16.3.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 82/7 OTHER ACTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2011/C 82/07) This publication confers the right to object to the amendment application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 ( 1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication. AMENDMENT APPLICATION COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006 AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9 ‘VITELLONE BIANCO DELL'APPENNINO CENTRALE’ EC No: IT-PGI-0117-1552-26.10.2009 PGI ( X ) PDO ( ) 1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment: — Name of product — Description of product — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Method of production — Link — Labelling — National requirements — Other (to be specified) 2. Type of amendment(s): — Amendment to single document or summary sheet — Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor the summary sheet has been published ( 1 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. C 82/8 EN Official Journal of the European Union 16.3.2011 — Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) — Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) 3. Amendment(s): 3.1. Description of product: It has become necessary to redefine the procedures set out in point 3.2 of the single document for ascertaining whether cattle belong to one of the three breeds, Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola. This is because the reference legislation in force on the identification and registration of bovine animals now allows them to be identified only through the identifying details in the National Bovine Register established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000, which entered into force after ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ PGI was registered by means of Regulation (EC) No 134/98 of 20 January 1998. In point 3.2 of the single document, only the hue (H) determining the colour parameter have been corrected. This change was necessary because there was a typographical error in the specification and summary sheet on the basis of which recognition was granted, with the decimal point being misplaced, i.e. 2,5 rather than 25 and 4,5 rather than 45. The reference in the applicable specification is clearly the result of a manual error as hue (H) varies between a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 60 and thus the parameters could obviously not have been either 2,5 or 4,5. Accordingly, the quality parameters of the ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ meat have remained unchanged. 3.2. Geographical area — extension of the area: The request to extend the typical production area of ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ PGI covers the entire province of Pistoia and some municipalities only in the provinces of Rome, Latina and Caserta. This request is essentially motivated by the need to include certain production areas where the Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola breeds — from which ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ PGI is produced — have historically been reared. The longstanding tradition of breeding in the areas covered by the extension is documented by publications of the Provincial Agriculture Inspectorates (formerly local offices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests), veterinary certificates concerning disease-prevention measures and the proceedings of seminars and conferences in which information can be found on the numbers of animals of the Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola breeds in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in the province of Pistoia and in the hilly and mountainous municipalities of the provinces of Rome, Latina and Caserta. The zones covered by the extension of the geographical area have the same soil and climate char­ acteristics as the current production area, similar pasture areas and the same rearing techniques as those currently used in ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ production. The geographical production area of ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ PGI meat is located along the Apennine ridge of central Italy, the localities of which have a well defined ecosystem in terms of climate, temperature ranges and total rainfall. The environmental conditions are typical of the Apennine-Mediterranean climate and are determined by average annual rainfall of around 1 200 mm (with peaks of 2 000 mm in exceptional years) and average annual temperatures ranging from 0 °C in winter to 24 °C in summer, minimum temperatures of – 10 °C and maximum temperatures that can exceed 30 °C. The area is located in a typically hilly and mountainous context. Forests predominate at lower altitudes before giving way to pasture land towards the Apennine watershed. The land-use pattern has led to the alternation of modestly sized plots given over to different uses (crops, forest areas and pastures). In both the geographical area as originally identified and in all the areas covered by the extension, the method of rearing the Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola breeds, from which ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ PGI is produced, shares many characteristics linked to the historical nature and 16.3.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 82/9 culture of this activity. In particular, the characteristic areas are marked by very low livestock density, with an average of 25 animals per holding, and extensive farming linked to the use of marginal hill and mountain areas. N e w n a m e s o f s e v e r a l p r o v i n c e s The following provinces have simply had their names changed to bring them into line with the provisions of national law: Forlì has become Forlì-Cesena and Pesaro has become Pesaro-Urbino. The province of Fermo, which was previously part of the province of Ascoli-Piceno (part of the typical defined area), is now a new province that was established by a Law of 11 June 2004. The province became operational on 7 June 2009. 3.3. Proof of origin: Article 7 of the applicable specification, which did not contain any reference to proof of origin and did not identify the inspection body, has been amended. As laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 and Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1898/2006, information has been included on proof of origin in respect of all production stages and all entities operating along the production chain. 3.4. Method of production: B i r t h r e s t r i c t i o n A restriction has been introduced requiring that animals be born in the geographical production area referred to in point 3.5 of the single document. The breeds stipulated for production of ‘Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale’ are characterised by a rather long weaning period lasting up to the age of six or seven months, including because calves are often born at pasture and remain with their mother until that age. Accordingly, when the animals are born outside the production area, it is necessary for them to be weaned excessively early. This certainly has a negative impact on the welfare of the calves, their production potential and the final characteristics of the product. The process has been made more holistic, so that production and slaughter must be carried out in full in the typical area, while subsequent processing, packaging and sales may take place outside this area, albeit subject to monitoring. It has also been made clear that rearing must take place in the production area even though the restriction is now already in place. A n i m a l s ' m i n i m u m d i e t a r y r e q u i r e m e n t s The difference in the minimum quantity of forage units (FU) for males and females has been specified in point 3.4 of the single document. This minimum quantity is lower for females as their capacity for fattening and growing is different and, accordingly, they require less energy in their diet than males. D i e t a r y r e s t r i c t i o n s Increased restrictions have been placed on the animals' diet in point 3.4 of the single document, with the use of industrial by-products being forbidden. This ban has now been extended to all stages of rearing and no longer covers only the four months prior to slaughter. S l a u g h t e r Again in point 3.4 of the single document, it has been specified that animals at the slaughterhouse must be sent for slaughter immediately or wait in individual stalls, in compliance with the rules on animal welfare. It was necessary to make this clear because stressful experiences suffered by animals C 82/10 EN Official Journal of the European Union 16.3.2011 during transport, pre-slaughter lairage, and loading and unloading from vehicles are often detrimental to the quality of the final product, in terms of the colour and flavour of the meat, the maturation capacity of the half-carcases, greater loss of fluids, etc. It is thus necessary to be able to reduce to a minimum the possibility of these phenomena occurring, by requiring that slaughter be carried out in suitable slaughterhouses that are subject to monitoring and located within the production area.