Official Journal C 90 of the European Union

Volume 60 English edition Information and Notices 23 March 2017

Contents

II Information

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

European Commission

2017/C 90/01 Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8365 — Swiss Post/SBB/SwissSign) (1) ...... 1

2017/C 90/02 Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8323 — AT&T/Time Warner) (1) ...... 1

2017/C 90/03 Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8403 — Sumitomo/Musashi Semitsu Industry/Hay Holding) (1) ...... 2

IV Notices

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

European Commission

2017/C 90/04 Euro exchange rates ...... 3

EN (1) Text with EEA relevance. NOTICES CONCERNING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

EFTA Surveillance Authority

2017/C 90/05 State aid — Decision to raise no objections ...... 4

2017/C 90/06 State aid — Decision to raise no objections ...... 5

2017/C 90/07 State aid — Decision to raise no objections ...... 6

V Announcements

COURT PROCEEDINGS

EFTA Court

2017/C 90/08 Request for an Advisory Opinion from the EFTA Court by Oslo tingrett dated 21 June 2016 in the case of Netfonds Holding ASA m.fl. v Staten v/Finansdepartementet (Case E-8/16) ...... 7

2017/C 90/09 Judgment of the Court of 26 July 2016 in Case E-28/15 — Yankuba Jabbi v The Norwegian Government, represented by the Immigration Appeals Board (Directive 2004/38/EC — Right of residence — Derived rights for third country nationals) ...... 8

OTHER ACTS

European Commission

2017/C 90/10 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 9 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/1

II (Information)

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8365 — Swiss Post/SBB/SwissSign) (Text with EEA relevance) (2017/C 90/01)

On 15 March 2017, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the internal market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). The full text of the decision is available only in German language and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available: — in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes, — in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32017M8365. EUR-Lex is the online access to the European law.

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8323 — AT&T/Time Warner) (Text with EEA relevance) (2017/C 90/02)

On 14 March 2017, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the internal market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available: — in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes, — in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32017M8323. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1. C 90/2 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8403 — Sumitomo/Musashi Semitsu Industry/Hay Holding) (Text with EEA relevance) (2017/C 90/03)

On 20 March 2017, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the internal market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available: — in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes, — in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32017M8403. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1. 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/3

IV (Notices)

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Euro exchange rates (1) 22 March 2017 (2017/C 90/04)

1 euro =

Currency Exchange rate Currency Exchange rate USD US dollar 1,0807 CAD Canadian dollar 1,4458 JPY Japanese yen 120,07 HKD Hong Kong dollar 8,3949 DKK Danish krone 7,4372 NZD New Zealand dollar 1,5353 GBP Pound sterling 0,86790 SGD Singapore dollar 1,5108 SEK Swedish krona 9,5105 KRW South Korean won 1 210,08 ZAR South African rand 13,6114 CHF Swiss franc 1,0714 CNY Chinese yuan renminbi 7,4433 ISK Iceland króna HRK Croatian kuna 7,4088 NOK Norwegian krone 9,1463 IDR Indonesian rupiah 14 404,65 BGN Bulgarian lev 1,9558 MYR Malaysian ringgit 4,7848 CZK Czech koruna 27,021 PHP Philippine peso 54,272 HUF Hungarian forint 309,16 RUB Russian rouble 62,6509 PLN Polish zloty 4,2816 THB Thai baht 37,425 RON Romanian leu 4,5590 BRL Brazilian real 3,3484 TRY Turkish lira 3,9156 MXN Mexican peso 20,6900 AUD Australian dollar 1,4086 INR Indian rupee 70,6995

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB. C 90/4 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

NOTICES CONCERNING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY

State aid — Decision to raise no objections (2017/C 90/05)

The EFTA Surveillance Authority raises no objections to the following State aid measure:

Date of adoption of the decision: 15 December 2016 Case No: 79779 Decision No: 232/16/COL EFTA State: Norway Title (and/or name of the beneficiary): Prolongation of the alternative fuels infrastructure programme Legal basis: Parliamentary Decision of 5 April 2001 on the basis of a proposition by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of 21 December 2000. The Parliamentary Decision amends the Energy Act of 29 June 1990 No 50 Type of measure: Scheme Objective: Environmental protection Form of aid: Grants Budget: NOK 500 million Intensity: Up to 100 % Duration: End of 2022 Economic sectors: Transport Name and address of the granting authority: Enova Postbox 5700 Sluppen N-7437 Trondheim NORWAY Other information:

The authentic text of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found on the EFTA Surveillance Authority’s website:

http://www.eftasurv.int/state-aid/state-aid-register/ 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/5

