Judgment of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 22 February 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Symvoulio tis Epikrateias — Greece) — Micreos Food Safety BV v Eniaios Foreas Elenchou Trofimon (EFET)

(Case C-745/22, (1) Micreos Food Safety)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Food safety - Specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin - Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 - Article 3(2) - Substance intended to remove surface contamination from products of animal origin - Definition - Contamination by the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes - Substance intended to prevent surface contamination from products of animal origin and applied outside of slaughterhouses during the final stages of the production process - Placing on the market - Prior approval by the European Commission)

(C/2024/2397)

Language of the case: Greek

Referring court

Symvoulio tis Epikrateias

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Micreos Food Safety BV

Defendant: Eniaios Foreas Elenchou Trofimon (EFET)

Operative part of the judgment

Article 3(2) of 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, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/1243 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019,

must be interpreted as requiring the European Commission to approve the use of a product, such as Listex™ P100, intended to prevent the presence of the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food of animal origin.

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(1)   OJ C 104, 20.3.2023.