Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1829 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on October 30. It amends Annexes II and III of Regulation (EC) 853/2004 regarding specific hygiene rules for live bivalve molluscs.
Specifically, the regulation stipulates that food business operators placing live bivalve molluscs on the market are required to:
- provide a registration document in accordance with a template available within the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES);
- issue the registration document—which must accompany any consignment of live bivalve molluscs—via the TRACES system.
These provisions aim to reduce administrative burdens for both operators and the competent authorities responsible for conducting official controls.
The new requirements will apply as of November 19, 2028.
The new regulation also provides clarification, specifying that live bivalve molluscs sent by intermediary operators from production areas to purification centres or processing establishments—as they are not intended for direct human consumption—should not bear an identification mark.