State aid — Decision to raise no objections (2017/C 90/06)

The EFTA Surveillance Authority raises no objections to the following state aid measure:

Date of adoption of the decision: 15 December 2016 Case No: 79780 Decision No: 233/16/COL EFTA State: Norway Title: Enova’s Eco-Inn scheme 2017-2022 Legal basis: Parliamentary Decision of 5 April 2001 on the basis of a proposition by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of 21 December 2000. The Parliamentary Decision amends the Energy Act of 29 June 1990 No 50 Type of measure: Scheme Objective: Environmental Form of aid: Grants, soft loans, convertible loans, guarantees Budget: NOK 1,5 billion annually Intensity: 50 % for large enterprises, 60 % for medium-sized enterprises and 70 % for small enterprises. Duration: 1.1.2017-31.12.2022 Economic sectors: No sector limitations under the scheme Name and address of the granting authority: Enova SF Professor Brochs Gate 2 PO Box 5700 Sluppen N-7437 Trondheim NORWAY

The authentic text of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found on the EFTA Surveillance Authority’s website:

http://www.eftasurv.int/state-aid/state-aid-register/ C 90/6 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

State aid — Decision to raise no objections (2017/C 90/07)

The EFTA Surveillance Authority raises no objections to the following state aid measure:

Date of adoption of the decision: 15 December 2016 Case No: 79781 Decision No: 234/16/COL EFTA State: Norway Title: Enova’s Demo scheme 2017-2022 Legal basis: Parliamentary Decision of 5 April 2001 on the basis of a proposition by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of 21 December 2000. The Parliamentary Decision amends the Energy Act of 29 June 1990 No 50 Type of measure: Scheme Objective: Environmental Form of aid: Grants, convertible loans Budget: NOK 1,5 billion annually Intensity: For demonstration projects: 40 % for large enterprises, 50 % for medium- sized and small enterprises.

For feasibility studies: 50 % for all undertakings. Duration: 1.1.2017-31.12.2022 Economic sectors: No sector limitations under the scheme. Name and address of the granting authority: Enova SF Professor Brochs Gate 2 PO Box 5700 Sluppen N-7437 Trondheim NORWAY

The authentic text of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found on the EFTA Surveillance Authority’s website:

http://www.eftasurv.int/state-aid/state-aid-register/ 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/7

V (Announcements)

COURT PROCEEDINGS

EFTA COURT

Request for an Advisory Opinion from the EFTA Court by Oslo tingrett dated 21 June 2016 in the case of Netfonds Holding ASA m.fl. v Staten v/Finansdepartementet (Case E-8/16) (2017/C 90/08)

A request has been made to the EFTA Court by a letter dated 21 June 2016 from Oslo tingrett (the Oslo District Court), which was received at the Court Registry on 27 June 2016, for an Advisory Opinion in the case of Netfonds Holding ASA m.fl. v Staten v/Finansdepartementet on the following questions:

1. Do the issue rules in Section 4 of the Commercial Banks Act and Section 2-1 of the Insurance Activity Act, understood as a requirement that three quarters of the shares in new banks and insurance companies must be subscribed without preferential rights (offered as a public issue), constitute a restriction under Article 31 EEA, Article 36 EEA or Article 40 EEA, provided that the application for a licence is not just for a niche activity?

a. Assuming that the rules constitute a restriction within the meaning of the EEA Agreement: Do the rules pursue a legitimate public objective?

b. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction suitable within the meaning of EEA law?

c. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction necessary within the meaning of EEA law?

2. Do the issue rules in Section 4 of the Commercial Banks Act and Section 2-1 of the Insurance Activity Act, understood as a requirement that three quarters of the shares in new banks and insurance companies must be subscribed by persons other than the promoters, constitute a restriction under Article 31 EEA, Article 36 EEA or Article 40 EEA, provided that the application for a licence is not just for a niche activity?

a. Assuming that such rules constitute a restriction within the meaning of the EEA Agreement: Do the rules pursue a legitimate public objective?

b. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction suitable within the meaning of EEA law?

c. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction necessary within the meaning of EEA law?

