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 255/21)

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.

APPLICATION FOR AN AMENDMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for an amendment pursuant to Articles 9 and 17(2)

‘CARNALENTEJANA’

EC No: PT/PDO/117/0209/08.04.2002

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

Amendment(s) requested

Specification heading:

Amendment(s):

1.   Description of product

The Producer Group has, with a view to bringing the product into conformity with the existing national legislation, in particular the amendments to the grading scale for carcasses of light bovine animals (Portaria (Order in Council) No 363/2001 of 9 April 2001), submitted a duly substantiated request for an amendment to this section.

Moreover, in the light of recent market trends and with a view to bringing the product more into line with consumer behaviour and preferences, the Group has decided to diversify the commercial presentation of the product. Thus CARNALENTEJANA will henceforth be marketed as minced, moulded or rolled meat pieces, cubes, strips, etc., packaged in cuvettes or other appropriate materials, in a controlled atmosphere, in vacuum or blastfrozen, with CARNALENTEJANA representing, as a rule, at least 95 % by weight of the final product. As the entire production process takes place in the region of origin, complete traceability is ensured, along with strict control of the use of the protected designation of origin, the utilisation of a genuine form of presentation and the maintenance of the traditional quality of the product, i.e. without misleading or disappointing consumers. For all these reasons, the Group has submitted to the Portuguese authorities a duly substantiated request for changes in the presentation of the product.

2.   Geographical area

Producers in some municipalities adjoining the geographical production area of ‘Carnalentejana’ applied to the Producer Group in charge of the designation of origin for an extension of the area, on the ground that they met all the conditions required for the production of the product, in particular as regards feed, husbandry techniques, stock density and farming system and the breed and traditionality associated with it. This request was investigated by the Producer Group and documented by a survey/study which was presented to and endorsed by the Portuguese authorities.

The definition of the geographical production area was exclusively based on an administrative criterion when the dossier was first drawn up, and it is now recognised that consideration was not given to certain adjoining areas which, since they feature the same conditions with regard to soil and climate, husbandry techniques, stocking density, predominant vegetation, breed and farming system and practices, produce a product with physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics that are identical to those of ‘Carnalentejana’. As a result, producers in those areas are suffering considerable economic losses, since they cannot market their products under the same designation as their neighbours.

3.   Method of production

The amendments applied for concern the possibility of presenting the meat products, suitably packaged, in a controlled atmosphere, in vacuum or blastfrozen. In order to guarantee the product's authenticity and quality, satisfy consumer protection requirements, facilitate monitoring and allow complete traceability of both the product and the process, all the meat cutting, processing and packaging operations must take place within the specified geographical area, together with the birth, rearing, fattening and slaughtering of the animals and the cutting of the carcasses. However, some of the processing/packaging operations may take place outside the geographical area so long as there exists no local processing structure able to meet the Group's requirements in terms of food hygiene and safety and control of operations. In such cases, the inspection system is intensified, traceability ensured and a maximum range of 500 km established for the transportation of the meat so as to avoid quality deterioration and facilitate checks.

4.   Labelling

The Producer Group has requested amendments to this section in order to conform to the new national and Community legislation in force. Irrespective of the commercial presentation and without prejudice to compliance with labelling requirements laid down in the general legislation, it is mandatory to use the term ‘CARNALENTEJANA — PDO’, the certification mark, the CARNALENTEJANA logo and the Community logo. Where the product is used as an ingredient in processed products, only the words ‘Elaborado a partir de CARNALENTEJANA — DOP’ (‘Made from CARNALENTEJANA — PDO’) may be used on the labelling, subject to certain licensing and monitoring requirements being complied with, and the use of the words ‘CARNALENTEJANA — PDO’, the Community logo or any other misleading term or indication liable to damage the PDO's reputation is expressly prohibited.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CARNALENTEJANA’

EC No: PT/PDO/117/0209/08.04.2002

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 1.1: Fresh meat (and offal)

4.   Specification:

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

4.1.   Name: ‘Carnalentejana’

4.2.   Description: Half-carcasses, quarter-carcasses, vacuum wrapped meat or meat wrapped in a controlled atmosphere, as well as preparations thereof, either chilled or frozen, from animals recorded in the Livro de Nascimentos da Raça Bovina Alentejana (Register of Births of Animals of the Alentejana Cattle Breed) and having the following characteristics:

In addition to the traditional forms — carcasses, complete pieces and sliced pieces —, CARNALENTEJANA can be marketed as minced, moulded or rolled meat pieces, cubes, strips, etc., packaged in cuvettes or other appropriate materials, in a controlled atmosphere, in vacuum or blastfrozen, with CARNALENTEJANA representing, as a rule, at least 95 % by weight of the final product. For preparations in which CARNALENTEJANA is used as an ingredient, it must be the only element in the ‘meat’ product group and must represent at least 60 % by weight of the final product.

