ISSN 1977-091X

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 338

European flag  

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 58
13 October 2015


Notice No

Contents

page

 

II   Information

 

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

 

European Commission

2015/C 338/01

Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.7768 — Exor/PartnerRe) ( 1 )

1


 

IV   Notices

 

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

 

Council

2015/C 338/02

Council Decision of 8 October 2015 adopting the Council’s position on draft amending budget No 7 of the European Union for the financial year 2015

2

2015/C 338/03

The following information is brought to the attention of ABDOLLAHI Hamed (a.k.a Mustafa Abdullahi), AL-NASSER Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed, AL YACOUB Ibrahim Salih Mohammed, ARBABSIAR Manssor (a.k.a. Mansour Arbabsiar), IZZ-AL-DIN Hasan (a.k.a GARBAYA, Ahmed, a.k.a. SA-ID, a.k.a. SALWWAN, Samir), MOHAMMED Khalid Shaikh (a.k.a. ALI, Salem, a.k.a. BIN KHALID, Fahd Bin Adballah, a.k.a. HENIN, Ashraf Refaat Nabith, a.k.a. WADOOD, Khalid Adbul), SHAHLAI Abdul Reza (a.k.a Abdol Reza Shala'i, a.k.a. Abd-al Reza Shalai, a.k.a. Abdorreza Shahlai, a.k.a. Abdolreza Shahla'i, a.k.a. Abdul-Reza Shahlaee, a.k.a. Hajj Yusef, a.k.a. Haji Yusif, a.k.a. Hajji Yasir, a.k.a. Hajji Yusif, a.k.a. Yusuf Abu-al-Karkh), SHAKURI Ali Gholam, SOLEIMANI Qasem (a.k.a Ghasem Soleymani, a.k.a Qasmi Sulayman, a.k.a Qasem Soleymani, a.k.a Qasem Solaimani, a.k.a Qasem Salimani, a.k.a Qasem Solemani, a.k.a Qasem Sulaimani, a.k.a Qasem Sulemani), Hizballah Military Wing (a.k.a. Hezbollah Military Wing, a.k.a. Hizbullah Military Wing, a.k.a. Hizbollah Military Wing, a.k.a. Hezballah Military Wing, a.k.a. Hisbollah Military Wing, a.k.a. Hizbu'llah Military Wing a.k.a. Hizb Allah Military Wing, including the Jihad Council (and all units reporting to it, including the External Security Organisation)), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Ejército De Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine' — PFLP, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — General Command' (a.k.a. PFLP — General Command), Fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de Colombia — FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), Sendero Luminoso — SL (Shining Path) included on the list provided for in Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism (see Annex to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1325)

3

 

European Commission

2015/C 338/04

Euro exchange rates

4


 

V   Announcements

 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

 

European Commission

2015/C 338/05

Call for proposals — EACEA/32/2015 — Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 3 — Support for Policy Reform — Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth

5

 

PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY

 

European Commission

2015/C 338/06

Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.7807 — Sun Capital/Finlays Horticulture) — Candidate case for simplified procedure

9

 

OTHER ACTS

 

European Commission

2015/C 338/07

Publication of an application 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

10


 


 

(1)   Text with EEA relevance

EN

 


II Information

INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

European Commission

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/1


Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.7768 — Exor/PartnerRe)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2015/C 338/01)

On 7 October 2015, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the internal market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). The full text of the decision is available only in the English language and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes,

in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32015M7768. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.


(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.


IV Notices

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

Council

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/2


COUNCIL DECISION

of 8 October 2015

adopting the Council’s position on draft amending budget No 7 of the European Union for the financial year 2015

(2015/C 338/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 314 thereof, in conjunction with the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 106a thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (1) and in particular Article 41 thereof,

Whereas:

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The Council’s position on draft amending budget No 7 of the European Union for the financial year 2015 was adopted on 8 October 2015.

The full text can be accessed for consultation or downloading on the Council’s website: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/

Done at Luxembourg, 8 October 2015.

For the Council

The President

J. ASSELBORN


(1)  OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 69, 13.3.2015, p. 1.


