'Châtaigne D'ardèche'

14.8.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 235/13 Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2013/C 235/06) This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ). SINGLE DOCUMENT COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs ( 2) ‘CHÂTAIGNE D’ARDÈCHE’ EC No: FR-PDO-0005-0874-12.04.2011 PGI ( ) PDO ( X ) 1. Name ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ 2. Member State or Third Country France 3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff 3.1. Type of product Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed 3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies The designation of origin ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ is reserved for fruit of ancient local varieties of Castanea sativa Miller belonging to a population adapted to the local environmental conditions of the Ardèche region (ecotype) and displaying the following common characteristics: the fruit is elliptical in shape, with a pointed apex, terminating with a style. They are light chestnut brown to dark brown in colour and are marked by vertical grooves. They have a small hilum. After peeling, their kernel is creamy white to pale yellow in colour and has a ribbed surface. The pellicle (or inner skin) can penetrate the kernel to the point of dividing it in two. Chestnuts with the designation of origin ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ may come in the form of fresh unpeeled chestnuts, peeled whole dry chestnuts, or chestnut flour. The ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ displays typical aromas, characterised by light notes of pastry, pain au lait, onion squash, sweet potato and honey. In its dried forms (dried chestnut and chestnut flour), it also has the underlying scent of nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts, and cake. It has a distinctly perceptible sweet taste, which may be accompanied by a slightly bitter taste. These two flavours may be more pronounced in its dried preserved forms. In analytical terms, 100 g of fresh chestnut kernels give the following values: — percentage of dry matter: more than 37 %, — total carbohydrates: at least 34 %. The fruit intended to be sold fresh to the consumer is put up in batches of equal size containing at most 100 fruit per kg. The rest of the fruit may be put up in batches containing up to 200 fruit per kg. ( 1 ) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. ( 2 ) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. C 235/14 EN Official Journal of the European Union 14.8.2013 The fruit is presented as follows: — fresh chestnuts have a shiny pericarp and turgescent kernel. At most 10 % of the chestnuts in each container exhibit traces of internal attack by a fungus or an insect, — whole dried and peeled chestnuts are off-white to pale yellow in colour. The kernel’s vertical ribs are clearly visible and can exhibit residual traces of pellicle. The proportion of dried chestnuts with defects does not exceed 5 %. Each fruit contains 10 % moisture at most, — chestnut flour is off-white to pale yellow in colour. It contains 10 % moisture at most. Its granular composition, with the granules being less than or equal to 800 μm (and for at least 80 % less than or equal to 300 μm) in size, gives it a texture which is fine to the touch. 3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only) — 3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only) — 3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area All operations, from harvesting until the final product is obtained, must take place in the geographical area. 3.6. Specific rules on slicing, grating, packaging, etc. — 3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling The labelling on unit packages contains the following indications in the same field of view on the front of the packaging, in the following order: — the name of the designation of origin ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ in a font at least as large as the largest font on the label, — where applicable, either one of the indications ‘Farine de châtaignes’ or ‘Châtaignes sèches entières’ immediately afterwards, without any indication in between, — the European Union PDO logo, and — the crop year (except for fresh chestnuts). 