A) of Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs (2016/C 176/08
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18.5.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 176/21 Publication of an amendment 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 (2016/C 176/08) 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). APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION WHICH IS NOT MINOR Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘MAROILLES’/‘MAROLLES’ EU No: FR-PDO-0217-01378 — 28.9.2015 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest Syndicat du Maroilles (Maroilles syndicate) 148, avenue du Général de Gaulle 02 260 La Capelle FRANCE Tel. +33 323975757 Fax +33 323975758 E-mail: [email protected] The group is made up of milk producers, farmers, processors and maturers of ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’. It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendment. 2. Member State or Third Country France 3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s) — Name of product — Description of product — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Method of production — Link — Labelling — Other: Contact details of the inspection bodies, national requirements 4. Type of amendment(s) — Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 — Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 5. Amendment(s) Heading ‘Description of product’ The nature of the raw material (exclusively from cow's milk) is indicated in this heading since it was considered that it constituted an element of the description of the product. Therefore this point is moved from the heading ‘Method of production’ to the heading ‘Description of product’. (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. C 176/22 EN Official Journal of the European Union 18.5.2016 The descriptors are set out in more detail to better identify the product: — product appearance: may be slightly tapered, presence on the sides of marks from the maturation screens, — appearance of the rind: homogeneous in colour and more or less moist, — centripetal ripening (from the outside in), — appearance of the paste: the words ‘unctuous and rich’ and ‘homogeneous’ are deleted since they are vague and imprecise. The acceptable colours are specified (the colour of the paste may vary from white to cream). The cheese has small mechanical and fermentation openings, is soft to the touch, with a markedly firmer core that softens with a longer maturation process, — organoleptic criteria: a strong smell of cellar, damp brick and undergrowth, slightly ammoniac, and a slightly salty milky taste with notes of acidity in the paste and a s light bitterness, flavours of curd (at the end of the minimum maturation period), hazelnut and notes of alliums. If the maturation process is prolonged, the taste becomes stronger and more pronounced. The analytical criteria (fat and dry matter) are specified: The fat content is expressed in grams per 100 grams of cheese after total desiccation (instead of a percentage), and the dry matter content is specified: the ‘Maroilles’/ ‘Marolles’ contains at least 50 grams of dry matter (DM) per 100 grams of cheese. It is also specified that the ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ contains at least 22,5 grams of fat per 100 grams of cheese. As the maturation times differ for the different formats, it was considered that they constitute an element of the description of the product. These elements are therefore moved from the heading ‘Method of production’ to the heading ‘Description of product’. In addition, a transcription error in the national text for the previous registered specification is corrected (this error was not present in the summary or in the summary of the registered specifica tion): the minimum maturation period for ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ is not 4 but 5 weeks or 35 days. Furthermore, the maturation times for the Mignon and Quart formats are extended by 7 days to 28 and 21 days respectively, in line with the actual practices. Such maturation periods allow the product to better express its organoleptic characteris tics and its aromatic diversity. In order to clarify the description of the different formats of cheese, each format — in addition to the internal dimensions of the moulds — is defined by the total weight of dry matter and the length of the maturation period (which for more precision is calculated from the date of renneting and is expressed in days instead of length in weeks): — ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ 360 grams, 35 days, — ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ of the Sorbais variety: 270 grams, 28 days, — ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ of the Mignon variety: 180 grams, 28 days, — ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ of the Quart variety: 90 grams, 21 days. Furthermore, in order to make the checks more objective, the dimensions of the cheeses are now expressed in terms of the internal dimensions of the moulds. The dimensions of the cheeses sometimes proved to be inaccurate due to the deformation of the cheeses. Heading ‘Evidence that the product originates from the geographical area’ The cheesemakers' obligations as regards declarations have been specified. These amendments are linked to changes in national rules and legislation. It is planned to identify the operators with a view to accrediting on the basis of their ability to meet the requirements of the specification, as well as the required declarations regarding knowledge, monitoring and checks on products intended to be marketed with the designation of origin. Heading ‘Description of the method of production’ Production of the milk — Feed for the dairy cows The term ‘dairy cows’ is defined (lactating cows and dry cows). This definition is intended to clarify which animals are referred to when the term ‘dairy cows’ is used in the specification, to avoid any confusion and facilitate checks. 18.5.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 176/23 — Pasture land The central role of grazing, identified as an important aspect of the link with the geographical area, is affirmed by fixing the minimum annual grazing period at 170 days. The minimum area of grass available per dairy cow is 30 ares, of which at least 15 ares are grazed and the additional 15 ares correspond to either grazed land or green feeding. These area requirements make it possi ble to ensure a significant share of grass in the dairy cows' feed and to take account of the parcelling up of holdings and herd size, with sufficient accessible land not always available to achieve the 30 ares per dairy cow. In order to take into account the impact of the grassland's diverse flora on the aromatic richness of the prod uct, the hedgerow nature of the holdings in the geographical area which produce the milk for making ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’ is affirmed: — 90 linear metres of hedgerow per hectare of principal forage area; a hedge being defined as consisting mainly of broadleaves. The hedgerows play a role in the preservation of pastures by insulating the grassland, by protecting it against sudden changes in temperature, maintaining humidity and promoting the wealth of flora that affects the quality of the milk. The hedgerows also provide the dairy cows with shelter from the wind and sun. — Ratio of at least 0,65 between the total permanent and temporary grassland and the principal forage area, with the aim of guaranteeing that at least two thirds of the principal forage area consists of permanent or temporary grassland. Some operators who lodged an objection to one or other of these provisions (15 ares of grazing per dairy cow, 90 linear metres of hedgerow per hectare, minimum ratio of 0,65) during the period for objections at national level and meet the conditions of Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 have been allowed a transitional period until 30 June 2020. — Dairy cows' rations As an indication of the grass-based character of the feed, the proportion of grass in the feed ration (calculated on the dry matter of coarse fodder) is on average at least 65 % in the grazing period and is never less than 25 %. It is specified that this share of grass may be grazed grass, green fodder or given in the form of stored grass with over 35 % dry matter. The coarse fodders authorised are listed. They correspond to those traditionally used in the geographical area and account for at least 60 % of the dry matter of the total daily ration. The amount of concentrated feed is limited to 1 800 k g of dry matter per dairy cow per year. The specifica tion includes a list of the authorised components in these feeds. — Dietary autonomy To strengthen the link with the geographical area, it is specified that at least 80 % of the dry matter of the coarse fodder consumed annually per dairy cow comes from the geographical area. The production of the cheese A section is added to this part to describe the technological itinerary of ‘Maroilles’/‘Marolles’. It aims to clarify which practices reflect the know-how of operators while regulating the target values in order to ensure the specific characteristics of the product.