16.9.2011

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 273/26

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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

2011/C 273/07

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 of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ ΒΑΝΙΛΙΕΣ ΦΕΝΕΟΥ’ (FASOLIA VANILIES FENEOU)

EC No: EL-PGI-0005-0839-21.12.2010

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name:

‘Φασόλια Βανίλιες Φενεού’ (Fasolia Vanilies Feneou)

2.   Member State or third country:

Greece

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

Class 1.6.

Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are shelled dried beans from a local population of the legume species Phaseolus vulgaris.

Physical characteristics: the beans are white, oval-shaped, very small — 1 000 seeds weigh from 270 g to 280 g, which classes them as a small-seeded variety, and have a thin skin.

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are a source of protein (at least 18 %). The chemical characteristics which differentiate the ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ from other beans on the market are:

S/N	Parameter	‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’	Other beans (of the species Phaseolus vulgaris)	Conclusions
1.	Dietary fibres	27,9-29,9 % w/w	13,2 % w/w	up to 54,4 % more dietary fibre
2.	Fats	1,7-1,9 % w/w	2-2,5 % w/w	up to 10 % less fat
3.	Energy value	225-233 kcal/100 g	296 kcal/100 g	lower in calories
		955-963 kJ/100 g	1 236 kJ/100 g
4.	Calcium	2 970-2 988 mg/kg	1 312 mg/kg	up to 56 % more calcium
5.	Sodium	97,1-98,1 mg/kg	354 mg/kg	lower salt content
6.	ASH	3,9-4,1 % w/w	4,4 % w/w	lower ash content

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ have organoleptic characteristics that distinguish them from other beans and make them especially appealing to consumers: their sweet taste, the fact that they cook quickly and do not disintegrate — when boiled they are tender inside but remain intact in their skin.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

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

—

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

All stages of the production process from cultivation (preparing the ground, application of fertiliser, sowing, irrigation, combating weeds, plant protection) to harvesting, drying and shelling the product must take place within the defined geographical area.

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

—

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

The packaging must bear the indication ‘ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ ΒΑΝΙΛΙΕΣ ΦΕΝΕΟΥ’ Π.Γ.Ε. (‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ PGI), and any other indications prescribed by national and Community law.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The defined geographical area of production of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ is the whole Municipality of Feneos, in the Prefecture of Corinthia in the Peloponnese region.

The area of Feneos where the beans are grown is an enclosed plain with a total cultivated area of 47 100 stremmas (4 710 hectares), protected by mountains: Helmos — Dourdouvana, Killini, Oliyirtos — Saïtas. The enclosed basin of Feneos (artificial lake) is a specific feature of the Peloponnese; it is surrounded by fir and pine forest that extends down to the lakeside. This specific, unique environment of forest-covered mountains that surround the Feneos plateau, together with the artificial Lake Doxa, help to create a microclimate that is suitable for the cultivation of a top-quality product.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

Soil

The soil is deep and fertile, it is mostly clayey sand to sandy clay, with high water retention. It is rich in calcium and phosphorus but has a low potassium and magnesium content. The majority of the soils are slightly acidic (pH < 7). The land on which ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are grown is the bed of the old Lake Doxa, which was a natural lake, and it has maintained its relative humidity. All these factors favour the cultivation of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’.

Climate

Generally speaking, the area has a continental climate with cold winters and cool summers. However, due to the extensive forest cover of the mountains that surround the Feneos plateau, the climate is milder with wetter winters and cooler summers. The average monthly temperatures are 28,8 °C (maximum) and 0,6 °C (minimum), while the average annual temperature is 12,8 °C.

The presence of Lake Doxa also contributes to the area's mild spring weather. The average annual rainfall is 600 millimetres. Beans are water loving and the combination of optimal temperatures and relative humidity help create excellent conditions in which to grow them.

Human factors

The factor that makes best use of the soil and climatic conditions of the Feneos area and is crucial to the production of a top-quality product and its reputation outside the boundaries of the prefecture is the human factor.

The growing methods used by the producers of Feneos are based on years of experience and the tradition passed down from one generation to the next. They consist of manual operations, from sowing to drying and shelling, minimum use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers and the exclusive selection, by the farmers themselves, of seeds of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ for sowing the following year in order to safeguard the purity of the plant material.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ have been grown systematically in the Feneos area since the end of the 19th century. They have been grown for many years because of their special distinguishing qualities: they are very small, plain white, fine looking shiny beans, oval not kidney-shaped like most other beans, with thin skin which means they cook better and more quickly; they taste sweet and are very nutritious.

The local name ‘Vanilia’ was given to the beans by the growers themselves to emphasise their plain white colour and special sweet taste that is reminiscent of vanilla. These specific quality characteristics distinguish the product from other beans and make it more sought after on the market.