3. Does an established administrative practice whereby individuals or enterprises are not authorised to own more than 20 to 25 per cent of the shares in financial institutions, except in those cases where the law itself authorises the establishment of a financial group or where the financial institution will engage in what is referred to a niche activity only, constitute a restriction under Article 31 EEA, Article 36 EEA or Article 40 EEA, provided that the application for a licence is not just for a niche activity?

a. Assuming that such an established administrative practice constitutes a restriction within the meaning of the EEA Agreement: Is the restriction in pursuance of a legitimate public objective?

b. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction suitable within the meaning of EEA law?

c. Assuming that the restriction pursues a legitimate public objective: Is such a restriction necessary within the meaning of EEA law? C 90/8 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT of 26 July 2016 in Case E-28/15 Yankuba Jabbi v The Norwegian Government, represented by the Immigration Appeals Board (Directive 2004/38/EC — Right of residence — Derived rights for third country nationals) (2017/C 90/09)

In Case E-28/15, Yankuba Jabbi v The Norwegian Government, represented by the Immigration Appeals Board – REQUEST to the Court under Article 34 of the Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and at Cour of Justice by Oslo District Court (Oslo tingrett ) concerning the interpretation of Article 7(1)(b) in conjunction with Article 7(2) of Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, the Court, composed of Carl Baudenbacher, President, Per Christiansen and Páll Hreinsson (Judge-Rapporteur), Judges, gave judgment on 26 July 2016, the operative part of which is as follows: Where an EEA national, pursuant to Article 7(1)(b) and Article 7(2) of Directive 2004/38/EC, has created or strengthened a family life with a third country national during genuine residence in an EEA State other than that of which he is a national, the provisions of that directive will apply by analogy where that EEA national returns with the family member to his home State. 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/9

OTHER ACTS

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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 (2017/C 90/10)

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 ‘KINTOA’ EU No: PDO-FR-02165 — 31.8.2016 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Name(s) ‘Kintoa’ 2. Member State or Third Country 3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff 3.1. Type of product Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal) 3.2. Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies ‘ Kintoa’ pork comes from Basque Black Pied breed pigs (castrated males and females that have never been suckled). The pigs are slaughtered at a minimum age of 12 months and a maximum age of 24 months. The cold carcass weight of the slaughtered pig must be at least 100 kg. The thickness of the back fat without the skin between the 4th and the 5th vertebra must be equal to or greater than 25 mm. The meat may be sold in carcasses, half-carcasses and cuts. Only fresh meat that has undergone no processing other than cutting can qualify for the designation. Frozen or deep-frozen meat is not permitted. ‘Kintoa’ pork has the following characteristics: A pronounced red colour (the colour of the meat at shoulder level is graded at between 4 and 6 according to the Japanese colour scale), fat that is white-to-pinkish in colour, a marbled appearance, a high intramuscular-lipid content (at least 6 % on the square side of the chine), low rates of water loss during cooking (meat that is juicy in the mouth), a soft and tender texture after cooking, and an intense and persis­ tent flavour to the taste. 3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only) Throughout the pigs' life, only plants, by-products and complementary feed derived from non-transgenic products are authorised in the animal feed. The planting of transgenic crops is prohibited on all areas of farms producing animals intended for the production of ‘ Kintoa’ protected designation of origin meat. During the suckling period and until the age of 8 weeks at the latest, the total amount of animal feed that may be given may not exceed 5 kg gross weight per piglet. Processed animal proteins are not permitted. After weaning, only the following plant-based raw materials are permitted: — wheat grains, maize, barley, rye, triticale, sorghum, oats; and products derived from them; — pea seeds, field beans, lupines, vetches, flax; and products derived from them; — soya beans, sunflower seeds, rapeseed; and their cakes and oils;

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. C 90/10 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

— cane and beet molasses;

— lucerne, beet pulp.

The distribution of whey is allowed, except during the two months prior to the pigs being slaughtered. The whey must come from the geographical area.

Animal feed must be sourced primarily from the identified geographical area. Certain feed is allowed not to come from the geographical area due to its very undulating topography that is unsuited to intensive farming and crops.

For an estimated total consumption of 848 k g of dry matter per pig from birth to slaughter, the share of feed originating in the geographical area may be estimated at at least 69,5 %.

In the period between weaning and until the age of 3 months, the feed must contain at least 20 % (in dry matter) cereals from the geographical area; the total amount of feed given may not exceed 60 kg gross weight per piglet.

For pigs over the age of 3 m onths, the feed must comprise at least 70 % (in dry matter) raw material from the geographical area; the feed formula must contain at least 60 % (in dry matter) cereals and their derived products. The maximum daily amount of feed that may be given is 3,2 kg gross weight per pig between 3 and 8 months, and 2,7 kg gross weight per pig from 8 months on.

