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

(2007/C 243/05)

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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CHAMOMILLA BOHEMICA’

EC No: CZ/PDO/005/0411/28.10.2004

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

3.   Type of product:

Class 1.8: Other Annex I products

4.   Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1.   Name: ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’

The designation ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ is the traditional name for the flowerhead of true camomile from the area of Bohemia.

4.2.   Description: The dried flowerhead of true camomile (flos Chamomilla vulgaris) — Matricariae flos, Matricaria recutita (L.) Rauschert, Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert.

‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ is distinguished by its essential oil content of up to 1 %; the main active constituent of this is chamazulene, which occurs in the drug in average amounts of 0,06-0,07 %. In view of these characteristics ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ is superior to drugs from other geographical areas and also exceeds the quality requirements laid down for flowerheads of true camomile by the 1997 Czech Pharmacopoeia and the 2002 Czech Pharmacopoeia. According to the 2004 Supplement to the 2002 Czech Pharmacopoeia, it should contain ‘at least 4 ml of blue-coloured essential oil per kilogram of dried drug and at least 0,25 % of total apigenin 7-glucoside, calculated with reference to the dried drug. The main constituents of the essential oil are sesquiterpenes (about 50 % of the essential oil, (-)-α-bisabolol, bisabolol oxide A and B, and (-)-bisabolon oxide A). Another constituent of the essential oil is chamazulene (the minimum content is 0,035 %). In addition to essential oil, the drug contains coumarins (umbelliferone, herniarin), flavonoids (apigenin 7-glucoside and derivatives thereof, luteolin, quercetin, isorhamnetin) in amounts of at least 0,01 % and azulenes in amounts of at least 0,02 %. Flavonoids have spasmolytic effects and occur in amounts of 0,015 %. Spiroethers have bacteriostatic and fungicidal effects and account for 0,03 %’. ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ must not show traces of an essential oil which produces a brown colour during thin layer chromatography testing and must have an average chamazulene content of 0,06-0,07 %. It is marketed in the form of tea in bags and loose tea in 50 g packs or, for wholesale purposes, in 14 kg packs.

4.3.   Geographical area: Bohemia, namely the entire Prague, Central Bohemian, South Bohemian, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, Hrádec Králové and Pardubice Regions and, in the Vysočina Region, the districts of Havlíčkův Brod, Jihlava and Pelhřimov, in accordance with Constitutional Act No 347/1997 Coll. on establishing higher territorial self-governing units and amending Constitutional Act of the Czech National Council No 1/1993 Coll., the Constitution of the Czech Republic, as amended.

The areas for growing ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ in Bohemia are defined by the following soil and climatic conditions: loamy-sandy soil (according to the classification of chernozems, brown earths and illimerised soils), pH factor 7,3-8,1. Climatic conditions — average annual rainfall of 500-700 mm/m2, altitude of 230-480 m.

4.4.   Proof of origin: Processors keep a register of suppliers, who are subjected to checks at each stage of the camomile flowerhead production process: sowing, growing, harvesting, drying, storing and processing. Registers are also kept of purchasers of the finished product.

Compliance with the specification is checked by the local inspectorate of the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority.

4.5   Method of production: Camomile is an extremely adaptable crop, but contains substances which react strongly to environmental conditions through the influence of specific factors, including the following:

Preparation for sowing — camomile is not demanding in terms of precursor crops, requiring only medium ploughing, harrowing to level the ground and weed-free soil.

Sowing — precision sowing machinery is used and the area is subsequently rolled; the rate of sowing is 20 g per are.

Growing season — during the growing season, compound artificial fertilisers (e.g. NPK or Cererit) are applied.

Harvesting and post-harvest treatment — as soon as the flowers have bloomed, they are harvested by hand or by means of special self-propelled machinery marketed under the brand names Neset and Unag; they are dried at a recommended temperature of 40 °C and subsequently treated on post-harvest lines comprising a system of sorting and cleaning equipment.

In this connection, it is necessary to adhere to the specified growing area in order to guarantee the specific properties of the raw materials, as referred to in Section 4.2.

Storage and packaging — the camomile produced is stored in dry, dark warehouses with good ventilation, and is packaged in paper bags of a standard weight and labelled; these operations, including the final consumer packaging, need not be carried out in the defined area, but must comply with the standards and rules in force.

4.6.   Link: Camomile of an exceptional quality was already being grown before the 1950s in the Czech lands but it was mainly during that decade, on account of a sharp increase in foreign demand, that it became necessary to distinguish this crop from other camomile produce and the name ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ became accepted usage. The name has come to be the symbol for the production of this camomile, with its typical properties (see Section 4.2), which are guaranteed by the specific natural conditions. Its uniqueness derives from a combination of factors in the growing areas, such as the climate, soil and methods of harvesting (average rainfall of 500-700 mm/m2, soil pH of 7,3-8,1 and loamy-sandy soil type). The quality of the yield is influenced mainly by the appropriate soil type selected and the amount of rainfall. In addition, the altitude and hours of sunshine are factors which substantially influence the essential oil and chamazulene content. On account of its quality, ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ has been successful at a number of fairs and exhibitions, such as SALIMA and Země živitelka, where it was awarded the title ‘Kvalitní výrobek’ (quality product). With a view to harvesting the camomile in a more gentle manner, special machinery marketed under the brand names Neset and Unag has been developed.

In the Czech Republic, the designation of origin ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ has been registered under No 84 since 21 January 1975 and it is also protected under a bilateral agreement with Portugal.

4.7.   Inspection body:

and the other local inspectorates responsible in the different production and processing areas.

4.8.   Labelling: The designation ‘Chamomilla Bohemica’ must be clearly indicated on the front of the packaging (in capital letters).

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.