13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/3


The following information is brought to the attention of ABDOLLAHI Hamed (a.k.a Mustafa Abdullahi), AL-NASSER Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed, AL YACOUB Ibrahim Salih Mohammed, ARBABSIAR Manssor (a.k.a. Mansour Arbabsiar), IZZ-AL-DIN Hasan (a.k.a GARBAYA, Ahmed, a.k.a. SA-ID, a.k.a. SALWWAN, Samir), MOHAMMED Khalid Shaikh (a.k.a. ALI, Salem, a.k.a. BIN KHALID, Fahd Bin Adballah, a.k.a. HENIN, Ashraf Refaat Nabith, a.k.a. WADOOD, Khalid Adbul), SHAHLAI Abdul Reza (a.k.a Abdol Reza Shala'i, a.k.a. Abd-al Reza Shalai, a.k.a. Abdorreza Shahlai, a.k.a. Abdolreza Shahla'i, a.k.a. Abdul-Reza Shahlaee, a.k.a. Hajj Yusef, a.k.a. Haji Yusif, a.k.a. Hajji Yasir, a.k.a. Hajji Yusif, a.k.a. Yusuf Abu-al-Karkh), SHAKURI Ali Gholam, SOLEIMANI Qasem (a.k.a Ghasem Soleymani, a.k.a Qasmi Sulayman, a.k.a Qasem Soleymani, a.k.a Qasem Solaimani, a.k.a Qasem Salimani, a.k.a Qasem Solemani, a.k.a Qasem Sulaimani, a.k.a Qasem Sulemani), ‘Hizballah Military Wing’ (a.k.a. ‘Hezbollah Military Wing’, a.k.a. ‘Hizbullah Military Wing’, a.k.a. ‘Hizbollah Military Wing’, a.k.a. ‘Hezballah Military Wing’, a.k.a. ‘Hisbollah Military Wing’, a.k.a. ‘Hizbu'llah Military Wing’ a.k.a. ‘Hizb Allah Military Wing’, including the ‘Jihad Council’ (and all units reporting to it, including the External Security Organisation)), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), ‘Ejército De Liberación Nacional’ (‘National Liberation Army’), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine' — ‘PFLP’, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine — General Command' (a.k.a. ‘PFLP — General Command’), ‘Fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de Colombia’ — ‘FARC’ (‘Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’), ‘Sendero Luminoso’ — ‘SL’ (‘Shining Path’) included on the list provided for in Article 2(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism

(see Annex to Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1325)

(2015/C 338/03)

The following information is brought to the attention of persons, groups and entities listed in Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1325 (1).

Council Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 (2) provides for a freezing of all funds, other financial assets and economic resources belonging to the persons, groups and entities concerned and that no funds, other financial assets and economic resources may be made available to them, whether directly or indirectly.

The Council has been provided with new information relevant to the listing of the abovementioned persons, groups and entities. Having considered this new information, the Council has amended the statement of reasons accordingly.

The persons, groups and entities concerned may submit a request to obtain the updated Council's statement of reasons for maintaining them on the abovementioned list to the following address:

Council of the European Union

(Attn: CP 931 designations)

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175

1048 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

E-mail: sanctions@consilium.europa.eu

Such a request should be submitted by 19 October 2015.

The persons, groups and entities concerned may submit at any time a request to the Council, together with any supporting documentation, that the decision to include and maintain them on the list should be reconsidered, to the address provided above. Such requests will be considered when they are received. In this respect, the attention of the persons, groups and entities concerned is drawn to the regular review by the Council of the list according to Article 1(6) of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (3). In order for requests to be considered at the next review, it should be submitted by 27 October 2015.

The attention of the persons, groups and entities concerned is drawn to the possibility of making an application to the competent authorities of the relevant Member State(s) as listed in the Annex to the Regulation in order to obtain an authorisation to use frozen funds for essential needs or specific payments in accordance with Article 5(2) of that Regulation.


(1)  OJ L 206, 1.8.2015, p. 12.

(2)  OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 70.

(3)  OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 93.


European Commission

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/4


Euro exchange rates (1)

12 October 2015

(2015/C 338/04)

1 euro =


 

Currency

Exchange rate

USD

US dollar

1,1373

JPY

Japanese yen

136,61

DKK

Danish krone

7,4604

GBP

Pound sterling

0,74010

SEK

Swedish krona

9,3017

CHF

Swiss franc

1,0928

ISK

Iceland króna

 