4.3.   Geographical area: Taking into account: the geographical distribution of the montado (ecosystem featuring cork and holm oak trees) and the Alentejana cattle breed, the location of the agricultural holdings, that are consequently able to implement the required rearing and husbandry regime, the know-how associated with the rearing and husbandry of the animals, the rules governing the slaughter, cutting and production of carcasses, half-carcasses, pieces and processed products of bovine meat generally, the general requirements governing the inspection and traceability of bovine meat, the specific inspection and traceability requirements adopted by the producers of CARNALENTEJANA on their own initiative, the need not to defraud traditional consumers of CARNALENTEJANA, the overriding need to demonstrate the geographical and animal origin of each piece or package, and the need to offer consumers an authentic and reliable product, the geographical area of birth, rearing, fattening and slaughtering of animals, cutting of carcasses, half-carcasses and quarter-carcasses, cutting and slicing into bigger or smaller pieces, including fine-cutting, transforming certain pieces into minced and processed products and packaging of pieces, sliced products and processed products — is naturally limited to the following:

the municipalities belonging to the Distritos of Beja, Évora and Portalegre,

the municipalities of Alcácer do Sal, Alcochete, Grândola, Montijo, Moita, Palmela, Setúbal, Santiago do Cacém and Sines in the Distrito of Setúbal,

the municipalities of Abrantes, Almeirim, Alpiarça, Benavente, Chamusca, Constância, Coruche, Golegã, Mação, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém, Sardoal and Vila Nova da Barquinha in the Distrito of Santarém,

the municipalities of Castelo Branco, Idanha-a-Nova, Proença-a-Nova and Vila Velha de Ródão in the Distrito of Castelo Branco.

4.4.   Proof of origin: The origin of the Alentejana cattle breed is established by custom. Work has been going on for over 40 years in the field of breed selection and improvement. There exist a studbook and a breeders' association.

The meat must come from animals of the Alentejana breed recorded in the breed's Register of Births, born, reared and fattened in holdings within the defined geographical area and having the required characteristics registered by the Group. The entire production line, including slaughtering, cutting, processing and packaging, must be carried out under the control of the competent entity. Monitoring covers all stages in the production line, notably since the birth of the animals and their entry in the Register, including feed and husbandry, through to the slaughtering, cutting, processing and packaging stages. A complete traceability system has been implemented, allowing to establish at any time the link between the product and the animal at the product's origin, by means of a numbered certification mark.

4.5.   Method of production: From animals of the Alentejana cattle breed recorded in the Register of Births, of parents inscribed in the studbook, reared extensively, with stocking densities lower than 1,4 animals per hectare, according to local traditional practices. Calves are milked by their mothers until they are 6-9 months of age, whereupon their feed is gradually supplemented by grazing and concentrated feedingstuffs authorised by the Group. Age brackets for slaughtering are defined and typified, as well as rules for feed and husbandry. CARNALENTEJANA can be marketed under the various forms stipulated in the specifications: carcasses, complete pieces and sliced pieces, simple processed products or preparations, with or without vegetables, adequately packaged, in a controlled atmosphere, in vacuum or blastfrozen. In order to guarantee the product's authenticity and quality, ensure the protection of consumer interests, enable monitoring and allow complete traceability of the product and the process, all the meat cutting, processing and packaging operations must take place within the specified geographical area, together with the birth, rearing, fattening and slaughtering of the animals and the cutting of the carcasses. However, some of the processing/packaging operations may take place outside the geographical area so long as there exists no local processing structure able to meet the Group's requirements in terms of food hygiene and safety and control of operations. In these circumstances, the inspection system is intensified, traceability is ensured and a maximum range of 500 km is established for the transportation of the meat so as to avoid quality deterioration and enable control.

4.6.   Link: The Alentejana cattle breed is reared on livestock farms in the Alentejo and neighbouring regions of Portugal with markedly Mediterranean agricultural and climatic conditions, hot dry summers and typically Mediterranean spontaneous pastures that give the meat special organoleptic characteristics. Production units normally consist of herds of a few tens of breeding cows, reared extensively in holdings where livestock production is normally symbiotic with cereals production. The complementarity of both productions has been a constant over time. The use of cereal straw and stubble for cattle feeding in Alentejo is normal and essential for the keeping of the herds as soon as natural pastures begin to be scarce, that is, during the period from early summer through winter. Grazing takes place normally in the subcoberto (herb layer) of the montados de azinho e sobro (holm and cork oak groves), where from the autumn onwards acorns provide a food reserve and an excellent supplement to grass, the nutritional value of the latter still being low at that time of the year.

4.7.   Inspection body:

CERTIALENTEJO — Certificação de Produtos Agrícolas, Lda has been recognised as meeting the requirements of 45011:2001.

4.8.   Labelling: Along with particulars imposed by general legislation, the following are also mandatory:

the term ‘CARNALENTEJANA — Denominação de Origem Protegida’,

the certification mark bearing the name of the product, the name of the monitoring and certification body and a serial number allowing product traceability,

the CARNALENTEJANA and the Community PDO logos, as reproduced below:

Under no circumstances may the name or company name and address of the producer be replaced by the name of any other organisation, even if it takes responsibility for the product, or packages or sells it.

The marketing name — Carnalentejana DOP — may not be supplemented by any other reference or mention, not even by the trademarks of distributors or others.

Foodstuffs containing CARNALENTEJANA may be marketed in packages bearing the reference ‘Elaborado a partir de CARNALENTEJANA — DOP’ (‘Made from CARNALENTEJANA — PDO’), provided:

Carnalentejana (certified as such) is the sole component of the product group ‘meat’ in the final product, and

Carnalentejana (certified as such) is the main component by weight in the final product, and

users of the product bearing this protected designation are authorised by the managing Producer Group.

The Group is also responsible for entering these users in specific records, which, once authorisation has been granted, must be inspected by the certification and control body regarding the correct use of the protected designation on the labelling and the quantities used. In such cases the use of the Community logo or any other logos or indications liable to damage the PDO's reputation is prohibited.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

(2)  Carcasses of young bulls, heifers, bulls and cows classified as P are permitted if intended for cutting.