Within 3 months from the date of this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1), an opposition with the Commission.

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 an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘ Ail rose de Lautrec ’

EU No: PGI-FR-0193-AM01 – 30.3.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat de Défense du Label Rouge Ail rose et de l’IGP Ail rose de Lautrec [Protection Association for the ‘Ail rose’ Label Rouge and the ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ PGI]

20 rue du Mercadial

81400 Lautrec

FRANCE

Tel. +33 563759031

Email: info@ailrosedelautrec.com

The Syndicat de Défense du Label Rouge Ail rose et de l’IGP Ail rose de Lautrec, a professional association governed by the Labour Code, is made up of garlic producer-packagers and packaging facilities (around 160 operators). It has a legitimate interest in submitting the application.

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: update of the details of the applicant group, type of product, control bodies, national requirements, deletion of summaries and maps.

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 a 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)

5.1.   Amendments that do not impact critical elements

—   ‘Description of product’ section

Descriptive elements have been added in order to better define the product, specifying that it is an alternative garlic, which is a more appropriate term than ‘spring garlic’ to describe garlic with a long dormancy period. The main additions concern the size, bulb shape and number of cloves, and how the root disc and bulb are to be presented. A description of defects in appearance has been added to supplement the requirements concerning presentation of the bulb.

Tolerances (percentages) applicable to deviations concerning defects in appearance and to sizes have been added to the product specification. These indications, along with the sorting and sizing rules described in the ‘Method of production’ section, provide a more complete description of the product. The tolerance percentage values set out in the product specification correspond to the values laid down by UNECE Standard FFV-18 for the ‘Extra’ Class.

Finally, a sentence has been added to this section concerning the methods of presentation of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’, which are then described in detail in the ‘Method of production’ section of the product specification and under point 3.5 of the Single Document.

—   ‘Geographical area’ section

The section on the ‘Geographical area’ of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ has been amended in the product specification and added to the Single Document. These amendments do not affect the perimeter of the geographical area, which remains unchanged.

The presentation of communes by canton has been replaced by a list of the communes in the geographical area, which are all located in the Department of Tarn.

The following text has been added to the section of the product specification on the definition of the geographical area:

‘Cultivation, drying, storage and packaging are carried out in the defined geographical area.’

The restriction of packaging to the geographical area of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ has been included in the product specification, although this practice was in fact already followed by operators.

The Single Document has also been supplemented. To that end, the following sentences have been added:

—	Under point 3.4: ‘Cultivation, peeling and drying are carried out in the geographical area.’

—	Under point 3.5: ‘ “Ail rose de Lautrec” is packaged, within the geographical area, in crates, punnets, bags or nets.’

As the annexes have been deleted from the product specification, the following sentence has also been deleted:

‘The geographical area is shown on the map in annex, which also shows where the undertakings are located.’

The sentence describing the distribution of producers across the area has been deleted from the product specification, as the background information provided does not aid comprehension.

—   ‘Proof of origin’ section

This section corresponds to the heading ‘Product traceability’ of the existing product specification and has been redrafted in the form of a table and expanded under Section 4 of the product specification. The table now describes the documents put in place to enable monitoring and control of the product with a protected geographical indication at each stage of production, for all operators and for a given marketing year.

The following requirement has been added to the introduction to Section 4 of the product specification on ‘Evidence that the product originates in the geographical area’, in order to meet national regulatory requirements: ‘Identification of operators: All operators wishing to engage in all or part of the process of producing “Ail rose de Lautrec” must seek the authorisation of the group’.

The following reporting obligations from the text originally registered have been included in the table: crop rotation declaration at the cultivation stage and stock accounting at the packaging and marketing stage in the packaging facility.

A requirement has been added for the producer to keep a ‘crop monitoring sheet’ recording all the cultivation work carried out on a parcel (fertilisation, removal of flower stems, or despoulinage, harvesting date and verification of maturity).

The ‘production register’ referred to under point 2 of the paragraph on ‘Product traceability’ of the existing product specification is now part of the ‘marketing register’. A ‘cold storage monitoring sheet’ and ‘weight loss record’ have been added, so that traceability of the garlic can be tracked from production to marketing.

Additional requirements for packaging facilities are ‘delivery notes’, a ‘pallet identification sheet’, ‘stock accounting and labels’, ‘delivery orders or invoices’ and a ‘packaging stock sheet’, ensuring that the garlic can be traced until it is placed on the market.

