L 169/32 Official Journal of the European Union 8.7.2003 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1215/2003 of 7 July 2003 amending Regulation (EEC) No 344/91 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EEC) No 1186/90 to extend the scope of the Community scale for the classification of carcasses of adult bovine animals THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1186/90 of 7 May 1990 extending the scope of the Community scale for the classification of carcasses of adult bovine animals ('), as amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 2 thereof, Whereas: (1) Articles 1 and 3 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 344/91 (%), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1993/ 95 (%), lay down detailed rules for carrying out, identi- fying and checking the classification of carcasses of adult bovines. (2)  With a view to authorising alternative methods to direct visual assessment of conformation and fat cover, auto- mated grading techniques may be introduced when they are based on statistically proven methods. Authorisation of automatic grading techniques should be subject to compliance with certain conditions and requirements as well as with a maximum tolerance for statistical error in classification that should be specified. (3)  Establishments using automated grading techniques for the determination of the class of conformation and fat cover should ensure that the category of the carcass is identified in accordance with Article 3(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1208/81 of 28 April 1981 deter- mining the Community scale for the classification of carcasses of adult bovine animals (*), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1026/91 (). For the identification of the category, the establishments concerned should make use of the system referred to in Title I of Regula- tion (EC) No 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products (°). (4)  In case the automated grading techniques refuse to clas- sify carcasses due to technical problems, some flexibility should be allowed to the extent that the classification and identification of the carcasses concerned should in those cases be carried out before the end of the daily slaughter operations. 1 () OJL 119, 11.5.1990, p. 32. () OJ L 41, 14.2.1991, p. 15. () OJ L 194, 17.8.1995, p. 7. (% OJL123,7.5.1981, p. 3. () 0] () 0 ) O] L 106, 26.4.1991, p. 2. L 204, 11.8.2000, p. 1. 6 (5)  Provision should be made for the possibility to modify, after a licence was granted, the technical specifications of the automated grading techniques with a view to improving their accuracy. However, such modifications should require the prior approval of the competent authorities that should ascertain that these modifications result in a higher level of accuracy. (6) It is necessary to provide for regular on-the-spot checks whereby the accuracy of the automated grading techni- ques is verified on certain specific aspects. The frequency of these checks should particularly be increased in the initial period of 12 months after a licence was granted. (7)  Regulation (EEC) No 344/91 should therefore be amended accordingly. (8)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Beef and Veal, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Atrticle 1 Regulation (EEC) No 344/91 is amended as follows: 1. Article 1 is amended as follows: (a) paragraph 2 is amended as follows: (i) the second indent is replaced by the following: ‘— in addition to the requirements mentioned in paragraph 1, they must indicate the approval number of the slaughterhouse, the identification or slaughter number of the animal, the date of slaughter, the weight of the carcase and, where applicable, that the classification has been carried out by using automated grading techni- ques;’ (i) the following subparagraph is added: ‘Where classification is carried out by using auto- mated grading techniques, the use of labels shall be compulsory.’; (b) in paragraph 2a, the following subparagraph is added: ‘In cases where the automated grading techniques fail to classify carcasses, classification and identification of these carcasses must take place before the end of the daily slaughter operations.’