Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the sector of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014

(2023/C 141/10)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 6b(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

Communicating the approval of a standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication originating in a Member State

‘Barèges-Gavarnie’

EU No: PDO-FR-0306-AM01 - 2.2.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name of product

‘Barèges-Gavarnie’

2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

France

3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

1.   Definition of the geographical area

Description

The section on the description of vegetation and climate has been deleted. The provision recalling that the boundaries of the mountain pasture have been approved by the national committee has also been deleted. The date of the Official Geographic Code (COG) to which the definition of the municipalities referred to in the product specification relates has been added.

The amendment affects the single document

2.   Evidence that the product originates in the geographical area

Description

—	Sub-section ‘Identification of PDO meat’ The provision has been amended to remove the requirement for systematic organoleptic testing in favour of random checks. The amendment affects the single document.

3.   Method of production

Description

—

Sub-section ‘Flock management’ A rewording of the provision governing the replacement of ewe lambs is proposed: the term ‘replacement’ has been deleted and the notion of ‘average’ in proportion has been clarified. The calculation is not made in relation to the total number of breeding ewes (previously including all females over one year old) but in relation to the total number of breeding ewes over the last two marketing years. In order to be consistent with the other parts of the product specification, the following provision in the ‘Breed’ section has been deleted: ‘A ewe is a female sheep over one year old’. This amendment has no effect on the single document. The number of castrated males has decreased from 20 % to 10 %. The date ‘not later than 31 December 2012’ is replaced by ‘before ascent to the mountain pasture’. The time frame for reaching this percentage has been deleted. This amendment has no effect on the single document.

—

Sub-section ‘Nutrition’ A rewording of the paragraph concerning the derogation granted to mixed farms is proposed: the term ‘bovine animals’ has been replaced by ‘non-ovine animals’ and subsequently ‘other species’. In addition, the annual derogation which could be granted by the INAO at the request of the producer concerned has been replaced by ‘subject to declaring this production to the group’. This amendment has no effect on the single document. The quantity of cereal-based or kibbled feed is increased from 100 grams to 300 grams, or from 18 kg/head to 54 kg/head. This ration is no longer reserved for ewes and castrated males but applies to all animals over 160 days old. A list of restricted raw materials has been included in order to regulate feed, and, as with the cereals which were only authorised to date, it is specified that this feed cannot derive from genetically modified products. This amendment has no effect on the single document. For the second category of animals, namely those still considered lambs, the age bracket is increased from four months to 160 days (five and a half months). The amount of feed given to those animals, which was previously set at 150 g of oats, barley or maize per day for a maximum of 90 days, is replaced by a list of authorised raw materials, minerals and additives. It is specified that urea and its derivatives are prohibited. The single document has been amended.

4.   Link

Description

The ‘Link with the geographical area’ section has been rewritten in order to make it more concise (shorter history, redrafting of certain parts to ensure greater consistency) and to make the link between the ‘Barèges-Gavarnie’ PDO and the geographical area clearer, without changing the substance of the link.

The sub-section ‘Specific characteristics of the product’ has been supplemented with information describing the meat. Historical parts concerning sales prices have been removed.

The amendment affects the single document.

5.   Labelling

Description

The following changes have been made:

—	the European symbol and the label ‘Appellation d’Origine Protégée’ or ‘AOP’ replaces ‘Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’,

—	The information on the marking of carcasses has been moved to the ‘Evidence that the product originates in the geographical area’ section.

The amendment affects the single document.

6.   Responsible department in the Member State:

Description

The contact details of the National Institute for Quality and Origin (INAO), which is the competent authority of the Member State, have been added in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

The amendment affects the single document.

7.   Inspection body

Description

The name and contact details of the certification body have been deleted in accordance with national guidelines aimed at harmonising how product specifications are drafted.

This section now provides the contact details of the authorities responsible for national inspections are now provided, 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.

The amendment affects the single document

8.   National requirements

Description

In view of the changes to the specification, this section has been updated.

The amendment affects the single document.

