C 244/2 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 24.7.2020 V (Announcements) OTHER ACTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION Publication of an application for approval of amendments, which are not minor, to a product specification 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 (2020/C 244/02) This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council within three months from the date of this publication. APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘PAPRIKA ŽITAVA’/‘ŽITAVSKÁ PAPRIKA’ EU No: PDO-SK-1024-AM01 – 17.8.2018 PDO (X) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest Applicant group Legitimate interest The group applying for the amendment is the same group that submitted the application for registration of ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’. Name of group ‘CAPSICUM’ – Association of breeders, producers and processors of peppers Group type Natural or legal person (provide in annex below justification) Participants Manufacturer(s), producer(s) Address ‘CAPSICUM’ – Association of breeders, producers and processors of peppers 951 31 Močenok No 655 (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. 24.7.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 244/3 Country Slovakia Tel. +421 917666306 Email(s) [email protected] 2. Member State or third country Slovakia 3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s) Product name Product description Geographical area Proof of origin Method of production Link Labelling Other [to be specified] 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. Amendments Product name Amendment (amendment to product specification and single document) ‘PAPRIKA ŽITAVA’/‘ŽITAVSKÁ PAPRIKA’ Reasons The text concerning the linguistic origin of the name has been deleted from ‘Product name’, as Section 1 should only contain the name of the geographical indication. Product description Amendment (amendment to product specification and single document) Physical and chemical characteristics Original text: ‘Visual appearance: homogeneous powder, with minimum microparticle content, ground finely enough to completely pass through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm. 1 Colour: bright, orange-red (colouring of at least 3,6 g/kg– or 120 ASTA in the dry matter of the pepper) Fat content: 9-11 % C 244/4 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 24.7.2020 Ash: Not more than 7,00 % Ash insoluble in HCl: Not more than 0,70 %’ New wording: ‘Visual appearance: homogenous powder, ground finely enough to pass 95 % through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm. 1 Colour: bright, orange-red (colouring of at least 2,88 g/kg– or 96 ASTA in the dry matter of the pepper) Fat content: 8-12 % Ash: Not more than 8,00 % Ash insoluble in HCl: Not more than 1 %’ Reasons In the section on physical/chemical properties under product description we hereby adjust the limit values for the following parameters: ‘Appearance, colour, fat content, ash and ash insoluble in HCl.’ Regarding the appearance parameter, we suggest that ‘with minimum micro-particles’ be deleted and the minimum proportion that passes through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm be reduced. The purpose of this is to eliminate the effect of varying amounts of pepper seeds on the fineness of grinding. Also, under certain conditions, the precise technological process of grinding, screening and homogenisation of the finished product does not have to ensure, in laboratory testing, that it completely passes through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm (assuming that the uncertainty of the data in the sieve tests has also been taken into account). New appearance parameter: ‘Visual appearance: homogenous powder, ground finely enough to pass 95 % through a sieve with a mesh aperture diameter of 0,5 mm.’ Regarding the colour parameter: we suggest specifying a negative tolerance of 20 % in respect of the original value of 3,6 g/kg-1 or 120 ASTA. This is due to the natural decrease in the plant dye capsanthin which happens during storage of the paprika. By establishing this tolerance we are seeking to eliminate the negative impact of any adverse climatic conditions during the growing year on the initial amount of natural dye in paprika. We are also changing the colour parameter due to the change in the pepper varieties grown, which we set out in paragraph 3.3. New colour parameter: 1 ‘Colour: bright, orange-red (colouring of at least 2,88 g/kg– or 96 ASTA in the dry matter of the pepper)’ Regarding the fat content parameter: we suggest expanding the fat content range from 9-11 % to 8-12 % due to the change in the pepper varieties grown, which we set out in paragraph 3.3. New fat-content parameter: ‘Fat content: 8-12 %’ Regarding the ash parameter: we propose raising the maximum value from 7 % to 8 % due to the change in the pepper varieties grown, which we set out in paragraph 3.3. New ash parameter: ‘Ash: Not more than 8 %’ Regarding the ash parameter: we propose raising the maximum value from 0,70 % to 1 % 24.7.2020 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union C 244/5 due to the change in the pepper varieties grown, which we set out in paragraph 3.3. New parameter for ash insoluble in HCl: ‘Ash insoluble in HCl: Not more than 1 %’ Production method Amendment (amendment to product specification and single document) 3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only) In the Raw Materials section we propose removing the cultivated pepper varieties, i.e. deleting the first paragraph and the first sentence of the second paragraph: ‘“Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” may be produced only from a mixture of the following pepper varieties: Dvorská, Kolora, Kora Zel, Žitavská, Karkulka, Hodonínska sladká vzpriamená, Irokez, Rubin, Czárdás, Kármin and Szegedi 80. All the varieties used in the production of “Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” are from the specified geographical area. The mixture used to make the product may contain all or just some of these varieties. Growers declare on their sales contracts that they grow only the pepper varieties in question, and this can be verified from their seed purchases.’ and we are adding the following: ‘The chilli peppers used to produce “Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” must be grown, harvested and processed in the geographical area referred to in Section 4, so that the origin of the product is guaranteed and the production monitored. Pepper growers are allowed a choice of preferred varieties from the list of registered varieties grown in the Danubian Lowlands.’ Reasons So as to ensure that pepper growers are allowed a choice of preferred varieties from the list of registered varieties grown in the Danubian Lowlands. A mixture of these varieties grown in the defined geographical area, which preserves the product’s characteristics as set out in the product description, is used to produce ‘Paprika Žitava’/‘Žitavská paprika’. The previous wording was as follows: ‘“Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” may be produced only from a mixture of the following pepper varieties: Dvorská, Kolora, Kora Zel, Žitavská, Karkulka, Hodonínska sladká vzpriamená, Irokez, Rubin, Czárdás, Kármin and Szegedi 80. All the varieties used in the production of “Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” are from the specified geographical area. The mixture used to make the product may contain all or just some of these varieties. Growers declare on their sales contracts that they grow only the pepper varieties in question, and this can be verified from their seed purchases. The quality of the pepper is checked visually during manual harvesting so as not to compromise the quality of the fruit. Only fully ripe fruits with a high pigment content are harvested. The harvesting of the ripe fruits begins in September and runs up until the end of October. It is important to prevent any mechanical damage to the fruits during harvesting. Paprika producers regularly monitor and record the quality of the raw materials before, during and after the production process.’ New text: ‘The chilli peppers used to produce “Paprika Žitava”/“Žitavská paprika” must be grown, harvested and processed in the geographical area referred to in Section 4, so that the origin of the product is guaranteed and the production monitored. Pepper growers are allowed a choice of preferred varieties from the list of registered varieties grown in the Danubian Lowlands. C 244/6 EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 24.7.2020 The quality of the pepper is checked visually during manual harvesting so as not to compromise the quality of the fruit. Only fully ripe fruits with a high pigment content are harvested. The harvesting of the ripe fruits begins in September and runs up until the end of October. It is important to prevent any mechanical damage to the fruits during harvesting.