The production flow diagram has been moved to Subsection 5.1 of the product specification under the heading ‘Method of production’.

—   ‘Method of production’ section

Subsection 5.1 ‘Production flow diagram’

The production flow diagram has been moved from the paragraph of the original product specification on ‘Traceability’ and amended.

The production stages set out in the product specification have been described and brought into line with the various amendments to the ‘Method of production’ section. The post-packaging stages have been deleted as they do not form part of the requirements of the PGI product specification. They apply only to the specification for the Label Rouge ‘Ail rose’ LA No 02/66 approved at national level.

The traceability documents (declaration, register and stock accounting) have been included in the table under Section 4 ‘Evidence that the product originates in the geographical area’.

Subsection 5.2 ‘Choice of varieties’

As the variety is considered to be an essential characteristic of the ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ PGI, and in accordance with the European Commission’s recommendations, an exhaustive list of varieties has been included in the product specification and in the Single Document.

Subsection 5.3 ‘Choice of seed’

The wording of this subsection has been amended in order, in particular, to introduce a minimum proportion of certified seed of 20 %. The main purpose of using certified seed is to avoid significant losses at harvest, as certification guarantees germination capacity and the health status of the seed. This proportion corresponds to current practices and the actual supply capacity for authorised varieties.

The possibility of using seeds that have undergone warm-water treatment has been deleted as this is already standard practice for certified seed and is not carried out on non-certified seed.

The possibility of using seed known as farm seed (referred to in the existing product specification as ‘originating from certified seed’) has been reworded but retained in order to guarantee seed supplies despite uncertainties (relating to the weather in particular), since the protection and management body has in the past been confronted with problems with the supply of certified seed. This possibility is restricted only to the varieties authorised for ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ PGI and therefore does not affect the quality of the product. This point has been supplemented to ensure that the quality of farm seed is maintained: with the exception of the Rose de Lautrec variety, which is produced exclusively on the holdings, farm seed must originate from seed certified in year n-1.

Paragraphs on ‘Weeds’ and ‘Disease’ in the existing product specification

These paragraphs have been deleted from the product specification because they consist of advice and good cultivation practices.

Subsection 5.4 ‘Choice of parcel’

The wording of the sentence concerning the type of soil in which the garlic is grown has been amended in the product specification.

The sentence: ‘Soil: clay-limestone’ has been replaced by: ‘Ail rose de Lautrec is produced in clay-limestone soil’.

The soil used to sow Ail rose de Lautrec remains of the clay-limestone type.

Subsection 5.5 ‘Crop rotation’

The following sentence has been added to the product specification: ‘The parcels must not have been planted with alliums in the previous 3 consecutive years’.

Adding this obligation protects the parcels against health risks (avoids contamination by certain diseases).

Subsection 5.6 ‘Planting’

The start date for planting has been brought forward by 10 days (20 November instead of 1 December) and the final date for planting has been deleted. It has been decided to extend the planting period in order to take advantage of good planting conditions (weather, soil condition), thereby ensuring that the seed takes hold and puts down good roots and that the seedlings then grow well. Planting under good conditions limits attacks by bio-pathogens, in particular Penicillium, which can have a significant impact on shooting and jeopardise the growth of the seedlings. Too short a planting period forces producers to proceed with planting even under unfavourable conditions.

Planting too early could lead to germination resuming prematurely and the seeds being excessively sensitive to winter frost. This is why a start date for planting has been retained.

Subsection 5.7 ‘Application of sewage sludge’

A restriction on the application of sewage sludge has been introduced. This ban has been introduced mainly to avoid the risk of heavy metals being added to the parcels intended for garlic production and thus avoid contamination of the product, as garlic is a natural heavy metal absorber.

Subsection 5.8 ‘Fertilisation’

This subsection of the product specification has been amended for clarification purposes.

It has been decided to clearly indicate the authorised doses of fertiliser instead of using ratios.

The obligation to divide up the amount of nitrogen into separate doses has been added to protect the plant from excess nitrogen, which could be detrimental to the growth of the bulb and lead to splitting and to the development of numerous very small cloves (surgoussage).

The reference to ‘ground with a good slope’ has been deleted, as this constitutes advice and good practice that is part of the producers’ expertise.