9.   Summary

Description

Withdrawal

The amendment does not affect the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Barèges-Gavarnie’

EU No: PDO-FR-0306-AM01 - 2.2.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name

‘Barèges-Gavarnie’

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)

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

‘Barèges-Gavarnie’ is adult sheepmeat of the Barégeoise breed obtained from:

—	ewes aged between 2 and 6 years which have spent at least two summers in the mountain pasture and have lambed no more than five times. Ewes must not be slaughtered less than six months after lambing, except for ewes whose lamb died at birth;

—	castrated males known as ‘doublons’ aged over 18 months which have spent at least two summers in the mountain pasture. During their second period in the mountain pasture, they cannot be slaughtered before 1 July.

The ewe carcass weighs a minimum of 22 kg, while the ‘doublon’ carcass weighs a minimum of 23 kg. The carcass is longilineal, the legs are elongated and flat, the saddle is broad at its base. The waxy fat cover is predominantly white. Only carcasses with:

—	a conformation corresponding to classes R and O of the EUROP grid;

—	a fat level corresponding to classes 2, 3 and 4 of the EUROP grid are retained.

The meat can be sold as a whole carcass or as fresh primal cuts. The meat is of a pronounced and consistent bright red colour. It is marbled, but without excessive fat. It does not have a strong smell of sheepmeat or wool grease.

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

Nutrition consists chiefly in open air grazing of hay meadows, shared vacant low pastures and mountain pastures.

When weather conditions in the winter period (November to March) do not allow the animals to graze, nutrition consists chiefly of hay and second-growth hay dried and harvested within the production area.

To complement the dried fodder and only during the winter period, a maximum quantity of 300 g per day of whole or kibbled grain cereals are authorised for animals over 160 days old for a maximum of 180 days, i.e. not more than 54 kg per head per calendar year. For this supplementary feed, only the following raw materials and additives are authorised:

—	Cereal grains and products derived therefrom: barley, maize, wheat, triticale, oats

—	Oil seeds, oil fruits, and products derived therefrom: soyabeans, sunflower, rapeseed, linseed

—	Legume seeds and products derived therefrom: peas, lupin, field beans

—	Tubers, roots and products derived therefrom: beet. Molasses must not account for more than 5 % of the weight of the food.

—	Forages and roughage, and products derived therefrom: Lucerne

—	Minerals and products derived therefrom: except bone meal and bone ash

—	By-products from the fermentation of micro-organisms: Yeasts and parts thereof (brewers’ yeast), vinasse [CMS (condensed molasses solubles)]

—	Other: Starch

—	Nutritional additives: vitamins, compounds of trace elements. Urea and its derivatives are prohibited

—	Technological additives: antioxidants, binders, and anti-caking agents

—	Sensory additives: flavouring compounds

—	Zootechnical additives: digestibility enhancing agents and gut flora stabilisers

Only non-genetically modified plants, products derived therefrom and feed are authorised for sheep on holdings.

Giving supplementary complete feed to animals over 160 days old intended for the production of ‘Barèges-Gavarnie’ protected designation of origin meat is prohibited.

Animals less than 160 days old may receive supplementary feed.

The following raw materials and additives are authorised for use in the formulation of this feed:

—	Cereal grains and products derived therefrom,

—	Oil seeds, oil fruits and products derived therefrom, with the exception of products derived from palm and palm kernels, which are excluded for animal feed,

—	Legume seeds and products derived therefrom,

—	Tubers, roots and products derived therefrom,

—	Other seeds and fruits, and products derived therefrom,

—	Forages and roughage, and products derived therefrom: dehydrated fodder

—	Other plants, algae and products derived therefrom: (Sugar) cane molasses (Sugar) cane molasses, partially desugared (Cane) sugar [sucrose] Cane bagasse

—	Minerals and products derived therefrom: except bone meal and bone ash

—	(By-)products from the fermentation of micro-organisms: Methylophilus methylotrophus protein; Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) protein; Yeasts and parts thereof; Vinasse; By-products from the production of L-glutamic acid; By-products from the production of L-lysine monohydrochloride

—	Other: Starch; Pre-gelatinised starch Mono-, di- and triglycerides of fatty acids

—	Prohibited additive: Urea and its derivatives

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

The sheep are born, reared and slaughtered in the geographical area of the ‘Barèges-Gavarnie’ PDO.

