S.L. 439.12 Art. 2Interpretation. Cap. 439. Cap. 437. S.L. 437.98 S.L. 437.98

(1) Unless otherwise stated in these regulations, these regulations shall apply without prejudice to any other Community legislation in this regard or to any other rules or regulations pertaining to national legislation, and the definitions in the Act shall continue to apply.

(2) For the purpose of these regulations, and unless the context otherwise requires the following definitions shall apply: "the Act" means the Animal Welfare Act;

"authorisation" means any authorisation granted under these rules and in relation to owner or keepers and their services, means a permit, licence, warrant, appointment, concession or any decision concerning access to a service activity or the exercise thereof;

"the Commission" means the European Commission; "the Community" the European Community as established by the Treaty which establishes the European Union; "the competent authority” means the Veterinary Services Authority in Malta as established by the Veterinary Services Act, competent to carry out animal welfare, veterinary and zootechnical checks; "certificate" means a certificate which shall be kept at all times by the keeper or if the case may be, by the owner, and which is recognised by the competent authority attesting to the completion of a training course or acquired experience equivalent to such training course; "chicken" means an animal of the species Gallus gallus kept for meat production; "contract" means a form of agreement, being a written agreement or any other form of private writing between the owner and the keeper, which contract enables the owner of the holding to maintain his right of ownership while the keeper remains in possession of chickens. Such possession is vested back in the owner upon termination of contract; "cumulative daily mortality rate" means the sum of daily mortality rates; "daily mortality rate" means the number of chickens which have died in a house on the same day including those that have been gathered either for disease or because of other reasons divided by the number of chickens present in the house on that day, multiplied by 100; "final consumer" shall have the same meaning as that provided under the Animal Health Requirements Governing Trade and

Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not Subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules;

"flock" means a group of chickens which are placed in a house of a holding and are present in this house at the same time;

"guides to good management practice" means and includes guidance on compliance with these regulations;

"holding" means a production site on which chickens are kept; "house" means a building on a holding where a flock of chickens are kept; "keeper" means any natural or legal person responsible for or in charge of chickens in terms of contract or by law whether on a permanent or temporary basis;

"official veterinarian" shall have the same meaning as that provided under the Animal Health Requirements Governing Trade and Imports into the Community of Animals, Semen, Ova and Embryos not Subject to Animal Health Requirements laid down in Specific Community Acts, Rules;

"owner" means any natural or legal person or persons owning the holding where chickens are kept; "the product" means any product of animal origin;

"Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health" means a Committee made up of Member States’ representatives named committee members, who assist and consult the Commission by delivering an Opinion regarding safety measures with respect to animal health issues to be then formally adopted by the Commission in accordance with the appropriate procedure. Such committee procedure covers the entire food supply chain, ranging from animal health issues on the farm to the product which arrives to the final consumer, therefore significantly enhancing its ability to target risks to health wherever they arise in the production of food;

"stocking density" means the total live weight of chickens which are present in a house at the same time per square metre of useable area; "useable area" means a littered area accessible to the chickens at any time.