C 279/24 EN Official Journal of the European Union 19.8.2019 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 12 August 2019 on the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union of the application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification referred to in Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council for the name ‘Bleu du Vercors- Sassenage’ (PDO) (2019/C 279/04) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 50(2)(a) in conjunction with Article 53(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) France has sent an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification of ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ (PDO) in accordance with Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. (2) In accordance with Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 the Commission has examined that application and concluded that it fulfils the conditions laid down in that Regulation. (3) In order to allow for the submission of notices of opposition in accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012, the application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, as referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 (2), including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ (PDO) should be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Sole Article The application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014, including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ (PDO) is contained in the Annex to this Decision. In accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to oppose to the amendment referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within three months from the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 12 August 2019. For the Commission Phil HOGAN Member of the Commission (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. (2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 of 13 June 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 36). 19.8.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 279/25 ANNEX APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘BLEU DU VERCORS-SASSENAGE’ EU No: PDO-FR-0077-AM02 – 27.11.2017 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage Maison du Parc 38250 LANS-EN-VERCORS FRANCE Tel. +33 476943826 Fax +33 476943839 Email: [email protected] The group consists of operators of ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ (milk producers, farmers and processors). It therefore has a legitimate right to propose the amendments. 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: Inspections, national requirements 4. Type of amendment(s) — Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 5. Amendment(s) Heading ‘Description of product’ The paragraph: ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a ripened, unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cheese. It comes in the shape of flat cylinders, 27 to 30 c m in diameter, 7 to 9 cm high, convex on the outside, weighing between 4 and 4,5 kg, with a fine bloom on the rind consisting of a white mould-type down that may have orange to ivory-coloured marbling of the kind caused by yeasts and bacteria active in the ripening process.’ is replaced by: ‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is an unpressed, uncooked, blue-veined cheese. It is made from raw or thermised cow's milk. C 279/26 EN Official Journal of the European Union 19.8.2019 It comes in the shape of flat cylinders 27 to 30 cm in diameter, 7 to 9 cm high, and convex on the outside. It weighs between 4 and 4,5 kg. Its rind presents a fine, white to grey-blue, mould-type bloom that may have orange to ivory-coloured marbling of the kind caused by yeasts and bacteria active in the ripening process.’ The sentence in the section ‘Method of production’ of the current specification stating that ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ is made from cow's milk that may be partly skimmed has been moved to the section ‘Description of product’, and it is clarified that the milk used is ‘raw or thermised’, as these are characteristic details of the cheese. Information has been added to the description of the rind to help distinguish the product. It is stated that the surface mould is a white to grey-blue colour (depending on the type of surface flora), which may have orange marbling. The reference to a ‘down’ has been deleted. This provides a better representation of the diversity of the surface flora linked to the local natural conditions (flora of the maturing plants). An error regarding the fat content has been corrected: the rate of 48 g of fat per 100 g of cheese is actually a minimum, not a maximum rate as indicated in the current specification (a high fat content allows the aromas of the cheese to develop at an optimal rate). The following paragraph is added: ‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” is an ivory to light yellow-coloured, creamy and homogeneous cheese with well- distributed blue veins. The body of the cheese has openings of less than 1 cm2, of various shapes distributed throughout the cheese. “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” has the taste of a mild blue cheese, with no excess bitterness, acidity or saltiness. It is also characterised by a slight taste of hazelnut and a scent of undergrowth.’ Here, descriptions of the colour and texture of the cheese, as well as the size of the openings and the flavours and aromas, have been added, based on work carried out by the Mixed Technology Network ‘Cheeses and Terroirs’ on ‘Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage’ and by the committee in charge of organoleptic examination (which has participated in the organoleptic inspection of the product for the past 20 years), in order to describe the product in greater detail. The minimum ripening period (21 days after curdling) is also referred to in this section, whereas it is included in other sections of the current specification. Finally, the following paragraph has been added: ‘“Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” may be presented to consumers in portions.’ While the cheese may be presented whole, given its size (4 to 4,5 kg) it is usually presented to consumers in portions. All these amendments have also been made in the Single Document (points 3.2 and 3.3). Heading ‘Geographical area’ A l ist of the steps that must take place in the geographical area has been added in this section: production of the milk and the manufacturing and ripening of the cheese, which are described in the section ‘Method of production’ of the current specification. The spelling and typography of the municipality names have been reviewed to bring them into line with official terminology. The geographical area remains unchanged, but since two municipalities of the Isère department have been merged (Autrans and Méaudre), the list of municipalities now shows the name of the municipality resulting from the merger: ‘Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors’, and there are now just 13 (rather than 14) municipalities in the Isère department of the geographical area. 19.8.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 279/27 This amendment to the list, spelling and typography of the municipalities can be found in point 4 of the Single Document. Heading ‘Proof of origin’ Owing to developments in national legislation and regulations, the text of the section ‘Evidence that the product originates from the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together, in particular, declaration and record-keeping obligations and obligations on traceability and monitoring compliance with production conditions. These amendments are explained in detail below. The paragraph: ‘Every milk producer, processing plant and maturing plant fills in a “declaration of aptitude”, which is registered with the INAO and enables it to identify all the operators involved.’ is replaced by: ‘Operators wishing to be involved in all or part of the production of the milk, processing, or the maturing of “Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage” are required to file a declaration of identification, describing their production plant and their commitments.