whole of the transitional period, unless the shelf-life of the product is shorter. Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 excludes from its scope the direct supply by the producer of small quantities of meat from poultry and lagomorphs to the final consumer or to local retail establishment supplying directly the final consumer as fresh meat. Council Directive 71/118/EEC of 15 February 1971 (°) on health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of fresh poultrymeat and Council Directive 91/ 495[EEC of 27 November 1991 (°) concerning public health and animal health problems affecting the produc- tion and placing on the market of rabbit meat and farmed game meat also allowed the Member States to derogate from the general requirements for such a purpose without limiting it to fresh meat. That possibility should be maintained during the transitional period. The work of approving establishments, in particular those that did not have to be approved under the previously applicable rules but were allowed to market their production on their national market only, places a heavy burden on the competent authorities. Provision should therefore be made for a transitional arrangement to allow such establishments to continue marketing on their national markets until they are actually approved. The transitional arrangement covering the use of wrapping and packaging materials and marking equip- ment in point 6 of Section I of Annex II to Regulation OJ L 55, 8.3.1971, p. 23. OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 41.