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

—

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

The carcass and the resulting cuts are accompanied by a label stating at least the following:

—	the European logo and the words ‘Appellation d’Origine Protégée’ [‘Protected Designation of Origin’] or ‘A.O.P.’ [‘PDO’],

—	the name of the designation: ‘Barèges-Gavarnie’,

—	the word ‘doublon’, when the meat comes from castrated males which meet the requirements of this specification,

—	the animal’s specific identification number,

—	the date of slaughter,

—	the name of the farm written clearly,

—	the name and address of the cutting plant or slaughterhouse,

—	the words ‘la carcasse ne peut être découpée avant une durée de 5 jours à compter de la date d'abattage’ [‘the carcass may not be cut for 5 days after slaughter’].

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covers the following municipalities in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées:

Barège, Betpouey, Chèze, Esquièze-Sère, Esterre, Gavarnie-Gèdre, Grust, Luz-St-Sauveur, Saligos Vizos, Sassis, Sazos, Sers, Viella, Viey, Viscos and part of the municipality of Cauterets. For this municipality, reference is made to the cadastral maps lodged with the municipal authorities.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The ‘Barèges-Gavarnie’ designation’s link with the area is based on its reputation and the marbled quality of its meat, which has a pronounced and consistent bright red colour, and does not have a strong smell of sheepmeat or wool grease, thanks to a diet based on grazing, in particular mountain flora, and as a result of the know-how of sheep breeders in this valley of the Pyrenees.

The use of the Barégeoise breed, which is particularly suited to this environment, in particular because of its suitability for transhumance, gives adult sheepmeat (ewes and castrated males known as doublons) a longilineal carcass with low conformation, elongated, flat legs, a saddle broad at its base, and a predominantly white waxy fat cover.

Located entirely in high and mid-range mountain areas, the area of production consists of the high catchment area of the Gave de Gavarnie.

This central region of the Pyrenees is characterised by climatic conditions specific to an oceanic climate sheltered from continental influence and marked by high levels of light and relative dryness due to strong winds (fœhn and venturi effects); The altitude and orientation of the valleys has a significant effect on the climate, leading to differences in vegetation, such as the growing season and the flora specific to each zone and each slope.

The foothill, montane, subalpine and alpine zones can be distinguished as follows:

—	The foothill zone, located in the valley floor, is characterised by high, even rainfall.

—	The montane zone between 1 000 and 1 800 metres above sea level has high humidity and frequent snow in winter, with early snowmelt in spring. This zone is anthropogenic in so far as humans have deforested it to create pasture areas.

—

The subalpine zone corresponds to the large areas of moor and grasslands used as mountain pasture, which extend from approximately 1 800 to 2 500 metres. This zone of the Pyrenees is largest in the geographical area of Barèges-Gavarnie. The zone is marked by reduced cloud cover. The growing season is shortened by snow cover.

—	The alpine zone begins at 2 400 metres altitude. The conditions there are very harsh for vegetation, which is therefore highly adaptive (low plants, etc.).

Animal husbandry is the real source of wealth in this valley and is at the very origin of human settlement and continued existence within the heart of the Barégeois territory.

The geographical area of the designation of origin, which comprises only a few municipalities, is highly enclosed.

Until the 20th century, this valley was very isolated, especially in winter, and the inhabitants had to organise themselves to live in conditions of virtual self-sufficiency.

In addition to its agricultural function, the flock has a social, economic and environmental function. The herd allows Pyrenean relations to be maintained through trade (the sale of livestock was one of the main sources of wealth) and transhumance, either towards the lowland or towards the Aragonese valleys (Spain).