3.4. Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area The pigs must be born, raised and slaughtered in the geographical area.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to —

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to Irrespective of the regulatory references applicable to the labelling of pork meat, labels of products with the ‘Kintoa’ designation of origin must include the following references:

— the date of slaughter;

— the ‘Kintoa’ designation of origin in characters at least the same size as the largest characters on the label;

— the ‘Kintoa’ colour logo, made available by the group, comprising the word ‘Kintoa’ , surmounted by the crown of the kings of Navarre and a drawing of the head of a Basque-breed pig.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area The geographical area comprises the following cantons, municipalities or parts of municipalities:

— Municipalities included in their entirety:

— Department of : , , Sorde-L'Abbaye

— Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques:

Abitain, Ance, Andrein, Anglet, Angous, Aramits, Araujuzon, Araux, Aren, Arette, Athos-Aspis, Audaux, Auterrive, Autevielle-Saint-Martin-Bideren, Barraute-Camu, Bastanès, Biarritz, Bugnein, Burgaronne, Carresse- Cassaber, Castagnède, Castetbon, Castetnau-Camblong, Charre, Dognen, Escos, Espiute, Esquiule, Féas, Géronce, Gestas, Geüs-d'Oloron, Guinarthe-Parenties, Gurs, Issor, Jasses, Lanne-en-Barétous, L'Hôpital-d'Orion, Laàs, Labastide-Villefranche, Lay-Lamidou, Léren, Lourdios-Ichère, Méritein, Montfort, Moumour, Nabas, Narp, Navarrenx, Oraàs, Orin, Orion, Orriule, Ossenx, Poey-d'Oloron, Préchacq-Josbaig, Préchacq-Navarrenx, Rivehaute, Saint-Dos, Saint-Gladie-Arrive-Munein, Saint-Goin, Saint-Pé-de-Léren, Salies-de-Béarn, Sarrance, Saucède, Sauveterre-de-Béarn, Sus, Susmiou, Tabaille-Usquain, Verdets, Viellenave-de-Navarrenx.

— The municipalities of the following cantons:

Baïgura et Mondarrain; Hendaye-Côte Basque-Sud; Montagne Basque (except for Alçay-Alçabéhéty-Sunharette, Haux, Lacarry-Arhan-Charritte-de-Haut, Larrau, Mendive, and Sainte-Engrâce, in parts); Nive-Adour; Pays de Bidache, Amikuze et Ostibarre; Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

— Municipalities included in part:

— Department of Landes: Cauneille, .

— Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Arette, Bayonne, Lanne-en-Barétous, Oloron-Sainte-Marie. 23.3.2017 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 90/11

5. Link with the geographical area The geographical area extends over the entire French Basque country and some adjacent cantons and/or municipal­ ities on the border to the east and the north. This area is the western part of the pre-Pyrenees, which borders it to the south. It is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

Its climate is exposed to the oceanic flux from the ocean, and is characterised by high levels of rainfall (1 200 to 2 000 mm/year), which is well spread out throughout the year without any dry period. It is also characterised by mild temperatures, even in winter. The southerly Föhn-type wind, called Haïze Hegoa in the Basque country, inter­ mittently brings intense heat and dry air throughout the year — and especially in the spring and autumn — alter­ nating with wetter and cooler periods tied to the passing of oceanic disturbances.

The complex geology of this area, greatly influenced by the proximity of the Pyrenees, accounts for its particular topography, made up of successions of massifs, medium-altitude ranges (1 000-2 000 m), steep and imposing hills, deep valleys and wide basins. In Basse-Navarre, located in the middle of the Basque country, there is a juxtaposition of massifs and basins spread out without any obvious structure in ‘ shards of glass’. This is unlike Labourd to the west and Soule to the east, where the landscape features are more linear and run parallel to each other, generally from east to west. This particular geomorphology has resulted in a variety of environments coexisting side-by-side, with different soil and morphological characteristics, and creating a varied landscape.

The vegetation is characterised by the preponderance of swathes of common oak, whether in forests in combina­ tion with chestnut trees and beeches at high altitude, Atlantic heathlands, or grasslands or prairies connected to these swathes. The Basque heathland is particular to the area — it spreads over the slopes and peaks of the hills up to a high altitude (1 200 m). It constitutes a man-m ade environment, made use of by local farmers for millennia. The dominant landscape is made up of cultivated areas and grasslands at the bottom of basins and in all the low- lying areas close to residential areas; a jumble of grasslands; heaths and woods over hillsides; and heaths and natu­ ral grassland on mountain and summit peaks.

