Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2010/C 248/07

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘MIÓD DRAHIMSKI’

EC No: PL-PGI-0005-0619-09.07.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name:

‘Miód drahimski’

2.   Member State or third country:

Poland

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

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

Five different types of honey can be sold as ‘miód drahimski’: buckwheat honey, colza honey, heather honey, lime honey and polyfloral honey.

At the time of sale, ‘miód drahimski’ may be liquid (strained), creamed, or crystallised (granular). ‘Miód drahimski’ is honey made by bees from nectar. Small quantities of honeydew may be present in the honey. However, this must not result in any change in the honey’s taste, smell or characteristics. ‘Miód drahimski’ may also be sold in slabs, i.e. as honeycomb.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

The bees may not be fed during the period in which ‘miód drahimski’ is harvested. Only in exceptional cases, if normal development of the swarms is at risk, may the bees be fed before the harvesting of the honey begins, although this should stop no later than 14 days before the planned harvest. The dose may not exceed the bees’ two-day feed requirements. Bees may be fed only on white beet sugar or on ready-made syrup (bee feed) with a sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose) content of at least 73 %. The white beet sugar and the sugar syrup do not need to originate from the area where ‘miód drahimski’ is obtained. This does not affect the quality of the honey.

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

All steps in production — from the positioning of the hives to the final packaging of the honey — must take place in the identified geographical area. At the end of the harvesting period, the frames removed contain mature honey (at least three-quarters of the frame should be encrusted). The honey is cold-spun in a honey extractor on beekeepers’ premises, using centrifugal force. The honey may be cold-pressed with the aid of mechanical presses. The spun honey is strained and then decanted into tanks. ‘Miód drahimski’ honey must not be filtered to remove pollen or pasteurised. The temperature of the honey must not exceed 42 °C at any stage in its production. The use of chemicals or other bee repellents, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form, is forbidden during the process of harvesting the honey. Only honeybees of the species Apis mellifera carnica (Carnolian bee) and Apis mellifera mellifera (dark European honeybee) — and cross-breeds between them — are used in the production of ‘miód drahimski’.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

The requirement for the honey to be decanted into retail packaging in the area where it is obtained (as defined at (4)) is intended to ensure that the product is of an appropriate quality. This restriction is also designed to increase the level of supervision and control of the origin of the honey. It precludes the possibility of ‘miód drahimski’ being mixed with other honeys. It is also designed to maintain the high level of credibility of the inspection system and to eliminate any factor that might compromise the quality of the honey.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

All beekeepers and entities engaged in the buying-in of the honey and its further presentation under the protected name are required to use one type of label. Labels will be distributed by the Stowarzyszenie Producentów Miodu Drahimskiego. This association forwards detailed rules on the distribution of the labels to the inspection body. The single-label system is intended to guarantee the appropriate quality and facilitate product traceability. The rules and these procedures may not in any way discriminate against producers who do not belong to the association.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

‘Miód drahimski’ is gathered in the municipalities of Czaplinek, Wierzchowo, Barwice, Borne Sulinowo and in the Borne Sulinowo Forest District, located in the Drawa Lake District. The name ‘miód drahimski’ is derived from the name ‘Drahim’, the original name of Stare Drawsko, which has given its name to the region in which the production area is located. After the Second World War, the name Drahim fell into disuse as the official name for the administrative area and the name Stare Drawsko was introduced. In spite of the change in administrative nomenclature, references to the traditional name ‘Drahim’ still have resonances.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

The area defined at (4) is part of the Baltic climatic zone, where oceanic influences are more pronounced than in other regions of Poland. The proximity of the Baltic Sea helps warm up the land and makes for cooler summers. The thermal conditions related to the lie of the land are an important feature of the climate. The relative altitude of the area results in cooler temperatures in this region. The average temperature in the May-July period is 14,4 °C, while the annual average is in the range of 7,0-7,3 °C. The soils in this region were formed mainly from glacial deposits and sediments deposited by glacial meltwater. Soils are predominantly podsols comprising loose sand with a low clay content, as well as glacial tills and sands overlying loam or silt. Much of the area where ‘miód drahimski’ is produced is in the Drawa Landscape Park (Drawski Park Krajobrazowy). The natural character of this area owes much to the absence of industrial pollution. The park contains seven nature reserves distinguished by diverse flora and fauna. Human activity has had negligible impact on the ecosystems in the nature reserves. A very varied and extensive network of rivers, streams and lakes contributes to the diversity of the vegetation that occurs in the area. The area contains lobelia lakes characterised by water of unusual purity and the presence of relict plants, including fleshy stitchwort (Stellaria crassifolia), crowberry (Empetrum nigrum ssp. nigrum), and narrow small-reed (Calamagrostis stricta). Much of the vegetation here is composed of protected plants, such as columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), mezereon (Daphne mezereum) and marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris).

