1.Class A eggs shall not be washed or cleaned, before or after grading, except as provided for in paragraph 3.
2.Class A eggs shall not be treated for preservation or chilled in premises or plants where the temperature is artificially maintained at less than 5 °C. However, eggs which have been kept at a temperature below 5 °C during transport for not more than 24 hours or on retail premises or in annexes thereto for not more than 72 hours shall not be considered as chilled.
3.Member States which, on 1 June 2003, authorised packing centres to wash eggs may continue to authorise packing centres to wash eggs, provided that those centres operate in accordance with the national guides for egg-washing systems. Washed eggs may only be marketed in the Member States in which such authorisations have been issued.
4.The Member States referred to in paragraph 3 shall encourage the development of national guides to good practice for egg-washing systems by the food business operators, in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.