C 38/6EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10.2.2000

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2000/C 38/04) This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO ( ) PGI (x) National application No: IG/05/96

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: MinistŁre de l’agriculture — Direction des politiques Øconomique et internationale

Address: 251, rue de Vaugirard — F-75732 Paris Cedex 15

Tel.: (33 1) 49 55 81 01

Fax: (33 1) 49 55 59 48

2. Applicant group:

2.1. Name: — Syndicat des fabricants et nØgociants en cidre de normandie

— Syndicat national des industries cidricoles (SNIC)

— FØdØration nationale des producteurs de fruits à cidre (FNPFC)

Represented by the SNIC

2.2. Address: 44, rue d’AlØsia — F-75014 Paris

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) other ( )

3. Type of product: Wine and Other fermented beverages (EC Treaty, Annex I, Chapter 22)

4. Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. Name:‘Cidre de Normandie’or‘Cidre normand’

4.2. Description: Norman ciders are a clear or cloudy beverage with a fine foamy head and bubbles in the body of the liquid.

The colour of Norman ciders varies from light yellow to dark orange.

Norman ciders are characterised by various strong flavours, dominated by fruit (apple, citrus, peach and apricot) and floral flavours (aniseed, lime blossom and rose) accompanied by a hint of sweetness (cocoa, caramel and honey). 10.2.2000EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 38/7

4.3. Geographical area: The region of Normandy includes the administrative regions of Haute-Normandie and Basse-Normandie and 2 cantons from Eure et Loire department (Authon-du-Perche and Nogent-le-Rotrou), 5 cantons from Oise (Coudray-Saint-Gemer, Songeons, Grandvilliers, Formerie and Marseille-en-Beauvaisis) and the municipalities from the departments of and Sarthe forming part of the geographical area for the calvados registered designation of origin (whole of AmbriŁres-les-VallØes canton; whole of the Lassay-les-Cha¼teaux canton; in the canton: Gorron, HercØ, , Saint-Aubin-Fosse-Louvain and ; in canton: ChampØon, CharchignØ, Le Horps, Le Ribay and Montreuil-Poulay; in the canton: DØsertines; in the PrØ-en-Pail canton: Boulay-les-Ifs, Champfremont, and Saint-Pierre-des-Nids; in the BonnØtable canton: Nogent-le-Bernard; in the La FertØ-Bernard canton: AvŁze, Dehault, La Chap- elle-du-Bois, La FertØ-Bernard, PrØval and Saint-Aubin-des-Coudrais; in the La Fresnaye-sur- ChØdouet canton: Louzes and Neufcha¼tel-en-Saosnois; in the Fresnay-sur-Sarthe canton: Asse-le- Boisne, Douillet-le-Joly, Montreuil-le-ChØtif, Saint-Aubin-de-Locquenay, Saint-Georges-le-Gaultier, Saint LØonard-des-Bois, Saint-Paul-le-Gaultier and Souge-le-Ganelon; in the Saint-Paterne canton: Ancinnes; -le-Gandelin and Moulins-le-Carbonnel). All stages of cider production take place in the geographic area mentioned; only bottling and packaging may occur outside this zone.

4.4. Proof of origin: The product identification scheme can provide the history of the lots of raw materials (cider apples) used in producing musts or concentrated musts, and the musts or concen- trated musts used in producing cider can be known at any given moment in the cider making process. The raw materials (cider apples) that are delivered by the fruit producer or seller to either a sub-contractor or a cider producer are supplied with a transport certificate for every lot, i.e. for every delivery, which states the nature of the fruit, its weight and its geographical origin.

The nature of this raw material, together with closely guarded secrets and experience passed on from one generation of Norman cider producers to another, enable them to produce, through mastery of the art of blending, a whole range of Norman-style products whose fame has endured until the present day even outside the region.

4.5. Method of production: Fresh cider apples are washed and milled or grated; pressure is applied to the pulp using mechanical presses and the juice obtained is clarified before fermentation. In the fermentation stage, the yeast residue is removed by racking, centrifuging or filtering.

Clarification after fermentation and blending permits the producer to control and balance the quality of cider before it is bottled or packed.

It is permitted to add clean cold water to the pomace resulting from pressing in order to extract the sugar that remains. The amount of water that is added depends on the strength of the fruit, except for pure juice ciders where no additional water is permitted. The juice obtained can be used to prepare concentrated musts or can be added to pure musts, or be processed separately. Blending juices or ciders takes place to balance the quality of the finished product.

In any case, the total alcohol by volume should be not less than 5 % for cider and 5,5 % for champagne cider without sweetening.

The following practies are authorised:

— blending;

— sweetening of ciders with musts or concentrated musts from fresh cider apples;

— use of sugar in the production of champagne cider by natural conditioning, provided the cider used in this process has a alcohol content of at least 5 % before sweetening.

The volume of concentrated musts used in producing cider, including for sweetening, must not exceed 40 % (as reconstituted musts) when diluted of the total volume of musts used.

Production of carbon dioxide may take place in a sealed keg or bottle. Carbonation and pasteur- isation may also take place. C 38/8EN Official Journal of the European Communities 10.2.2000

4.6 Link:

1. Characteristics:

The Norman standard orchard comprises essentially sweet varieties (44 %) and bittersweet varieties (37 %). Traditionally, the perry pear tree was introduced to make juice more acidic; this gives Norman ciders their characteristic flavour.

2. Reputation:

Normandy is one of the two main regions where cider-apple trees are grown and cider produced. Its ame stretches far back to the 12th Century when it was customary to drink cider in the Touques and Rille valleys and then later in the Cotentin and in the Pays de Caux.

Norman ciders are very well established and today they are drunk even outside the region while retaining their special traditional character.

4.7 Inspection bodies:

Name: QualitØ- (Association nationale pour le contrôle de la qualitØ, sa gestion et sa promotion)

Adress: 18, rue Volney — F-75002 Paris

Name: Qualinorm

Adress: 10, rue Alfred-Kastler — F-14000 Caen

4.8 Labelling:

The following wording must appear on any labelling:

Name of beverage:

‘Cidre de Normandie’ or ‘Cidre normand’ or ‘Cidre bouchØ de Normandie’ or ‘Cidre bouchØ normand’.

Certified characteristics:

— ØlaborØ en Normandie

— fabriquØ avec les fruits à cidre de Normandie

Name and address of the of certifying body:

QualitØ-France, 18, rue Volney — F-75002 Paris

Qualinorm, 10, rue Alfred-Kastler — F-14000 Caen

4.9 National requirements: In addition to the characteristics particular to the PGI, ciders produced must fulfil the requirements in force under French law and in particular Decree 53-978 of 30 September 1953 amended by Decree 87-600 of 29 July 1987.

EC No: G/FR/00089/99.03.22.

Date of receipt of the full application: 21 September 1999.