Impact of the area on the occurrence of other honey plants

Buckwheat

This region’s poor-quality podsols, regulated water regime and climatic conditions are ideal for growing buckwheat. The high air humidity (up to 81 %) is especially significant. Buckwheat is cultivated on about 400 organic farms in this area, some 1 120 ha being used for growing buckwheat.

Lime

The defined area contains many specimens of monumental limes, and about 90 % of roads running through villages in the ‘miód drahimski’ production area, side roads and paths are planted with old limes. They form avenues of limes. Lime trees are so prevalent in this area because it has the right soil conditions and is unpolluted. The absence of air pollution from industrial sources, to which limes are particularly sensitive, is a key environmental factor.

Colza

A characteristic feature of colza cultivation in the defined area is that the crop is grown on fields measuring several hectares that are separated by numerous woods. This provides bees with excellent conditions for development and for collecting nectar, owing to the absence of strong winds. Almost 1 400 ha of land in the identified area is used for growing colza.

Heather

The Borne Sulinowo Forest District contains one of the most extensive heaths in Europe. In total, heather covers an area of about 6 000 ha within the district. It contains stands of common heather (Polio-Callunetum) and heathlands with Scabiosa canescentis and Genistetum tinctoriae. The presence of such large heaths in this area is due to good soil conditions and the right amount of exposure to sunlight as a result of the large tracts of unforested land.

Human skills

The long history of beekeeping in this area has contributed to the development of the skills of local beekeepers and the principles governing the harvesting of honey and keeping of bees, which have a direct bearing on the chemical composition of the honey. As a general rule, the honey is obtained only from frames which are at least three-quarters encrusted, as a result of which the honey harvested is mature. The temperature of the honey must not exceed 42 °C at any stage in its production.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

‘Miód drahimski’ is high-quality honey characterised by a low HMF content and a high reducing sugar content. A specific feature of ‘miód drahimski’ is its high dominant pollen content, as indicated in 3.2. Apart from a high dominant pollen content, its main distinguishing feature is the proportion of pollen from unique relict and endemic plants. A particular feature of the polyfloral honey is the great diversity of its pollen composition, no plant accounting for more than 35 % of the total, which is what imparts its rich bouquet of flavours.

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):

‘Miód drahimski’ is closely linked with its area of origin; honeys obtained from plants typical of the region are sold under this name. These are buckwheat, colza, heather, lime and polyfloral honeys. The area in question, as described in 5.1, is characterised by relatively low rainfall, very large numbers of bodies of water, high relative humidity and moderate winds, all of which have a significant impact on the occurrence and quality of the individual honey plants from which monofloral ‘miód drahimski’ is obtained. The presence of varied ecosystems resulting from a pure and natural environment also yields a very varied pollen composition to which the specificity of polyfloral ‘miód drahimski’ bears testimony. The fact that no plant species accounts for more than 35 % of the total pollen in polyfloral ‘miód drahimski’ is evidence of the rich vegetation in this area. In addition to pollen from crop plants, both the monofloral and polyfloral honeys contain pollen from protected plants that are endemic to the area. The occurrence of these honey plants is due to the specificity of the area, which contains nature reserves and a landscape park, meaning that ‘miód drahimski’ cannot be produced outside this area. Because of the method used to harvest the honey (it is taken only from frames which are at least three-quarters encrusted), the honey obtained is mature, with a high reducing sugar (glucose and fructose) content, but it is also very fresh and of natural origin, as evidenced by its low HMF content. The fact that the honey must not be heated to above 42 °C means that the numerous enzymes resulting from the natural origin of the honey are not lost. The characteristic taste of each variety of ‘miód drahimski’, as described in 3.2, is the result of the combination of an unspoilt natural environment, rich vegetation and the traditional skills of local producers and is highly appreciated by consumers of this product. The method of producing and harvesting ‘miód drahimski’ developed and perfected over many generations is inextricably linked to the skills of the local beekeepers.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.minrol.gov.pl/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabOrgId=1620&LangId=0

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.