C 133/2 EN Official Journal of the European Union 10.4.2019 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 3 April 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 ‘Roquefort’ (PDO) (2019/C 133/02) 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 ‘Roquefort’ (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 ‘Roquefort’ (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 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 ‘Roquefort’ (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, 3 April 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). 10.4.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 133/3 ANNEX 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 amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘Roquefort’ EU No: PDO-FR-0131-AM03 – 19.10.2017 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest Confédération Générale des Producteurs de lait de brebis et des industriels de Roquefort Address: 36 avenue de la République, BP 40348, 12103 Millau cedex, FRANCE Tel. +33 565592200 Fax +33 565592208 Email: [email protected] The group is composed of producers of sheep's milk and processors of this milk into ‘Roquefort’, and 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) — Product name — Description of product — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Method of production — Link — Labelling — Other: geographical area, reference regarding the inspection body, 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’ For greater precision, the words ‘fermented and salted’ are added to describe the ‘Roquefort’ cheese in the sentence ‘Before it is pressed, the raw cheese, cultured with spores of Penicillium roqueforti and with a moist rind, contains…’. This is also added to the Single Document (paragraph 3.2). The phrase ‘per 100 g of cheese after total desiccation’ is replaced by ‘per 100 g of dry matter’ for greater clarity. This amendment is requested because it corresponds to the definition of the fat to dry matter ratio for a cheese. C 133/4 EN Official Journal of the European Union 10.4.2019 A correction is made to the description of the colour of the veins in the cheese: ‘blue’ is replaced by ‘green-blue’. These adjectives better describe the veins in ‘Roquefort’. This correction is also made in the Single Document (para­ graph 3.2). To avoid any ambiguity, it is added that ‘cutting “Roquefort” is permitted’. This clarification is also added under paragraph 3.5 of the Single Document. The following provisions, which appear in the specification in force, are added to paragraph 3.2 of the Single Document in line with paragraph 4.2 of the published summary, in order to provide a more comprehensive descrip­ tion of the product: — ‘… contains a minimum of 52 g of fat per 100 g of dry matter’; — ‘It is cylindrical, with a diameter of 19-20 cm’; — ‘The cheese is ripened and matured for at least 90 days from the date of its manufacture’. — Heading ‘Proof of origin’ The paragraph ‘Each operator must compile a “statement of suitability” registered with the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), which allows the INAO to identify all operators involved. All operators must keep their registers and any other documents required for checking the origin, quality and production conditions of the milk and cheese at the INAO's disposal’ is deleted following a change in the national regulations on inspections. In place of this, the operators' reporting requirements are inserted. The following is therefore provided: — an identification statement: with a view to awarding certificates recognising their ability to meet the require­ ments of the specification for the designation from which they wish to benefit; — declarations of having no intention to produce and of resuming production; — specific statements by type of operator (operators of manufacturing workshops, operators of both ripening caves and temperature-controlled rooms, and non-manufacturing operators of temperature-controlled rooms); — statements testifying that they have the requisite knowledge and that the products sold under the ‘appellation d'origine’ label have been duly monitored. A detailed description has been added of the registrations which operators must carry out regarding milk produc­ tion, milk collection, manufacturing, transport of the cheeses between the manufacturing workshop and the ripen­ ing cave, ripening, maturing and storage. This information facilitates checks on compliance with the specification and product traceability. The methods common to different registers are added. In particular, the length of time for which documents must be retained and the possibility of digitising some documents are specified. For greater precision, it is added that the analytical and organoleptic testing of the product is carried out by spot checks at the packing stage, in accordance with procedures provided for in the inspection plan. The methods of identification of the product are added. It is indicated that the identification mark on the top of the cheese comprises the manufacturing site code, the date of production and the batch number. This identification mark is important for product traceability. — Heading ‘Method of production’ Sub-heading ‘Milk production’ The sentence ‘The production of the sheep's milk and its delivery to the manufacturing workshops meet the follow­ ing conditions’ is added directly under the sub-heading to introduce the paragraphs that follow. 10.4.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 133/5 — Composition of the flock: The deadline of five years from 22y Januar 2001 to bring the composition of flocks into line with the specifica­ tions is removed as it has passed. It is also removed from paragraph 3.3 of the Single Document, cf. the published summary. The definition of a dairy sheep, ‘animal of at least one year of age’, is added. This clarification facilitates checks on the provisions concerning dairy sheep. — Feed: In the provision stating that ‘the sheep are reared in a traditional manner with a diet based on grass, fodder and cereals, of which at least three quarters by dry matter should come from the geographical production area’, the words ‘per year’ are added. This clarification of the reference period to which the provision applies serves to facili­ tate checks. It is added that ‘dry or fermented fodder originates in principle from the farm’ and that ‘whatever its origin, feed purchased from outside the farm, excluding straw and custom-milled feed or equivalent but including fodder, cereal and supplementary feed, intended for the sheep and replacement lambs must not exceed, per flock and per year, an average of 200 k g of dry matter per dairy sheep present on the farm’.