The term Kintoa originates in the levy for grazing pigs in oak forests, commonly referred to as the ‘ one-fifth levy’ [droit de quinta], levied by the kings of Navarre since at least the 13th century on the pigs that were herded in transhumance into the royal mountains of Navarre. The kings of Navarre thus collected one pig out of every five, from which this levy's name came. Existing documentation makes it possible to estimate the extent of the area covered by this one-fifth levy, which was Basse-Navarre, the middle part of the Basque country in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

The vast areas covered with vegetation suitable for raising pigs contributed to the considerable development of pig- rearing by the valleys' inhabitants. Although the valleys' inhabitants were exempt from paying the one-fifth levy on their own herds, they had to declare all the heads coming from areas further afield, or that they were sheltering, or that they had purchased lean in order to sell on once they had been fattened. These two types of commercial pig- rearing left behind a great deal of historical evidence, in particular in the reports sent regularly by the king of Navarre's emissaries to calculate the number of foreign pigs subject to the tax. During the age of grazing pigs in oak forests, ‘foreign’ pigs that came in transhumance came especially from Béarn, Gascogne and Guipuzkoa.

Through this long history, and its importance — both economic and sociological — pig-rearing in Kintoa has a v ery particular significance. While the natural conditions made it possible for pigs to spread, the pigs have in turn shaped the countryside up to this day.

‘Kintoa’ pork comes from Basque Black Pied pigs, a Mediterranean-type breed also called the Iberian-type. The skin and bristles are grey-to-black in colour at the head, hindquarters, and occasionally in marks on the back. They are white on the rest of the body. The head has a straight-lined bridge of the nose with a long and mobile snout (a ‘mole's head pig’), the limbs are long and not very corpulent with powerful trotters. It has a slow rate of growth. It is incredibly hardy and able to cope with considerable variations in climate and feed, and is quickly able to build up its fat reserves when food is abundant.

The pigs spend at least their final seven months in a specific paddock. It is there that they put on the fat cover and intramuscular fat. The food that they find in this paddock is varied, depending on the type of paddock. Above all, it includes grass and herbaceous plants, as well as — disparately and less consistently — dried fruits (acorns, chest­ nuts), insects, worms, roots and other plants.

Pigs intended for the production of ‘Kintoa’ meat are slaughtered relatively old (12-24 months compared to 5-6 m onths for standard meat-producing pigs) having exercised their muscles considerably by the end of their lifetime. C 90/12 EN Official Journal of the European Union 23.3.2017

The meat has a p ronounced red colour, due to a high myoglobin level, and a consistency not found in conventionally- reared animals.

Pigs intended for the production of ‘Kintoa’ are heavy and fat. The cold carcass weight of the slaughtered pig must be at least 100 kg. The thickness of its back fat must be greater than 25 mm and it must have a lot of intramuscu­ lar fat.

The meat is tender, marbled, with a pronounced red colour and has strong aromas.

Causal link The system for producing pigs intended for the production of ‘Kintoa’ meat rests mainly on the exploitation of the rural environment as a r esult of the actions of man on the natural environment over the centuries. Local agricul­ ture adapted to a very undulating topography, that is unsuited to intensive farming and crops (with some local exceptions in low-lying and flat areas), creating a landscape where woods, grasslands and heath alternate, and a landscape at altitude where Basque heathland and natural grass are preponderant. Pig-rearing makes the most of this environment by using its diversity to create paddocks where the pigs live for at least 7 months.

In the mild and humid climate of the geographical area, the grass grows almost continuously throughout the year, allowing the paddock to provide feed to the pigs throughout their time outside. This feed is in some cases supple­ mented by dried fruits under the trees that are typical of the Basque natural environment (common oak, chestnut trees and beech).

The Basque Black Pied breed is adapted to living in paddocks in this landscape because of its physical characteris­ tics: the pig is hardy, well suited to roaming and makes very good use of the plants in the paddock. This feed contribution from the paddock varies naturally depending on the season. However, during the finishing period it represents approximately 50 % of the pigs' daily intake.

In addition, paddocks make regular physical activity possible and necessary for the pigs, resulting in muscle devel­ opment, which produces a firmer meat with a higher myoglobin content and, therefore, a more red colour.

The rearing period of at least one year makes it possible to produce heavy and fat carcasses, with plenty of intra­ muscular fat, which makes the meat tender and fragrant. The life of a pig in the paddock, and in particular its many changes of location, as well as its consumption of chlorophyllian plants account for the meat's pronounced red colour and its organoleptic qualities, connected to the type of muscle fibres that are characteristic of a roaming pig.

Reference to publication of the specification (the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-2bfd574b-c6d1-4ebd-9877-68f0e53d0554/ telechargement

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition) ISSN 1725-2423 (paper edition)

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