Subsection 5.9 ‘Removal of the flower stem’

The sentence has been supplemented by the term ‘ bâton ’ (scape), which also refers to the flower stem, by the traditional term ‘ despoulinage ’, used to describe its removal, and by the physiological stage at which removal must take place (‘before harvesting’).

Subsection 5.10 ‘Harvesting’

The harvest dates have been deleted because they do not allow for the best management of the harvest. Harvest dates vary depending on the year.

The dates have been replaced by two methods of identifying when the garlic is physiologically mature, so that an assessment can be carried out and harvesting started at the best moment, thus ensuring that the harvested garlic is at optimum maturity:

‘—	bulb/leaf weight ratio calculated at over 1.8 (the stems are trimmed to around 2 cm and the earth removed from the roots);

—	visual assessment, presence of no more than four green leaves on the plant.’

Subsection 5.11 ‘Drying methods’

This subsection has been reworded to include details of the authorised ‘natural’ and ‘dynamic’ ventilation methods, which correspond to the current drying methods in the geographical area.

The requirement that the product must lose weight through the drying process has been added to guarantee a minimum degree of drying and thereby ensure the good health status and shelf life of the bulbs.

Subsection 5.12 ‘Storage methods prior to initial marketing’

The possibility of storage at room temperature is maintained.

The storage conditions of 15 °C ± 2 and 80 % ± 15 relative humidity have been deleted. This method, which was in use when the PGI was registered, ultimately proved inadequate as it had a very negative impact on the preservation of the garlic and producers observed a deterioration in the product’s health status. The requirement to store the garlic in these conditions from October onwards in order to place it on the market after December has also been deleted.

The possibility of storage in a cold room has been added as it offers favourable conditions for the preservation of the garlic. Cold storage stops the bulbs from germinating and preserves their health status, while preventing the depletion of reserves or the spread of rot throughout the bulb. It is authorised by the specification for the Label Rouge ‘Ail rose’ LA No 02/66, approved at national level, the producers of which are the same as those producing the PGI. This method of preserving the garlic is therefore already widely used by packaging stations in the geographical area and by producers, who have gradually been equipping themselves with cold rooms.

Subsection 5.13 ‘Peeling’

The product specification had separate paragraphs on peeling depending on the type of packaging. These points have now been brought together in the same subsection and supplemented with new information. The additions clarify current practices concerning peeling.

The points concerning presentation of the root disc are common to all types of packaging. The requirement to use ‘a knife or secateurs’ has been deleted. The choice of tool has been left to the operator as this requirement had no impact on the quality of the finished product.

The requirement concerning the quality of root removal has been supplemented with the words ‘without revealing the root disc’, in order to ensure that the bulbs have a clean, undamaged root disc, which avoids problems with preservation and the growth of moulds.

Crates and punnets have been added as types of packaging. These types of packaging are associated with the method of marketing the garlic loose (unit sale) and help to ensure that the garlic has a good shelf life, by reducing impacts between the bulbs and facilitating handling. They are widely used by packaging stations and producers to package the garlic.

The requirement to trim the garlic to a maximum of 3 cm from the bulb has been reduced to 2 cm. When the garlic is presented with a shorter stem, it is easier to handle during packaging and can be packed more tightly into the various types of packaging, which reduces impacts between the bulbs and improves their shelf life.

The words ‘by hand’ have been added with respect to peeling the garlic. This step has always been done by hand, allowing the bulbs to be handled as meticulously as possible. It has been decided to add it to the product specification to make it mandatory.

Details of the method for peeling the garlic have been set out for each type of packaging:

—	either the garlic is peeled to leave one or two layers of the sheath so that the pink colour of the cloves shows through;

—	or it is peeled by removing one or two sheath layers, revealing a clean layer; the remaining layers are left to protect the bulb from impacts. This type of peeling is preferred for packaging likely to result in more impacts, such as nets.

Subsection 5.14 ‘Sorting/sizing’

This subsection did not exist in the registered product specification. It has been decided to add it because it is an essential stage in obtaining high-quality ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ and a bulb presentation that meets the characteristics of the product specification. The sorting/sizing stage consists of discarding bulbs that do not correspond to the characteristics of the PGI, in terms of visual appearance, defects in appearance and size.

The various visual defects are listed in order to clarify the sorting/sizing stage.

