L 340/16 Official Journal of the European Union 24.12.2003 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2295/2003 of 23 December 2003 introducing detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, () In order to guarantee the traceability of eggs and ensure Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for eggs (), and in particular Articles 5(3), 6(5), 7(1)(d), 10(3), 11(2), 20(1) and 22(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and food- stuffs (3), and in particular Article 2 thereof, Having regard to Commission Directive 2002/4/EC of 30 January 2002 on the registration of establishments keeping laying hens covered by Council Directive 1999/74/EC (), and in particular points 2.1 and 2.3 of the Annex thereto, Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 has recently undergone a number of radical amendments. The rules laid down in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1274/91 of 15 May 1991 introducing detailed rules for imple- menting Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs (*) should be amended to take account of these changes. In the interests of clarity and legal certainty, Regulation (EEC) No 1274/91 should be repealed and replaced by a new Regulation. (2)  Both technological developments and consumer demand now call for better traceability of products and prompter delivery, collection, grading and packing of eggs. (3)  However, certain producers are able to guarantee that their eggs are kept at a constant temperature which makes it possible to grant them a permanent exemption from the general requirement of daily collection or delivery in the case of eggs intended for marking with the date of laying or labelling as ‘extra’ grade eggs as provided for in Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 1907/ 90. The applicable deadlines for collection and delivery should therefore be laid down and the rules to be applied in this case should be specified. () OJ L 173, 6.7.1990, p. 5. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2052/2003 (O] L 305, 22.11.2003, p. 1). () OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commis- sion Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 (O] L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1). () OJ L 30, 31.1.2002, p. 44. () OJ L 121, 16.5.1991, p. 11. Regulation as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 326/2003 (O L 47, 21.2.2003, p. 31). that their origin and production method can be verified, each egg should also be marked with the distinguishing number of the production establishment, in accordance with Commission Directive 2002/4/EC, at the produc- tion site (on the farm) or, at the latest, at the first packing centre to which the eggs are sent. However, marking at the production site must be compulsory where the eggs are to leave the territory of the country of production, except where the producer has an exclu- sive contract with the packing centre. Each container must obligatorily be marked with the distinguishing number of the production establishment and the date or period of laying before leaving the production site. (5)  In order to guarantee to consumers that the quality char- acteristics for fresh eggs, also called grade A eggs, can be checked and apply only to the best quality eggs, and that certain eggs may be guaranteed ‘extra fresh’, criteria of a high standard should be fixed for each quality grade, especially stringent arrangements should apply to their collection and further distribution, and eggs should be graded and marked with the distinguishing number of the production establishment and, where appropriate, the date of laying. (6)  Only undertakings whose premises and technical equip- ment are suited to the scale of their operations and which therefore permit the proper handling of eggs should be authorised to grade eggs by quality and weight. In order to avoid confusion and facilitate identi- fication of consignments of egg, each collector and packing centre should be allotted a distinguishing regis- tration number based on a uniform coding system. (7)  Eggs of ordinary quality, whose characteristics do not allow their inclusion in the grade ‘fresh eggs’, are to be treated as second-quality eggs and graded accordingly. In practice, these eggs are largely intended for direct delivery to the food industry, including food industry undertakings approved in accordance with Council Directive 89/437/EEC of 20 June 1989 on hygiene and health problems affecting the production and placing on the market of egg products (°). Provided that the packs () O] L 212, 22.7.1989, p. 87. Directive as last amended by Regu- lation (EC) No 806/2003 (O] L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1).