NOK

Norwegian krone

9,1580

BGN

Bulgarian lev

1,9558

CZK

Czech koruna

27,108

HUF

Hungarian forint

310,86

PLN

Polish zloty

4,2246

RON

Romanian leu

4,4130

TRY

Turkish lira

3,3177

AUD

Australian dollar

1,5429

CAD

Canadian dollar

1,4702

HKD

Hong Kong dollar

8,8141

NZD

New Zealand dollar

1,6905

SGD

Singapore dollar

1,5897

KRW

South Korean won

1 298,28

ZAR

South African rand

15,0949

CNY

Chinese yuan renminbi

7,1917

HRK

Croatian kuna

7,6265

IDR

Indonesian rupiah

15 285,16

MYR

Malaysian ringgit

4,7170

PHP

Philippine peso

52,007

RUB

Russian rouble

69,4822

THB

Thai baht

40,204

BRL

Brazilian real

4,2818

MXN

Mexican peso

18,6802

INR

Indian rupee

73,6430


(1)  Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.


V Announcements

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

European Commission

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/5


CALL FOR PROPOSALS — EACEA/32/2015

Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 3 — Support for Policy Reform

Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth

(2015/C 338/05)

INTRODUCTION

Cooperation with civil society organisations in the fields of education, training and youth is essential to create a broad sense of ownership in relation to lifelong learning strategies and policies, and to take into consideration stakeholders' ideas and concerns at all levels. It is important for raising awareness about the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs, the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020), specific policy agendas such as the Bologna process in Higher Education or the Bruges-Copenhagen process in Vocational education and training (VET), as well as the EU Youth Strategy. It is vital for securing the active involvement of stakeholders in the implementation of policy reforms in the different countries, for promoting their participation in the Erasmus+ Programme and other European programmes and for disseminating policy and programme results and good practice through their extensive membership networks.

1.   Aims and objectives

The objective of the present Call is to provide structural support, referred to as operating grant, to European non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) and EU-wide networks active in the field of youth and pursuing the following general aims.

Raise stakeholder awareness of European policy agenda in the field of youth, in particular the EU Youth Strategy.

Increase stakeholder commitment and cooperation with public authorities for the implementation of policies and reforms in the field of youth, such as of the country-specific recommendations issued in the framework of the European Semester.

Boost stakeholder participation in the field of youth.

Boost stakeholder involvement in the dissemination of policy and Programme actions and results and of good practice among their membership and beyond.

These aims should be clearly embedded in the work plans, activities and deliverables of the applicant organisations.

Furthermore, the organisations active in the field of youth that will be supported under this Call are expected to carry out activities that aim to:

promote the employability of young people, notably through activities that foster the development of competences and skills through non-formal education,

foster the empowerment of young people in society, and foster their participation in the decision-making processes,

contribute to the personal, socio-educational and professional development of young people in Europe,

contribute to the development of youth work at European, national, regional or local levels,

contribute to the debate on/development of policy issues affecting young people and youth organisations at European, national, regional or local levels,

promote intercultural learning, the respect of diversity, and the values of solidarity, equal opportunities and human rights among young people in Europe,

promote the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities in society,

contribute to the implementation of the Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education adopted in Paris on 17 March 2015 for example by mainstreaming the promotion of civic education, intercultural dialogue and democratic citizenship in their work programmes.

2.   Eligibility

2.1.   Eligible applicants

This Call is open to two categories of bodies: European non-governmental organisations (ENGO) and EU-wide networks (informal network).

In the context of civil society cooperation in the field of youth, the following definitions apply:

Category 1

:

A European non-governmental organisation (ENGO) must:

operate through a formally recognised structure, composed of a) European body/secretariat (the applicant) legally established for at least 1 year in a Eligible Country on the date of submission of the application and b) national organisations/branches in at least 12 Eligible Countries having a statutory link with the European body/secretariat,

be active in the field of youth and run activities that support the implementation of the fields of action of the EU Youth Strategy,

involve young people in the management and governance of the organisation.

Category 2

:

An EU-wide network (informal network) must:

be composed of legally autonomous non-profit organisations active in the field of youth and running activities that support the implementation of the fields of action of the EU Youth Strategy,

operate through an informal governance setting, composed of a) an organisation legally established for at least 1 year on the date of submission of the application in a Eligible Country with functions of coordination of and support to the network at European level (the applicant); and b) other organisations established in at least 12 Eligible Countries,

involve young people in the management and governance of the network.

2.2.   Eligible countries

Applications from legal entities established in one of the following countries are eligible:

EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom,

the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries which form part of the European Economic Area (EEA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,

candidate countries for which a pre-accession strategy has been established, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions laid down in the framework agreements concluded with those countries with a view to their participation in EU Programmes: former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey.

