10.2.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 44/15 Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33. (2020/C 44/07) This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1). COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT ‘Coteaux de Saumur’ PDO-FR-A0179-AM01 Date of communication: 13 November 2019 DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT 1. Geographical name ‘Supplementary geographical name’ has been reduced to ‘geographical name’ in Chapter I points II and XII(2)(b). A number of the product specifications for Loire Valley wines allow the use of what is known as the ‘eponymous geographical designation’ — ‘Val de Loire’ — to refer to this wider region. The use of this term on wine labels is subject to specific rules laid down in those product specifications. As the term ‘supplementary geographical name’ is also used in some cases to denote smaller geographical units with more restrictive production conditions, the word ‘supplementary’ has been removed in order to prevent confusion. Point 9 of the Single Document, ‘Further conditions’, has been amended accordingly. 2. Geographical area The passage concerning the geographical area now reads as follows: All stages of production must take place in the geographical area, which spans the territories of the following municipalities, based on the 2018 Official Geographical Code: — Saint-Martin-de-Mâcon and Tourtenay in the Department of Deux-Sèvres; — Brézé, Chacé, Cizay-la-Madeleine, Le Coudray-Macouard, Courchamps, Distré, Doué-en-Anjou (territories of the former municipalities of Meigné and Les Verchers-sur-Layon), Épieds, Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, Montsoreau, Parnay, Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, Saumur, Souzay-Champigny, Turquant, Les Ulmes, Varrains and Vaudelnay in the Department of Maine-et-Loire; — Berrie, Curçay-sur-Dive, Glénouze, Pouançay, Ranton, Saint-Léger-de-Montbrillais, Saix, Ternay and Les Trois- Moutiers in the Department of Vienne. Maps of this geographical area can be found on the website of the National Origin and Quality Institute. This is an editorial change: the new list of administrative entities reflects mergers and other zoning changes that have taken place since the product specification was approved. For greater legal certainty, the list is now referenced to the latest version of the Official Geographical Code, updated yearly by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). The actual perimeter of the geographical area remains unchanged. Finally, in the interests of better public information, the product specification now states that maps of the geographical area can be found on the National Origin and Quality Institute’s website. Point 6 of the Single Document, ‘Geographical area’, has been amended accordingly. 3. Demarcated parcel area In the first paragraph of point IV(2) of Chapter 1 of the product specification for PDO ‘Coteaux de Saumur’, the words ‘and 19 January 2017’ have been added after ‘5 September 2007’. (1) OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2. C 44/16 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 10.2.2020 This amendment consists of the addition of the date on which the competent national authority approved a change to the demarcated parcel area within the geographical production area. The demarcated parcel area is the land within the geographical area that is suitable for producing this Protected Designation of Origin. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 4. Area in immediate proximity The list of municipalities previously given in point IV(3) of Chapter 1 has been replaced by the following: ‘Artannes- sur-Thouet, Brossay, Doué-en-Anjou (comprising the former municipalities of Doué-la-Fontaine, Forges and Montfort), Montreuil-Bellay, Rou-Marson and Saint-Just-sur-Dive’. This change reflects the various mergers of municipalities that have taken place since the previous version of the product specification was published. The actual boundary of the area in immediate proximity remains unchanged. Point 9 of the Single Document, ‘Further conditions’, has been amended accordingly. 5. Agri-environment rule The following has been added to point VI(2) of Chapter 1: Controlled green cover, whether naturally occurring or sown, must be in place between the rows; where there is no such green cover, the grower must perform weeding or justify the use of biocontrol products approved by the public authorities for use in wine-growing. Where biocontrol weedkillers are used on a parcel, no other weedkillers may be used. This amendment reflects how winegrowing practices throughout the Anjou area have evolved towards an agro- ecological approach, with technical procedures increasingly influenced by environmental concerns. Promoting the presence of green cover and the use of mechanical weeding or biocontrol products reduces chemical weedkiller use. This will help to protect vineyard soils and preserve their natural functions (fertility, biodiversity, natural pest control), enhancing the quality and authenticity of wines and strengthening the concept of terroir. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 6. Harvest announcement The following sentence has been deleted from point VII(1) of Chapter 1: The harvest start date is set in accordance with Article D645-6 of the Rural and Sea-Fishing Code. It is no longer necessary to set a date for beginning the harvest, as growers now have a wide range of tools at their disposal to help them accurately gauge grape ripeness. Each winegrower has access to equipment, whether owned individually or collectively, that makes it possible to pinpoint the best date to start harvesting each parcel, depending on production targets. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 7. Winery capacity Rather than ‘all winemakers must have the capacity to make 1.4 times the holding’s average yield over the last five years’, point IX(1)(c) of Chapter 1 now states that ‘All winemakers must have the capacity to make at least 1.4 times the average volume of wine made over the last five years’. Rather than a volume-based capacity (expressed in hl or m3), the product specification used to refer to yield, i.e. harvest volume divided by production area (for example in hectolitres per hectare). The proposed amendment remedies this inconsistency in quantities, without any change to the substance of the rule (the winery capacity requirement is still 1.4 times the average volume of wine produced in previous years). The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 8. Circulation of wines Point IX(5)(b) of Chapter 1, which stated the date on which wines could begin circulating between authorised warehouse-keepers, has been deleted. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 10.2.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 44/17 9. Link with the geographical area The link has been revised to update the number of municipalities covered (19 rather than 20 for the Department of Maine-et-Loire). Point 8 of the Single Document, ‘Link’, has been amended accordingly. 10. Transitional measures The following has been added to point XI of Chapter 1: The rules requiring growers to have controlled green cover, whether naturally occurring or sown, in place between the rows and to perform weeding or use biocontrol products to control naturally occurring vegetation do not apply to vineyard parcels with a distance between rows of 1.70 m or less that are already in existence at the date of approval of this product specification. This transitional measure means that existing vineyards whose current configuration means that they would struggle to follow the agri-environmental rule are not penalised. In high-density vineyards, namely those in which the rows are spaced 1.70 metres apart or closer, maintaining permanent grass cover or performing weeding operations may pose technical problems (mechanisation, equipment, tools). Grass cover increases the risk of spring frosts in low-hanging vines. Moreover, green cover would mean that these vines, already more densely planted, would have yet more vegetation to compete with for their water supply. On the other hand, for vines planted after the product specification is approved, the growers will have full knowledge of the requirements and will have to comply with the new agri- environmental measures, regardless of vine density or the distance between rows. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 11. Labelling rules A new point 1 has been added: 1. General provisions The wines making use of the controlled designation of origin ‘Coteaux de Saumur’ under the terms of this product specification and presented with that name cannot be declared after harvest, offered to the public, dispatched, marketed or sold unless the controlled designation of origin appears in the harvest declaration, in advertisements, in catalogues, and on any labels, invoices or receipts. This rule is included in all product specifications and had been omitted by mistake. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 12. Record-keeping In point II(3) of Chapter 2, the word ‘potential’ has been replaced by ‘natural’. In line with all the other product specifications from the Anjou Saumur area, the terms ‘potential alcoholic strength’ or ‘alcohol content’ have been replaced with ‘natural alcoholic strength by volume’. These amendments improve the readability of the product specifications. The rules on record-keeping have been harmonised to make it easier to check the records and draw up the inspection plan. The Single Document is not affected by this amendment. 13. Compliance checklist Chapter 3 has been revised to ensure consistency across the checklists included in the different product specifications for Anjou Saumur wines.