Mandatory origin labelling for meat

Dear customers,

We would like to inform you about the mandatory labelling of the origin and provenance of meat on cash register receipts by businesses such as butchers and retail shops with a meat counter, under Law 4492. The relevant provisions are set out below for your full information (unofficial translation).

LAW No. 4492 — Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ) Α΄ 156/18.10.2017
Distribution and trade of fresh and perishable agricultural products and other provisions.

Chapter A — Commercial transactions in fresh and perishable agricultural products – late payments

Article 9. Mandatory labelling of the origin and provenance of meat

Businesses such as butchers and retail shops with a meat counter which sell, at retail, pre-packed or unpacked fresh meat kept chilled, and frozen meat, of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats and poultry, as well as minced meat, offal and other edible parts, are required, in addition to their other obligations regarding the labelling of the origin and provenance of meat under EU and national law as in force from time to time, to:

a) State the type of meat and the country of origin or the countries of rearing — the first country of rearing being the country of birth and the last the country of slaughter — on the documents issued by the fiscal electronic device (ΦΗΜ) they use, such as cash registers, fiscal printers, standalone fiscal processing units (ΑΔΗΜΕ) or special secure fiscal signing devices (ΕΑΦΔΣΣ), in full or abbreviated, together with the weight of the quantities sold. The term “origin” is used only for meat from animals born, reared and slaughtered, and therefore produced entirely, in a single Member State or third country. In the special case of beef “reared in Greece for over 5 months”, the words “reared in Greece for over 5 months” may be stated instead of the countries of rearing.

b) Make available to the competent inspection authorities the monthly item “Z” report printed, as applicable, by the fiscal electronic device they use, as well as the item “X” report as applicable. Printing the item “Z” report before the end of the month is allowed if the business first prints the movements before reset that are not shown in a previous printout (an item “X” report covering the period since the previous “Z” report).

c) In the case of cash registers, program the items in the cash register, with the operator entering the exact weight of each product at every sale. If the cash register does not recognise weighed items, the operator must enter the exact weight of each item sold under the corresponding item code at every sale. Where a business management application controls the fiscal electronic device, the competent inspection authorities may request information from it during an on-site inspection.

d) Keep the monthly item “Z” report produced by their fiscal electronic device for three (3) years from the date the meat was sold. Compliance with the obligations of this article is checked, and penalties are imposed, as provided for in the application of Regulations (EC) 178/2002, (EC) 882/2004, (EU) 931/2011 and (EU) 1337/2013.

Article 15. Transitional provisions

2. Within six (6) months of this law entering into force, businesses that sell, at retail, pre-packed or unpacked fresh meat kept chilled, and frozen meat, of pigs, sheep and goats and poultry, as well as minced meat, offal and other edible parts, shall comply with the requirements of article 9.

You can read the full law (in Greek) in Government Gazette Α΄ 156/18.10.2017 (opens in a new tab).