Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2005/C 331/02)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognized in accordance with Article 12(3) within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

‘PATATAS DE PRADES’ or ‘PATATES DE PRADES’

EC No: ES/00232/25.04.2002

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary has been drawn up for information purposes only. For full details, in particular for the producers of the PDO or PGI concerned, please consult the complete version of the product specification obtainable at national level or from the European Commission (1).

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

3.   Type of product:

Class 1.6. Fresh or processed fruit, vegetables and cereals.

4.   Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1   Name: ‘Patatas de Prades’ or ‘Patates de Prades’

4.2   Description: The product to be protected is the tuber of the species Solanum tuberosum L, of the Kennebec cultivar, intended for human consumption and of a size of 40 to 80 mm but reaching 100 mm in exceptional cases.

The potato has a very smooth, hard and firm skin. The flesh is whitish, with a firm, floury texture, a sweet and lingering taste and a slight smell of chestnuts.

4.3   Geographical area: The area of production of potatoes covered by the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) ‘Patatas de Prades’ will consist of land situated in the municipalities of Prades, Capafonts, LaFebró and Arbolí, all of which are in the district of Baix Camp, Tarragona Province, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.

The processing and packing area is the same as the area of production.

4.4   Proof of origin: The potatoes come from fields situated in the area of production and are selected, graded and packed at stations situated in the area of production and registered with the Regulatory Council.

The potatoes undergo physical and organoleptic tests and only those which satisfy all the checks are packed and marketed under the PGI, with a numbered front/back label or quality mark issued by the Regulatory Council.

4.5   Method of production: Each plant is given 0,50 × 0,70 metres of space, yielding five to ten tubers per plant, with an average density of 28 000 plants per hectare.

The cultivation process begins with the production of a certified seed of the ‘Kennebec’ variety. The variety has a low yield but is of high quality.

Planting begins in April, the seeds being distributed in furrows. The latter are then covered up by ploughing, thus forming the ridge in which the plant develops.

Harvesting, which is done by hand, does not take place until early September, when the plant dies naturally. It is done with the greatest care and begins two weeks after the natural death of the plant. This allows the skin to mature adequately, maintaining the quality of the latter, gives increased protection against damage during packing and helps the product to keep better.

After harvesting, the potatoes undergo the following: external quality control and sorting/grading; packing in non-airtight paper bags of 2 or 5 kg bearing the PGI logo; storage in a suitable location under natural conditions of temperature and humidity; and labelling on the outside of the bag, alongside the logo.

4.6   Link:

Historical

Emili Morera LLauradó who, towards the end of the 19th century, wrote about the long tradition of potato-growing in the protected area, ascribed the quality of the tubers to the local climate and the altitude of the fields where they are grown.

Referring to the Villa de Prades, José Ruy Fernández (1920) wrote that potatoes were its principal asset, being the best and most sought after not only in Catalonia, but also in Spain as a whole, and that thanks to the excellence of the product, its exquisite flavour and floury quality, it commanded a higher price than its competitors on every market.

Natural

The privileged location/distinctive geographical characteristics of the area (1 000 metres above sea level, highly fertile sandy siliceous soils with a slightly acidic pH, little rainfall, fairly low temperatures and moist winds blowing in from the sea) have a beneficial impact on the quality of the tubers. All these factors mean that:

The plant has a longer growing cycle. It allows only one harvest per year, thus producing firmer tubers with a higher percentage of dry matter.

Potatoes grown in the Prades area have a skin that is very smooth and free of malformations, thus distinguishing them from potatoes of the same variety grown in other areas.

The tubers are stored naturally, in approved stores, without the use of anti-germinating agents or products which affect the potato's natural conservation process.

Accordingly, one concludes in the light of the above that the orographic conditions (more specifically the altitude), the characteristics of the soil (a major factor when dealing with this type of crop) and the climate, together with the tradition of potato-growing and the experience of the farmers concerned, give Patatas de Prades characteristics typical of high-quality tubers.

4.7   Inspection body:

Calitax complies with standard EN 45011 for potatoes.

4.8   Labelling: When sent to market, the protected potatoes will bear a label showing clearly and compulsorily the PGI, the logo and the brand name, plus any other information required under the current legislation.

Irrespective of the type of packing in which the potatoes are released for consumption, they shall be provided with a numbered front/back label which shall be checked, supplied and issued by the Regulatory Council in accordance with the rules laid down in the quality manual. The said label shall, at all events, be affixed before the potatoes are dispatched, and in such a way that it cannot be re-used.

4.9   National requirements: Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970, on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits.

Decree No 835/1972 of 23 March 1972 approving the rules set out in Law No 25/1970.

Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish legislation and Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 regarding designations of origin and geographical indications for agri-food products.

Royal Decree No 1643/99 of 22 October 1999 laying down rules on the processing of applications for entry in the Community Register of Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications.

(1)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural product quality policy, B-1049 Brussels.