Subsections 5.15 ‘Packaging’, 5.16 ‘Types of packaging authorised for producers’ and 5.17 ‘Types of packaging authorised for packaging facilities’

The packaging of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ has been restricted to the geographical area. This is justified by the fragility of the product, which is sensitive to handling and potential impacts. The expertise acquired by local operators ensures a high-quality finished product. The justification for this limitation has been added to the product specification (Subsection 5.15 ‘Packaging’) and to the Single Document (point 3.5).

The original section of the product specification on packaging has been amended to set out the various requirements concerning packaging in more detail. In addition to the introduction, the text is then divided into two separate subsections: the first describes the packaging types authorised for producers and the second lists those authorised for packaging facilities.

The detailed requirements (packaging weights and sizes) are set out for each type of packaging.

Crates and punnets have been added as types of packaging. These types of packaging emerged after the PGI was registered. They ensure that the garlic has a good shelf life by reducing impacts between the bulbs, allowing good ventilation and facilitating handling. They are widely used by packaging stations and producers to package the garlic.

The packaging requirements in terms of maximum weights and authorised sizes have been added for crates and punnets.

For producers, packaging in ‘strings’ has been broken down into ‘strings’ and ‘bunches’ (with ‘bunches’ corresponding to the 0.250 kg strings in the original text), so that detailed requirements for each of these authorised packaging types can be provided. Two possible attachment methods have been added with respect to bunches: ‘a brown/red elastic band or red adhesive tape’ in addition to ‘red string’. The requirement to present bunches ‘in the same way for the whole batch’ has also been added. For strings: the authorised weights have been maintained; the 5 kg string has been replaced by a 4 kg string (5 kg strings are difficult to handle and lose their rigidity, while limiting the weight to 4 kg prevents impacts between the bulbs during packaging and after they are placed on the market); the number of bulbs per string has been deleted; the size requirements have been reworded but maintained and a maximum size difference has been added.

All these requirements are essential to ensure an optimal and uniform presentation of the product.

The subsection on packaging authorised for packaging facilities has been supplemented by the possibility of netting strings in order to protect the bulbs when they are put on the market, as well as the possibility of placing bulbs initially packaged in crates into nets or punnets to be marketed in smaller quantities.

The references to garlic classes have been deleted as they were based on Regulation (EC) No 2288/97, which is no longer in force.

The types of authorised packaging have been added to point 3.5 of the single document.

Subsection 5.18 ‘Marketing’

The following sentence of the product specification (under ‘Description of product’):

‘The marketing period may extend from July to March’,

has been replaced under ‘Method of production’ by the addition of the following text:

‘The start date for the marketing of “Ail rose de Lautrec” PGI is set by the protection and management body depending on the average harvest date of the season and the drying times required. This date is communicated to the Certification Body and to the producers.

The end of marketing by operators is set at 31 May of the year following the harvest.’

The decision was made to review this requirement and add a start date for marketing so as to ensure that producers complied with the necessary drying times. The start date for marketing is set by the group, which bases its decision on an analysis of a sample of the garlic that is representative of the whole geographical area.

The maximum end date for marketing is extended from the end of March to the end of May. Developments in preservation equipment, in particular cold storage, allow the garlic to be kept for longer, with no impact on the finished product.

The date of 31 May ensures that garlic from two different marketing years is not on the market at the same time.

—   ‘Link’ section

This section has been completely rewritten in order to better demonstrate the link between the geographical area and the specific characteristics of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’. It has also been reworked in line with the current requirements on the drafting of this section.

The link is based on the grounds of the causal link initially described in the existing product specification:

The elements concerning the relevance of the terroir and local practices have been included in the paragraph on ‘natural and human factors’.

As regards the sentence relating to the fact that the product stands out for its colour, shelf life and taste qualities, the elements concerning colour and shelf life have been included under the specificity of the product. The concept of taste quality has been deleted, as it refers to the old Label Rouge specification and the protection and management body does not have any sensory analysis to prove this aspect.

The points concerning the product’s prestige have been updated and included under the causal link in the paragraph on proof of reputation.

The paragraph concerning seeds grown in different soils has been deleted, as it no longer corresponds to the requirements for drafting the section on the link with the geographical environment and is not based on any identified study.

The following sentence has been added to both the product specification and the Single Document:

The specificity of the geographical area (natural and human factors) has been expanded.

The specificity of the product is described as follows:

The causal link describing the link between the product and its geographical area has been added, establishing the link between the natural and human factors and the specificity of the product.

