COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)

‘ Miel de La Alcarria’

PDO-ES-0079-AM01 – 20.6.2025

1.   Name of product

‘Miel de La Alcarria’

2.   Geographical indication type

☒	Protected designation of origin (PDO)

☐	Protected geographical indication (PGI)

☐	Geographical indication (GI)

3.   Sector

☒	Agricultural products

☐

Wines

☐	Spirit drinks

4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Spain

5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Castile-La Mancha Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development

6.   Qualification as standard amendment

Explanation of why the amendment(s) fall under the definition of a standard amendment as provided for in Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143:

The amendments described and explained below do not include a change in the name of the protected designation of origin or in the use of that name. They do not risk voiding the link or entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product. They are therefore ‘standard amendments’ within the meaning of Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)

1.   Obligation concerning entry in the registers

The registers in which the various operators identified in the product specification must be entered have been defined.

The amendment concerns Section B, ‘Description of the product’, Section C, ‘Geographical area’, and Section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

2.   Slight amendment to pollen parameters

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section of the product specification.

(1)   Physico-chemical characteristics:

The hydroxymethylfurfural parameter has been amended – previously ≤ 15, now ≤ 18

(2)   Pollen characteristics:

The pollen grain percentage parameter has been amended.

Monofloral rosemary honey: previously ≥ 15 %, now ≥ 12 %.

Multifloral honey: previously ≥ 5 %, now ≥ 3 %.

The percentages in the ‘POLLEN TYPE’ table have been amended.

The percentage of grains of pollen of plants of the Ericaceae family, with the exception of common bearberry – previously ≤ 1 %, now ≤ 4 %.

The percentage of grains of pollen of brown-eyed rockrose – previously ≤ 3 %, now ≤ 4 %.

The percentage of grains of pollen of French lavender – previously ≤ 3 %, now ≤ 4 %.

The total percentage of grains of pollen of non-ornamental plants, excluding aromatic plants, cultivated in the production area – previously ≤ 15 %, now ≤ 17 %.

The percentage of grains of pollen of sunflowers – previously ≤ 15 %, now ≤ 17 %.

The pollen percentages have been amended as a result of climate change. Because of the sudden changes in temperature, the pollen levels in the honey are not as high as they used to be.

The amendment affects the single document.

3.   Editorial amendment

This amendment concerns the ‘geographical area’ section of the product specification.

The following text in Section C has been replaced:

The phrase ‘during the production period’ has been added to the description of the area where the beehives are located within the geographical area of La Alcarria.

This phrase has been added so that, during the period in which the colonies are split in order to cover any losses that have occurred during the production year, the hives can be taken out of the geographical area to warmer areas. This allows the number of hives to be maintained for the following production year.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

4.   Editorial amendment

The following text in Section D has been replaced:

The phrase ‘during the production period’ has also been added to the section on receiving the honey when buying in bulk, drawing attention to the fact that the hives are moved back to the geographical area before the production period.

This phrase has been added so that, during the period in which the colonies are split in order to cover any losses that have occurred during the production year, the hives can be taken out of the geographical area to warmer areas. This allows the number of hives to be maintained for the following production year.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Miel de La Alcarria’

EU No: PDO-ES-0079-AM01 – 20.6.2025

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

‘Miel de La Alcarria’

2.   Member State or third country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code

04 – DAIRY PRODUCE; BIRDS’ EGGS; NATURAL HONEY; EDIBLE PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED

04 – DAIRY PRODUCE; BIRDS’ EGGS; NATURAL HONEY; EDIBLE PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED

0409 – Natural honey

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

HONEY: The natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.

The following types of protected honey are produced:

—	Monofloral rosemary honey (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

—	Monofloral lavender honey (Lavandula latifolia Medicus)

—	Multi-floral honey.

On packing, it has the following characteristics:

1.	Physico-chemical characteristics:   Moisture content: 17,5 %   Hydroxymethylfurfural: 18 mg/kg   Free acidity: 35 meq/kg   Electrical conductivity: 0,62 mS/cm   Rosemary colorimetry: ≤ 35 mm Pfund   Lavender colorimetry: ≤ 60 mm Pfund   Multifloral colorimetry: 35-90 mm Pfund

2.

Pollen characteristics:   Monofloral lavender honey: > 10 % lavender pollen (Lavandula latifolia, Lavandula vera and their natural hybrids)   Monofloral rosemary honey: ≥ 12 % rosemary pollen (Rosmarinus officinalis)   Multifloral honey: the sum of the percentages of labiate grains must be ≥ 3 %. In addition, the following pollen-related requirements must also be met. The percentage of grains of pollen of plants of the Ericaceae family, with the exception of common bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Sprengel), must be ≤ 4 %. The percentage of grains of pollen of brown-eyed rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L.) must be ≤ 4 %. The percentage of grains of pollen of French lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) must be ≤ 4 %. The total percentage of grains of pollen from non-ornamental plants, excluding aromatic plants, cultivated in the production area must be ≤ 17 % sunflower + 17 % the remainder.

3.