To better protect and manage common pastures, woods and water, the population formed a valley community. Barégeois mountain dwellers set up a system for the collective use of the surrounding area and made optimal use of it in particular through sheep farming, which also made it possible to enrich the cultivated land.

Since then, communal property has never been divided, and collective space management has continued in another form, the Barège Valley Trade Union Committee, which was set up in 1873 to manage collective land and tackle the problem of over-exploitation of the environment.

Currently almost 95 % of the territory is commonly owned. This system leaves little room for individual ownership but gives farmers in this valley the benefit of using land in any village free of charge.

As communication channels and therefore the opportunities for trade with the lowland and foothills improved, food crops fell sharply in the 20th century. By 1970, they had completely disappeared. In their place, meadows developed in conjunction with sheep farming, which allowed optimal use of neighbouring mountains. Since then, the number of breeding ewes has been steadily increasing.

The carcass is longilineal, the legs are elongated and flat, the saddle is broad at its base. The waxy fat cover is predominantly white.

The meat is of a pronounced and consistent bright red colour. It is marbled, but without excessive fat. It does not have a strong smell of sheepmeat or wool grease.

The structure of this system is mainly based on the following elements:

—	Owing to the relief, the environment is characterised by particular climate conditions.

—

An environment situated in the heart of a region with a very rich flora and a particularly high percentage of native plants, reaching 24 % in the alpine zone and 34 % in the subalpine zone. Ecological factors lead to a vertical stratification of vegetation that is clearly visible in the landscape. Centuries of sheep farming have shaped the current landscape from the foothills to the alpine zone by maintaining open grassland spaces.

—

A local sheep breed, the Barégeoise, which is adapted to the grazing and living conditions in the different zones of the mountainous area as a result of its shape, metabolism and behaviour. It was chosen especially for its suitability for transhumance to mountain pastures and for its out-of-season breeding (lambing mainly in the autumn in the ‘barn’ area, where there is grass). It makes it possible to meet the production objectives of adult sheepmeat (ewes and castrated males known as doublons) with special characteristics.

—	The ancient sheep farming practices are closely related to environmental conditions and are implemented collectively. They allow grazing animals to make optimal use of the different altitude levels.

The flock's pursuit of independent feeding over the course of the seasons guides these practices.

During the winter period, the flock is kept at the lowest point of the holding in sheepfolds. During this period, the animals go out once a day to graze on the nearby meadows, unless there is significant snow. In spring, the animals are taken to the intermediate zone known as the ‘barn’ area, which frees up the valley meadows as soon as possible.

The intermediate zone is used in a specific way: the animals graze there in spring and autumn; in summer, when the animals are in the mountain pasture, this area is mown to produce dry fodder. The wintering period is thus kept to a strict minimum. The traditional buildings in the intermediate zone, known as ‘barns’, are used to store hay harvested in that zone and to temporarily shelter the flock if it snows. They make it possible to adapt to the sudden climatic variations that characterise the climate of the Pyrenees during the shoulder season.

Depending on the grass growth, the flock leaves the barn area around May to go to the mountain pastures. The mountain pasture area accounts for 60 % of the geographical area’s total area.

Since the mid-19th century, the animals graze freely day and night in the mountain pasture. This freedom allows the animals to choose their own grazing areas on the basis of flora and visible growth. In addition to their daily routine, the animals determine their feeding and resting times according to their biological rhythm. During the hot periods of June/July/August, the animals stop grazing between late morning and mid-afternoon. The flock is said to be ‘acalura’, meaning that the animals combat the heat by remaining still in the shade of the rocks. They then supplement their diet with night-time grazing during the cooler hours before dawn. It is in the mountain pastures that the animals become sufficiently fattened.

It is thanks to this use of pastoral areas that the animals develop, thus providing meat with specific characteristics:

—	A pronounced and consistent bright red colour.

—	Marbling without excessive fat.

—	No strong smell of sheepmeat or wool grease.

Its qualities are indisputable, recognised and appreciated.

Reference to the publication of the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-dbd75c68-b1f3-42db-93eb-5a36cedbf367

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(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.