5.2.   Editorial amendments

Summary and annexes: The summary has been deleted to comply with the applicable instructions at national level aimed at harmonising the drafting of product specifications.

All the annexes to the registered product specification have been deleted because they constitute illustrations that are not essential for understanding the specification.

In the ‘Competent authority in the Member State’ section, the contact details for the National Institute of Origin and Quality (l’Institut national de la qualité et de l’origine – INAO) have been added as the competent Member State authority in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

In the ‘Applicant group’ section, the applicant group’s contact details have been updated. The descriptive part regarding the applicant group has been deleted. The number of members and the list of cantons or communes has been deleted from this section, as the list already appears in the ‘Geographical area’ section. The list of downstream companies has also been deleted as it refers to Label Rouge No 02-66.

The basic information concerning the composition of the group and its legal status has not changed. The group still brings together both garlic producer-packagers and packaging facilities.

The ‘Type of product’ section has been revised to bring it into line with the current nomenclature.

In the ‘Control body’ section, the name and contact details of the certification body have been deleted in line with the applicable instructions at national level aimed at harmonising the drafting of product specifications. The inspection plan in table form, showing the details of the ‘technical checks’, ‘quality checks’, ‘self-checks’ and ‘checks carried out by the certification body’, has also been deleted. This section now provides the contact details of the authorities responsible for inspections at national level, i.e.: the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) and the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). The name and contact details of the certification body can be found on the INAO website and in the European Commission’s database. All the information on the checks on operators is set out in the inspection plan corresponding to the product specification for ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ PGI.

In the section on labelling:

The references to Technical Regulation No 02-66 (Label Rouge) have been deleted:

—	reference to the National Labelling Commission;

—	the standardisation rectangle;

—	the Label Rouge logo and its approval number.

The references to ‘Arqualim’ have been deleted, as checks are now carried out by a control body under the authority of the INAO.

The requirement to affix the date of packaging for bags and nets has been deleted; traceability is already ensured by including a unique number on each label.

Stickers have been made available for bulbs that may be sold individually. The aim of these labels is to identify the product and make it more recognisable to the consumer.

All numbered packaging and labels are distributed by the protection and management body to ensure compliance with the labelling criteria and make sure that records of the labels are kept.

In the ‘National requirements’ section, in the light of national legislative and regulatory developments:

—	the references to Label Rouge No 02-66 have been deleted;

—	the ‘National requirements’ section has been presented in the form of a table with the main points to be checked and their means of evaluation.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’

PGI-FR-0193-AM01 – 30.3.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

Combined Nomenclature code

—	0703 – Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and other alliaceous vegetables, fresh or chilled

—	0703 20 00 – Garlic

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

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is an alternative pink garlic with a long dormancy period, which is sold dried. It is grown from the Edenrose, Goulurose, Ibérose, Jardirose and Rose de Lautrec varieties.

It has a naturally long shelf life.

The skin of its cloves becomes pink when the bulb is dried.

It is characterised by a size greater than or equal to 40 mm and by a bulb with a regular and round shape made up of several cloves (8 to 12 cloves visible from the outside). The bulbs are presented whole, firm, slightly ribbed, without an excessive number of small cloves (surgousses) and with at least one outer sheath. The cloves fit tightly together.

The roots are cut off evenly, without damaging or revealing the root disc.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ may be:

—	presented with one or two sheath layers removed, revealing a clean layer; the remaining layers are left to protect the bulb from impacts;

—	peeled down to one or two sheath layers, revealing the pink colour of the cloves.

At the end of the growing cycle, it sends up a flower stem in the centre, which carries a sterile flower head.

The bulbs must be free from defects in appearance (outgrowths, bio-pathogens, impacts and knife marks, peeling defects and others). Slight cracks may be present in the outer sheath.

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

—

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

Cultivation, peeling and drying are carried out in the geographical area.

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

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ can be sold in the form of traditional strings (also known as manouilles) or in bunches.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is packaged, within the geographical area, in crates, punnets, bags or nets.

Packaging ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ within the geographical area is essential in order to preserve both its visual qualities and its health status.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is highly sensitive to impacts, which requires particular vigilance on the part of operators at all stages of production, especially during packaging. The garlic is handled with care and as little as possible, in order to minimise impacts and preserve the bulbs’ outer sheath. ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is also kept under specific conditions (cold storage, or sheltered from sun and bad weather) to preserve the product’s good health status.

