52003XC0903(04)

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

(2003/C 207/05)

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 recognised 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.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO ( ) PGI (x)

National File Number: 59

1. Responsible department in the Member State Name: Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada - Dirección General de Alimentación - Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación - Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentació - España

Address: Paseo de la Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid

Tel. (34) 913 47 53 97

Fax (34) 913 47 54 10.

2. Applicant group 2.1. Name: (a) SCCL Ramaders de Montanya del Berguedà

(b) SCCL Criadors de Carn Natural de L'Alta Ribagorça

(c) Mafriseu, Matadero General Frigorífico de La Seu, SA

2.2. Address: (a) Francesc Macià, 12 entlo. 1a - E-08600 Berga

(b) Av. Victoriano Muñoz, 48 - E-25550 El Pont de Suert

(c) Castellciutat s/n - E-25700 La Seu d'Urgell

2.3. Composition: Producers/processors (x) other ( ).

3. Type of product: Class 1.1. Fresh meat.

4. Specification (Summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: "Ternera de los Pirineos Catalanes" or "Vedella dels Pirineus Catalans".

4.2. Description: Meat from bovine animals mainly of the indigenous "Bruna de los Pirineos" breed or of Charolais and Limousin breeds and their cross-breeds, which are adapted to the geographical area of the Protected Geographical Indication and are reared using traditional local feedingstuffs and husbandry practices. Calves are born in the open in the pastures in which graze the dams, which are reared using extensive methods. The calves are kept with the dam for at least the first four months and are fed on their mothers' milk and fresh grass.

Age at slaughter is 10-15 months in the case of male calves and 9-12 months in the case of female calves, and minimum weight is 225 kg for male and 180 kg for female animals.

The carcases protected are classified in categories E, U and R, with profiles ranging from superconvex to rectilinear and muscular development from exceptional to good.

The meat is pinkish to bright red in colour and the fat white to creamy. There are deposits of intramuscular fat.

4.3. Geographical area: The production, rearing and fattening area comprises the municipal districts in the following regions in the Pyrenees and in the Pyrenean foothills: Alt Empordà, Alta Ribagorça, Alt Urgell, Berguedà, Cerdanya, Garrotxa, Pallars Jussà, Pallars Sobirà, Ripollés, Solsonés and Vall d'Aran.

The following municipalities are also included: Perafita, Olost, Tavérnoles, Lluçà and Oristà situated north-east of the Osona i Moià region which is east of the Bagès region.

The processing area (slaughter and cutting) covers the entire territory of Catalonia.

4.4. Proof of origin: Production, processing and marketing will be authorised only on those holdings and in those slaughterhouses, cutting plants and marketing entities which are listed in the Regulating Board's registers. The Regulating Board will carry out inspections and undertake certification.

Animals are identified by means of a numbered eartag.

In the slaughterhouses and cutting plants numbered seals with the logo are applied to the carcases and cuts.

At points of sale documents are displayed showing slaughter date and seal numbers on carcases and cuts presented for sale.

4.5. Method of production: The protected meat comes from animals which are born in the geographical area of the Protected Geographical Indication and which are of the "Bruna de los Pirineos", Limousin and Charolais breeds and their cross-breeds.

The calves are kept with the dam for at least the first four months and are fed on their mothers' milk and fresh grass.

After weaning, the male and females are separated and moved to the holding's fattening installations. Those installations must meet certain minimum standards, i.e. must be covered or semi-covered, well-ventilated, have a minimum of 3 m2 per animal and have a rest area separate from the feeding area that must be dry and provided with straw bedding.

Animals may be fattened in groups of a maximum of 20.

During the growth and fattening stage, the diet is based on voluminous feed (generally dried forage) and a balanced mix of cereals and legume meal.

Slaughter takes place at 10-15 months in the case of male animals and 9-12 months in the case of female animals. The pH in the carcases must be less than 6 and the meat must be left to mature for at least seven days before being put up for sale.

4.6. Link: The many valleys and abundant pastures in this area make it suitable for extensive cattle rearing. At the end of spring/beginning of summer, cattle are taken up to the mountain passes to graze, where they remain until autumn. They are then taken down to the valleys where a semi-stabling system is used, the cattle grazing in the meadows in the valleys. In the winter their diet is supplemented with hay harvested from the pastures during the summer and feed composed mainly of cereals and legumes.

The Pyrenean foothills are at lower altitudes, valleys are wider, pastures less rugged and snow less common, providing cattle, therefore, with more congenial surroundings.

The abundance of water and the good exposure to the sun favour the indigenous meadow species of vegetation, creating ideal grazing for the cattle, the species varying with the altitude. The most common species are Festuca pratensis, Festuca alpina, Poa pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Sisleria coeruela, Bromus erectus and Arrhenaterum elatius.

Stockfarmers sow part of their land with mixes of meadow plant species to provide feed during the months when the mountain pastures are unavailable, either because of snow or because they have already been grazed out. The most common forage crops are clover, ray-grass, lucerne, sainfoin and meadow lescue.

Traditionally the small farmsteads of the Catalonian Pyrenees fattened only a few animals for family consumption, feeding them on cereals, legumes and dried fodder. Currently holdings are grouping together to form cooperatives in order to revert to the traditional production system and subsequently market the final product, thereby enabling stockfarmers to reap the benefits themselves. The "Bruna de los Pirineos" breed is the result of crossbreeding between Brown Highland and Pyrenean cattle. The characteristic features of this breed are its excellent calving record, milk production sufficient for feeding calves, hardiness and good pasturing record - qualities making it suitable for the extensive rearing practised in the geographical area covering the Protected Geographical Indication.

As part of a survey carried out by the private firm Sigma Dos, a poll was taken in 1999 to establish the population's familiarity with IGP Ternera de los Pirineos Catalanes (PGI Catalonian Pyrenean veal). It emerged from the poll that in Catalonia meat protected by that PGI enjoys a high level of appreciation and a good reputation, with 60 % of Catalan consumers - accounting for about 16 % at national level - stating they were familiar with it. Moreover, 45 % of Catalans contend that the best beef comes from the Pyrenean area.

4.7. Inspection body Name: Consejo Regulador de la IGP BGA "Ternera de los Pirineos Catalanes" - "Vedella dels Pirineus Catalans"

Address: Partida Sant Esteve 6, E-25700 La Seu d'Urgell

The inspection body complies, according to the competent authority's notification, with standard EN-45011.

4.8. Labelling: The words "Ternera de los Pirineos Catalanes" - "Vedella dels Pirineus Catalans" must appear on the label.

The label is approved and issued by the Regulating Board.

The eartags, seals, labels and certificates are approved, numbered and issued by the Regulating Board.

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

- Decree No 835/1972 of 28 March 1972 on detailed rules for the implementation of Law No 25/1970.

- Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish law and Regulation (EEC) No 2081/1992 as regards designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

- Royal Decree 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 on the procedure governing applications for entry into the Community register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications.

EC No: ES/00122/2000.03.28.

Date of receipt of the full application: 27 June 2003.