23.7.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 194/17 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1321/2002 of 22 July 2002 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 introducing detailed rules for implementing Council Regu- lation (EEC) No 1906/90 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1906/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for poultrymeat (), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1101/98 (3, and in particular Articles 7 and 9 thereof, Whereas: 1 Commission Regulation (EEC) No 153891 (}), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1072/2000 (%), lays down the detailed rules for implementing marketing standards in the poultrymeat sector. It is necessary to introduce a definition for ‘young cock’ and the respective criteria relating to it in Annex IV of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91. When free-range farming is indicated on the label for meat coming from ducks and geese kept for foie gras’ production, it is necessary also to provide an indication of the latter to the customer on the label for assuring full information about product characteristics. In order to facilitate the inspections by Member States in slaughterhouses, on farms, feed manufactures and hatch- eries it is necessary to adapt the rules for record keeping. Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 provides that in the case of sales to the ultimate consumer the names of the products and other terms are to be indicated in a language or languages easily understood by purchasers in the Member State in which retailing takes place. This provision should be deleted as Article 16 of Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs () applies, as amended by Commission Directive 2001/101/EC (°). Experience has shown that in the case of air chilling of poultry carcasses, the absorption of water in the carcasses is minimal. Therefore, the frequency of the checks in the slaughterhouses can be reduced if sufficient proof exists that results of the checks have been in L 173, 6.7.1990, p. 1. L 157, 30.5.1998, p. 12. L 143, 7.6.1991, p. 11. L 119, 20.5.2000, p. 21. L 109, 6.5.2000, p. 29. L 310, 28.11.2001, p. 19. (10) (11) (12) compliance with the requirements for a defined period of time. It is also clear from experience that for air- chilled turkey carcasses, the requirement for regular checks on water absorption can be deleted. For the sake of transparency and clarity it is necessary to review the rules for the counter-analyses referred to in Article 14a(6) and (10) of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 and provide that the counter-analyses be done only in national reference laboratories. For the sake of clarity, the same expressions as used in Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 should be used in Annex IV thereto. As in some Member States there is a market for cocks and capons kept under ‘exten- sive indoor conditions, these should be added under point (b) in Annex IV and allowing for the same maximum stocking density as for chickens kept under the same type of farming. Furthermore, it is necessary to determine a minimum slaughtering age for cocks and capons. For the guinea fowl kept under ‘traditional free range’ conditions the same maximum indoor stocking rate should be used as for chickens, as the maximum outdoor stocking rate for the two are also the same. It is necessary to determine a minimum slaughtering age for male and female turkeys kept under ‘traditional free range’ conditions and intended for cutting up. This type of production requires shorter fattening periods than the production of turkeys for roasting. Therefore, the minimum slaughter age should also be less than for these turkeys. The sample size requirements for different chicken cuts under Annex VIa(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 should be clarified. The name and address of National reference laboratories for Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal have changed. Regulation (EEC) No 1538/91 should therefore be amended accordingly. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Poultrymeat and Eggs,