In addition, packaging relies on the local know-how of the operators, which also helps to establish and preserve the characteristics of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’, through:

—

sorting and meticulous selection of the bulbs, making it possible to create presentations that are uniform in colour, size and shape. The product specification defines the authorised sizes and weights for each authorised type of packaging and, for some types of packaging, also defines the maximum size differences and the colour of the fastenings and nets;

—

positioning of the bulbs in the packaging so as to withstand handling and prevent impacts between the bulbs when they are put on the market: gathering together the tops of the strings and bunches to obtain a rigid ensemble, ensuring that the bags, nets and punnets are sealed as close to the bulbs as possible, and tightly packing the bulbs in crates.

The strings, bunches, 5 kg bags and crates are prepared on the farms, drawing on the producers’ expertise. The garlic string, or manouille, is the traditional means of preparing ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ for sale, and is very specific to the geographical area in question.

Packaging in the area also makes it easier to trace and monitor the products.

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

The label must bear:

—	the unique packaging number;

—	the name or identification code of the packager or producer.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the following communes of the Department of Tarn:

Aguts, Algans, Appelle, Aussac, Bannieres, Belcastel, Bertre, Blan, Briatexte, Brousse, Busque, Cabanes, Cadalen, Cambon Les Lavaur, Cambounet sur le Sor, Carbes, Carlus, Castres, Cuq, Cuq Toulza, Damiatte, Denat, Fenols, Fiac, Frejeville, Garrigues, Graulhet, Guitalens l’Albarede, Jonquieres, Labastide Denat, Labessiere Candeil, Laboulbene, Laboutarie, Lacougotte Cadoul, Lacroisille, Lamillarie, Lasgraisses, Lautrec, Lavaur, Le Sequestre, Lombers, Magrin, Marzens, Massac Seran, Maurens Scopont, Missecle, Montcabrier, Montdragon, Montfa, Montgey, Montpinier, Moulayres, Mouzens, Orban, Pechaudier, Peyregoux, Poudis, Poulan Pouzols, Prades, Pratviel, Puechoursi, Puybegon, Puycalvel, Puylaurens, Realmont, Roquevidal, Rouffiac, Salies, Semalens, Servies, Sieurac, Saint Agnan, Saint Gauzens, Saint Genest De Contest, Saint Germain Des Pres, Saint Germier, Saint Julien Du Puy, Saint Paul Cap De Joux, Saint Sernin Les Lavaur, Teulat, Teyssode, Veilhes, Venes, Vielmur Sur Agout, Villeneuve Les Lavaur, Viterbe, Viviers Les Lavaur.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area is based on the reputation of the product and its quality, which in turn is derived from the natural and human factors that characterise the geographical area.

The production area of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is located in the Department of Tarn, centred around the commune of Lautrec. The soils in the area are mainly clay-limestone, without any large stones. They have good natural drainage. The area has a sub-Mediterranean climate. The (south-easterly) Autan wind is very frequent. It brings mild temperatures and limits precipitation.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is planted from the end of November. It has the peculiarity of having a rigid flower stem. In order to optimise the growth of the bulb, producers remove the flower stem (a process known as despoulinage). Harvesting takes place when the crop has reached maturity, and the garlic can then be hung to dry on bars in the traditional way or dried by dynamic ventilation.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is an alternative dried garlic with a long dormancy period. It is primarily characterised by the pink skin of its cloves, which can be seen through the last two layers of the bulb’s sheath.

The bulbs are evenly shaped, without surgousses, and are at least 40 mm in size. There is a flower stem in the centre of the bulb. This specificity is the basis for the traditional presentation of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ in the form of a string, or manouille.

It has a good shelf life, allowing it to be sold from July to May (of the year following the harvest).

The natural characteristics of the area, together with the expertise of producers and packaging facilities, give the finished product a quality recognised by consumers, which helps to establish the reputation of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is primarily characterised by its colour, which is due to the use of varieties from local populations that develop cloves with a pink-coloured skin, as well as to harvesting when the crop has reached maturity and ensuring suitable drying conditions. The pink colour appears only at the physiological stage corresponding to optimum maturity of the bulb; an early harvest would not allow the plant to develop this characteristic, which intensifies throughout the drying process. The producers’ expertise therefore comes into play in particular in the choice of harvesting date and in the meticulous observation of the physiological development of the plant.