4. Definition of the geographical area The geographical area of the ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ is located to the west of the Rhône valley, on the edge of the Massif Central, and mainly covers the department of Ardèche. This geographical area has been defined using criteria associated with natural factors (such as undu lating landscape, poor and acidic soils, sloping terrain) and human factors (presence of old chestnut groves, presence of a developed site associated with chestnut cultivation, existence of a customary practice of producing the ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’) typical of the area in which the ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ grows. This area comprises 197 municipalities, 188 of which are in the department of Ardèche, 7 in the department of Gard and 2 in the department of Drôme. This geographical area covers the following territory: department of Ardèche: — the following cantons in their entirety: Lamastre, Vernoux-en-Vivarais, Saint-Pierreville, Thueyts, Privas, Vals-les-Bains, Aubenas and Valgorge, — the canton of Antraigues-sur-Volane, except for the municipality of Lachamp-Raphaël, — the canton of Cheylard, except for the municipalities of (Le) Chambon and Saint-Andéol-de-Four chades, 14.8.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 235/15 — the canton of Joyeuse, except for the municipalities of Beaulieu, Chandolas, Grospierres, Labeaume and Saint-Alban-Auriolles, — the canton of Largentière, except for the municipalities of Chauzon, Uzer and Vinezac, — the canton of Saint-Félicien, except for the municipality of Lafarre, — the canton of (Les) Vans, except for the municipalities of Banne, Berrias-et-Casteljau, Saint-André- de-Cruzières and Saint-Sauveur-de-Cruzières, — the canton of (La) Voulte-sur-Rhône, except for the municipalities of Charmes-sur-Rhône and (La) Voulte-sur-Rhône, — the municipalities of Burzet, Pereyres, Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier, Rochessauve, Saint-Julien-en-Saint- Alban, Montpezat-sous-Bauzon, (Le) Roux, Saint-Martin-sur-Lavezon, Saint-Pierre-la-Roche, Sceautres, Labatie-d’Andaure, Saint-Agrève, Saint-Jeure-d’Andaure, Borne, Laval-d’Aurelle, Saint- Laurent-les-Bains, Lachapelle-sous-Chanéac, Intres, Saint-Jean-Roure, Saint-Julien-Boutières, Saint- Martin-de-Valamas, Alboussière, Champis, Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, Saint-Sylvestre, Toulaud, Boucieu-le-Roi, Colombier-le-Jeune, Saint-Barthélémy-le-Plain, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, Aubignas, Berzème, Darbres, Lussas, Mirabel, Saint-Gineis-en-Coiron, Saint-Jean-le-Centenier, Saint-Laurent- sous-Coiron and Saint-Pons; department of Gard: — the municipalities of Bordezac, Gagnières, Peyremale, Aujac, Courry, Meyrannes and Saint-Brès; department of Drôme: — the municipalities of Tain-l’Hermitage and Gervans. 5. Link with the geographical area 5.1. Specificity of the geographical area N a t u r a l f a c t o r s The geographical area is located on the south-east edge of the Massif Central. The chestnut trees have become established in soils which are mainly plutonic or metamorphic rock in origin. The common characteristics of these soils are their acidity (a pH of between 4,8 and 5,5), lack of nutrients, and being well-drained. The chestnut trees prefer steep slopes where they are exposed to a maximum number of hours of sunshine and intensive or more demanding cultivation is not possible. Furthermore, the chestnut groves of the Ardèche region characteristically grow at an altitude of between 300 m and 900 m, and experience an average of 700 mm to 800 mm of rain a year, with at most two dry months. The climate of the area is mesothermic, with long temperate summers and cold winters. H u m a n f a c t o r s Chestnuts have been a significant crop in the Ardèche region since the Middle Ages. Since the 18th century, in tandem with a significant increase in the area of land under chestnut trees in the Ardèche region, local producers have been empirically selecting ancient local varieties of Castanea sativa Miller adapted to the local climate and soils and making grafts of the best ones. Therefore, since very early on, the production of chestnuts in the Ardèche region has been based on those varieties which are best adapted to local conditions and therefore display superior and specific common qualities of taste. Furthermore, chestnuts from these varieties are produced solely in the Ardèche region. The ‘Châtaigne d’Ardèche’ is grown in extensive traditional orchards, on areas of sloping, often terraced ground, with a restricted density of 100 chestnut trees per hectare. Scions of the trees are grafted onto Castanea stock. In addition to maintaining chestnut groves in such a way as to respect their multi functionality and preserve traditional landscapes and local practices (by maintaining grass cover between the trees or cultivating authorised bilberry bushes), natural cultivation methods have been favoured: fertilisers and chemical additives are prohibited, and currently nearly no treatments are applied while the chestnuts are growing. No chestnut tree produces more than 100 kg of fresh chestnuts annually, and no chestnut grove produces more than an average of 5 tonnes of fresh chestnuts per hectare annually anywhere on the farm. C 235/16 EN Official Journal of the European Union 14.8.2013 The chestnuts are harvested when they are fully mature, after fruit fall.

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