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):

Description of the link between the quality of the product and the defined geographical area

The characteristics of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are linked to the area’s climate and soil and to the use of plant material that is adapted to the local environment.

As ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are optimally adapted to the area’s continental climate and underlying soil conditions, they grow very well there. The soils, well drained and on average slightly acidic, in combination with the relatively mild, wet winters and cool summers have a crucial effect on the quality of the crop, producing shiny seeds with thin skin and tender flesh. These conditions produce beans with high water absorption capacity, low ash content and better organoleptic characteristics, such as their special sweet taste and that fact that they cook well.

In addition, the area’s unique natural environment, with the mountains that protect the Feneos plain from strong winds, the artificial Lake Doxa and the fir and pine forest that surrounds it and extends right down to the lakeside, play a crucial role in creating the ideal conditions in which to grow these beans and in differentiating them from similar kinds of bean grown elsewhere.

The growing methods that have been used by the local farmers for over 100 years, in combination with the favourable soil, climatic and environmental conditions, contribute to the specific characteristics of the product. The cultivation techniques of the bean growers are the same as those used by their forebears, and most of the work, such as hoeing, harvesting, selection and packaging, is still done by hand today, resulting in a product with good appearance and uniform shape, free of extraneous matter and broken seeds. The minimal use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, which downgrade the product, and the rigorous selection of seeds for the next year’s crop in order to safeguard the purity of the local population of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ results in a superior quality product.

The close link between the product and the defined geographical area and, moreover, its very localised cultivation on the Feneos plateau has been made evident by repeated attempts to grow it in neighbouring bean-growing areas. These attempts have not been successful — the quality of the beans grown outside the defined geographical area is noticeably lower, in particular with regard to appearance, the fineness of the skin and taste.

Description of the link between the product's reputation and the defined geographical area

References in a two-volume publication by Vassilios Sarlis on the folklore of Feneos attest to the importance of this crop in the area and its reputation as the best-tasting bean. In Greek mythology, pulses were gifts from the goddess Demeter to the inhabitants of Feneos because they offered her hospitality when she was searching for her daughter Persephone, who had been abducted by Hades. Hades tried to drag her down to the Underworld through the depths of Lake Feneos. The people of Feneos were therefore the first to eat pulses and perhaps that is why their beans became famous as the best-tasting beans. It is also mentioned that beans are the most widely consumed pulse, followed by lentils and chickpeas.

The systematic cultivation of beans in the area began at the end of the 19th century, when the waters of Lake Feneos drained away. The product's reputation and its close link with the Feneos area is documented by the following:

A document issued by the Feneos Civil Court of First Instance, dated 25 March 1910, regarding the payment of compensation by a livestock farmer to a bean grower because his animals had damaged the bean crop.

Research carried out by Panos Dimitrios (PhD) on the intensive cultivation of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ in the area during the 1950s.

Since 1980 a Fasolada Festival, rated by the Eleftheros Tipos newspaper as a tourist attraction, has been held every year in the village of Steno in October (when the ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are harvested), because of the importance of the crop in the area and the fact that its fame has spread far and wide.

Hellenic Statistical Authority data that document the continuous cultivation of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ from 1993 to 2003.

Checks carried out by the Agriculture Directorate of the Corinthia Prefectural Authority in the context of the Compensatory Allowance and Single Payment Schemes attest that ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ have been traditionally grown in the area for many years and are of exceptional quality.

A visitor to the area recalled how he associated the Feneos plain and its delicious ‘vanilla’ beans with his childhood years.

The famous Fasolia Feneou was mentioned in two editions of the Kathimerini newspaper (24 October 2006 and 17 November 2007).

The traditional fasolada (bean soup) made with Fasolia Feneou featured in editions of the Ta Nea newspaper (16 February 2007) and the Eleftheros Tipos newspaper (4 October 2008).

On Ilias Mamalakis’ television programme Boukia kai Sinkhorio viewers were shown how to make Boulia (Polispori) Feneos, with the typical ‘white’ Fasolia Vanilies Feneou as one of the main ingredients.

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ featured in two editions of Menoume Ellada on state television (October 2006 and 2007) and on ET3 in February 2009.

‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’ are highly valued not only by consumers but also by the producers, as they fetch a price that can be up to 75 % higher than the price of other beans whose name is not protected.

To sum up, the historical and bibliographical data, articles in local and national newspapers, media broadcasts and material found on the Internet (Wikipedia, etc.), mainly relating to gastronomy and tourism, confirm the reputation of ‘Fasolia Vanilies Feneou’, which is inextricably linked with their specific qualities.

Publication reference of the specification:

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

http://www.minagric.gr/greek/data/PROD_FASOLIA_VANILIES_FENEOU.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

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