The clay-limestone soils in the geographical area are particularly well suited to growing ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’. Since they are free of large stones, they also allow the bulb to grow in a regular and uniform shape. The good soil structure enables the plants to establish a deep root system and access a sufficient water and mineral supply. The soil characteristics limit excess water, which is not good for the crop and is conducive to attacks by certain bio-pathogens.

The area’s climate also makes it possible to meet the needs of the crop, thanks to:

—	a fairly dry autumn, which means that the soil can be prepared as well as possible, thus limiting the risks associated with certain diseases or physiological problems;

—	mild winters that break dormancy and meet the crop’s need for cold, without causing frost damage;

—	warming of the soil and the return of significant rainfall towards the end of winter, which encourages the plant to enter its active growth stage and meets its needs;

—	milder weather conditions at the beginning of the summer, accompanied by the warm, dry Autan wind, conducive to harvesting when the crop has reached maturity and drying to limit attacks by bio-pathogens.

These climatic conditions contribute to the production of large and regular bulbs without surgousses that are firm and have no defects in appearance or growth.

The good health status of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is also due to the development of cultivation practices adopted by producers in the geographical area to reduce the spread of diseases: crop rotations and the prohibition of certain preceding crops, management of planting dates and appropriate fertilisation.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ has a good shelf life thanks to the use of particular varieties with a long dormancy period (late sprouting) and operators’ expertise in limiting impacts at the various stages of handling (harvesting, sorting/sizing and packaging).

Drying is also an essential step to ensure that the product is preserved throughout the marketing period and allows the garlic to develop its pink colour. A minimum drying period and a suitable environment allow the harvested product to lose at least 25 % of its mass in water.

The producers’ expertise when it comes to peeling the bulbs manually gives them a clean appearance and allows the pink colour of the cloves to show through when the bulbs are peeled down to the last sheath layer. This highly meticulous work requires the producers to master this act so as not to damage the bulb and so as to preserve an untorn outer sheath and to cut the roots level while preserving the root disc.

During this stage, the producer must also limit impacts, injuries or bruising, to which ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is very sensitive, in order to reduce, in particular, entry points for certain bio-pathogens.

The use of varieties with a rigid flower stem makes it possible to produce traditional presentations in the form of strings, or manouilles. This form of packaging is carried out on the farm. It has made ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ famous, and requires expertise that only the producers have.

All the manual steps involved in packaging make sure that the bulbs are gathered tightly together to prevent impacts between them when they are placed on the market. They also ensure that presentations are visually uniform in size, shape and colour, as the bulbs undergo rigorous selection.

The annual ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ festival was set up by the Syndicat de l’Ail Rose de Lautrec in the early 1970s to celebrate the start of the marketing period. A competition for the most beautiful manouille is always on the festival programme. This traditional festival has become an unmissable event in the Department of Tarn, attracting more than 10 000 visitors each year.

The village of Lautrec was also awarded the ‘Site remarquable du goût’ [Remarkable taste location] label some 10 years ago, thanks to the reputation of its garlic.

This reputation is regularly featured in the press. In August 1993, the Tarn infos newspaper described ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ as the ‘jewel of the local economy’. In its May/June 2008 edition, La vie du jardin magazine wrote of ‘the renown of “Ail rose de Lautrec”, known for its flavour, delicate aroma and long shelf life’, and Magnetic news magazine showcased ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ in its ‘L’épicerie de Rungis’ [Rungis grocery] section, where it was described as ‘the most refined of all garlics’, ‘the food lover’s favourite’ and ‘greatly sought after by top chefs and enjoyed by fine diners’.

‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ is very often used in the kitchens of both local and top chefs. In 2011, Michelin-starred chef Gilles Goujon said in an interview for Magnetic news magazine that he considered ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ to be ‘the only garlic that deserves to be used in haute cuisine’. In an article published on the website Nutrissime.com in October 2011, Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse also spotlighted ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’, saying: ‘I have been using “Ail rose de Lautrec” in my cooking for a very long time; as far as I am concerned, there is no other garlic of such good quality’. The specific characteristics of ‘Ail rose de Lautrec’ are reflected on the market by its higher economic value compared with other garlics. It has an added value of EUR 4 per kilo compared to white garlic without a geographical indication.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDC-IGPAilRoseLautrec20240422.pdf

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).