Organoleptic characteristics: The honeys must have the organoleptic characteristics, as far as aroma and flavour are concerned, that are specific to the flower from which they originate. Monofloral rosemary honey: — Appearance: very clear. Maximum 35 mm Pfund — Aroma: low intensity, medium length, floral with notes of camphor and new wax. The retronasal aromas increase, with the appearance of fruity notes if it contains almond pollen and floury notes if it is rich in pollen from the legume family. — Taste: sweet, generally with no further notes. Sometimes with acidic notes and an oily feel on the palate if it is rich in viper’s bugloss pollen. Monofloral lavender honey: — Appearance: white to amber, sometimes slightly dark if it contains honeydew. — Aroma: floral with clear lavender notes, extraordinarily intense and very long-lasting; with phenolic notes. — Taste: sweet with acidic notes. If it is dark owing to the presence of honeydew, it may have slight salty notes. The retronasal aromas increase markedly. Multifloral honey: — Appearance: light amber to dark amber. — Aroma: floral with phenolic notes of varying strength and length, which increase retronasally. — Taste: sweet with lasting acidic notes.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The honey is made by bees from the local flora.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The honey must be produced by the bees within the defined geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The packager must have systems in place to ensure that honey bearing the ‘Miel de La Alcarria’ designation of origin is packaged separately from any other honeys it may package.

The container must have a hermetic seal.

The packaged honey must have a fluid, thick or crystallised consistency.

The container must be of clear, transparent glass.

Containers must not be re-used.

Depending on the end market and the legislation in force, the packaging may be as follows:

—	For the table honey market, the packaging must be made of clear, transparent glass with a maximum net content of 1 kg.

—	When sold in small portions for the hospitality industry, the packaging must be made of clear, transparent glass or be a blister pack or sachet with a maximum net content of 50 g.

—	When sold in large quantities for catering, the packaging may be made of any food-grade plastic or metal with a food-grade coating, with a maximum net content of between 10 kg and 25 kg.

Packaging must take place in the production area, because the physico-chemical properties (moisture and hydroxymethylfurfural content) of the honey deteriorate (the values increase) if the honey is transported in bulk, moved or has to wait to be packaged, and so to maintain the product’s specific characteristics it must be packaged in the production area.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Honey to be marketed with the ‘Miel de La Alcarria’ designation of origin and which, at the time of packaging, meets the requirements of the product specification must be identified by means of a numbered label issued by the Regulatory Board of the ‘Miel de La Alcarria’ designation of origin and checked by the Inspection Body; it must also bear a guarantee seal and a commercial label giving at least the following information:

—	the following words in a prominent position: ‘Denominación de Origen Miel de La Alcarria’ (Miel de La Alcarria Designation of Origin) or ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida Miel de La Alcarria’ (Miel de La Alcarria Protected Designation of Origin).

—	the type of honey based on its botanical origin: rosemary, lavender or multifloral.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is located in the centre of mainland Spain and covers various municipalities in the district of Agraria de La Alcarria in the provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The quality of Miel de La Alcarria has been recognised since the 17th century. In 1893, the periodical ‘El Colmenero Español’ [The Spanish Beekeeper] was published. It was dedicated exclusively to keeping bees and covered various topics relating to beekeeping, such as ‘The state of beekeeping in Spain’, ‘Mobile beehives’, ‘The bee and its purpose’, ‘The beekeeper’s calendar’, ‘The first Spanish beekeeping society and its statutes’, ‘The price of honey’, etc.

In 1985, the Regional Beekeeping Centre in Castile-La Mancha began the first studies to identify the characteristics of Miel de La Alcarria and determine its geographical origin.

Since 1987, the centre has published a magazine called ‘Cuadernos de Apicultura’ [Beekeeping Notebooks] containing various aspects relating to the quality of honey and the development of beekeeping in the area.

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The district of La Alcarria is a high plateau at an altitude of between 900 and 1 000 metres, crossed by slow-moving streams that have created plains and gorges covered in aromatic plants and thicket. The plains lie at between 700 and 800 metres above sea level. The largest is the plain of the River Tajuña, which divides the district into two.

The soil of La Alcarria is basic, marly and gypsiferous. The wild flora is rich in labiates such as rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus ssp.), lavender (Lavandula latifolia Medicus), savory (Satureja ssp.), hyssop (Hissopus officinalis L.), marjoram (Thymus mastichina L. subsp. mastichina) and other plants such as common bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Sprengel) and common gorse (Genista scorpius L.), etc. The district’s arable land is rotated between cereal and sunflower crops. There is a proportion of woody crops, the main ones being almond trees, pistachio trees, vines and olive trees. There are also aromatic and culinary herb crops, mainly lavandin (Lavandula hybrida Rev.) and lavender (Lavandula officinalis), and fruit crops, the main one being almond trees (Prunus dulcis). A number of tree species are to be found in greater numbers and oak, holm-oak, pine and savin-juniper forests are important for beekeeping.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

Honey from this area has specific characteristics, as set out in the section on the description of the product, which link it to its natural environment.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

Honey from this area has specific characteristics, as set out in the section on the description of the product, which link it to its natural environment. Those characteristics may not be sufficient proof of origin, because only local or regular consumers are able to identify the honey and know where it comes from. The origin therefore needs to be certified.

Reference to the publication of the specification

https://rec.castillalamancha.es/rec/public/documentacion/listadoDocs.faces#no-back-button

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(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).