Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2022/C 433/23)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Cebolla de la Mancha’

EU No: PGI-ES-02631 – 7.9.2020

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of PGI

‘Cebolla de la Mancha’

2.   Member State or third country

Spain

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

Onions (bulbs of the species Allium cepa L.), of the ‘Recas’ type, to be sold fresh and whole.

The Protected Geographical Indication will apply only to onions with a dry matter content of between 5 % and 10 %, a unit weight between 165 and 1 000 grams, diameter ranging between 50 and 120 mm and a minimum sugar content of 3,5 oBrix (± 0,5 %).

The dry matter content of ‘Cebolla de La Mancha’ is what gives these onions their crunchy, fleshy texture, while the minimum sugar content is what gives them their mild, slightly pungent taste.

‘Cebolla de la Mancha’ onions are spherical in shape, with up to 10 % deformation in the polar and equatorial diameters being tolerable.

There must be at least two of the skins or tunicae that determine the outer colour of the ‘Cebolla de la Mancha’ and they must be copper or dark bronze in colour. The inner bulb must be white in colour.

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

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

‘Cebolla de La Mancha’ onions must be produced in the geographical area described in point 4.

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

Packaging plants must be equipped with systems allowing onions covered by the Protected Geographical Indication to be packaged separately from other onions.

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

As well as featuring the name under which the product is sold, onion package labels must include the logo of the ‘Cebolla de La Mancha’ brand with the words ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida’ [Protected Geographical Indication]. This logo must be made available to all operators that request it and are compliant with the specification. The labels may optionally include the conformity mark issued by the product certification entity.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the Protected Geographical Indication is produced corresponds to the municipalities belonging to the following districts: Almansa, Centro, Hellín, Mancha and Manchuela (province of Albacete); Campo de Calatrava, Campos de Montiel and Mancha (province of Ciudad Real); Mancha Alta, Mancha Baja and Manchuela (province of Cuenca) and La Mancha, La Sagra, Talavera (Talavera municipality only) and Torrijos (province of Toledo).

5.   Link with the geographical area

The application for ‘Cebolla de la Mancha’ to be registered as a PGI is based on the characteristics of the onions: of the ‘Recas’ type, spherical in shape, with 5 %-10 % dry matter content, at least two outer skins or tunicae that must be copper or dark bronze in colour, white on the inside, minimum sugar content of 3,5 oBrix, unit weight of between 165 and 1 000 grams, diameter between 50 and 120 mm. These characteristics are assured by the geographical area in which they are produced and by how the crops are managed.

5.1.    Specificity of the geographical area

a)   Relief

La Mancha receives run-off water from the surrounding hills and mountain ranges and this landscape configuration has led to the development of fertile, well-irrigated plains along the banks of its rivers. Together with underground water wells, this has allowed onion-growing to develop in quite specific soil and climate conditions, resulting in the distinctive organoleptic characteristics of crunchy, fleshy texture and mild, slightly pungent taste.

b)   Climate

Temperatures in Castile La Mancha are very extreme due to the continental effect. There are major differences (up to 18 to 20 degrees) between night-time and daytime temperatures.

Rainfall is very low, with an average of 392,83 mm/m2 per year in the defined area for the Protected Geographical Indication, with high sun exposure levels (2 777 hours of sunshine per year on average) and evapotranspiration in summer. In addition, relative humidity levels are low (annual average 64 %) and wind circulation is almost constant, with an average wind run of 216 km/day (rising to 344 km/day on average at the Albacete weather station).

c)   Soils

Soils are most frequently loam or sandy-loam in texture, very permeable and with a high mineral content. The B horizon is calcareous and the soils are stony, porous and easy to till. The soil has less than 20 % clay. Soil pH is alkaline, with values ranging between 7,5 and 8,5. Organic matter content tends to be low, around 1,5 %. The onions are grown on shallow plots in low-fertility arable soils about 35-40 cm deep. The amount of plant-available phosphorus in the soil is usually medium to insufficient but potassium, magnesium and calcium are readily available.

5.2.    Specificity of the product

‘Cebolla de la Mancha’ onions have the following characteristics:

Onions of the ‘Recas’ type.

Spherical in shape.

Dry matter ranging between 5 % and 10 %, which is what gives the onions their crunchy, fleshy texture.

At least two dry skins or tunicae which must be copper or dark bronze in colour.

White in colour on the inside.

Minimum sugar content of 3,5 oBrix, which is what gives the onions their mild, slightly pungent taste.

Unit weight ranging between 165 and 1 000 grams

Diameter ranging between 50 and 120 mm.

5.3.    Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a given quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The combination of the soil and climate conditions and the growing practices in the production area have led to the selection of the ‘Recas’ type of onion, which is perfectly adapted to this production area. It is in such high demand for its specific characteristics in terms of colour, size, texture and taste, that Castile-La Mancha is the most important producer region in Spain, accounting for over half the national onion harvest.

Apart from the genetic make-up of the ‘Recas’ varieties, the characteristic colour of the skin is directly linked to the number of hours of sunshine in the area, with an annual average of 2 777 hours of sunshine resulting in at least two outer layers or tunicae that are copper or dark bronze in colour.

The night-to-day temperature variation ranges between 18 and 20 degrees. Average night-time temperatures in the summer months are below 20 oC, meaning the onion plants consume less of their reserves during the nocturnal respiration process and net photosynthesis is higher. This leads to larger bulb sizes in the ‘Recas’ type onions grown in the area of influence for the PGI. Bulbs are medium to large, spherical in shape with a diameter ranging between 50 and 120 mm and a unit weight ranging between 165 and 1 000 grams.

The availability of potassium, magnesium and calcium in the soils in the production area accounts for the characteristically sweet taste of ‘Cebolla de la Mancha’ onions. Their minimum sugar content of 3,5 oBrix is what gives these onions their mild, slightly pungent taste.

Rainfall in the area is very low, between 300 and 400 mm/ year. The high levels of sunshine and evapotranspiration in summer, combined with the warm nights and low levels of relative humidity, result in dry matter content of between 5 % and 10 %, which is what gives these onions their crunchy, fleshy texture.

Growing practices typically aim for good neck closure in the onions as they near the end of the growing process (achieved when the number of hours of sunshine and the temperatures are still high, relative humidity is low, wind circulation is almost constant and evapotranspiration is high). Combined with the climate conditions in the area, low temperatures and low relative humidity during the months that the onions are in storage, this enables high quality throughout their long shelf life.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://pagina.jccm.es/agricul/paginas/comercial-industrial/consejos_new/pliegos/PC_IGP_CEBOLLA_DE_LA_MANCHA-20191202.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.