3.   Activities

The applicant bodies must present a consistent work plan integrating non-profit making, youth-led activities which are suitable of pursuing the objectives of the Call.

Notably:

non-formal and informal learning and activity programmes targeted at young people and youth workers,

activities for the qualitative development of youth work,

activities for the development and promotion of recognition and transparency tools in the field of youth,

seminars, meetings, workshops, consultations, debates of young people on youth policies and/or European matters,

consultations of young people feeding into the Structured Dialogue in the field of youth,

activities for the promotion of young people's active participation in democratic life,

activities for the promotion of intercultural learning and understanding in Europe,

media and communication activities and tools on youth and European matters.

Neither Erasmus+ national agencies nor organisations having overwhelmingly Erasmus+ national agencies as members (2/3 or more) are eligible organisations under this Call.

4.   Funding arrangements

The present Call for proposals offers the opportunity to apply for Annual Operating Grants.

Annual Operating Grants focus on short term cooperation at European level. Applications must contain a detailed 12-month work programme (annual work programme) for 2016 together with the information needed to calculate the grant.

The total budget allocated in the year 2016 for the Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth is EUR 3 800 000 and it is divided as follows:

EUR 3 200 000 — reserved for beneficiaries who signed the Framework Partnership Agreements Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth in 2015 and therefore not available for this call,

EUR 600 000 — available for applicants submitting proposals for annual operating grant under the present Call.

The maximum annual operating grant will be EUR 35 000.

By way of indication:

bodies under category 1 (ENGOs) exclusively dedicated to youth will account for about 70 % of the budget available,

bodies under category 1 (ENGOs) having a broader scope but including a section dedicated to youth will account for about 10 % of the budget available,

bodies under category 2 (EU-wide networks) exclusively dedicated to youth will account for about 20 % of the budget available.

The Agency reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

5.   Award criteria

The quality of eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria (1):

relevance (maximum 30 points),

quality of the work plan's design and implementation (maximum 20 points),

profile, number of participants and countries involved in the activities (maximum 20 points),

impact, dissemination and sustainability (maximum 30 points).

To be considered for funding, proposals must score:

at least 60 points overall, and

at least half of the maximum points in each of the award criteria mentioned above (15 points for the criteria ‘Relevance’ and ‘Impact, dissemination and sustainability’, 10 points for the criteria ‘Quality of the work plan's design and implementation’ and ‘Profile, number of participants and countries involved in the activities’).

6.   Submission of applications

Applications must be submitted using an online grant application form (eForm). The eForm is available in English, French and German at the following Internet address: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/documents/eforms_en and must be duly completed in one of the official languages of the EU.

The eForm duly completed must be submitted online by 26 November 2015, 12.00 (midday, Brussels time) and include the relevant annex (2):

1.

Declaration on honour

Compulsory additional annexes (3) must be sent by email to the Agency by the same deadline.

7.   Additional information

Applications must comply with the provisions contained in the Applicants' Guidelines — Call for proposals EACEA/32/2015, available on the internet at the following address:

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus/funding/civil-society-cooperation-in-field-youth-eacea322015_en


(1)  For more details on the award criteria please refer to Section 9 of the Applicants' Guidelines.

(2)  Any other administrative document required in the Applicants' Guidelines must be sent by email to the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency by 26 November 2015 (midday, Brussels time) at the following email address: EACEA-YOUTH@ec.europa.eu

(3)  For more details on the annexes to submit please refer to Section 14 of the Applicants' Guidelines.


PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY

European Commission

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/9


Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7807 — Sun Capital/Finlays Horticulture)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(2015/C 338/06)

1.

On 5 October 2015, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which Sun Capital Partners VI, LP, ultimately controlled by Sun Capital Partners, Inc. (‘Sun Capital’, United States), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation sole control of Finlays Horticulture Investments Limited and Finlays Horticulture Holdings Limited (together ‘Finlays Horticulture’, United Kingdom) by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   for Sun Capital: private equity investment through leveraged buyouts, equity, debt, and other tools in a variety of industries worldwide,

—   for Finlays Horticulture: the growing, processing, marketing and distribution of sustainably produced cut flowers, premium and prepared vegetables and fresh herbs.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in this Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number M.7807 — Sun Capital/Finlays Horticulture to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË


(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.


OTHER ACTS

European Commission

13.10.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 338/10


Publication of an application 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

(2015/C 338/07)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘POLVORONES DE ESTEPA’

EU No: ES-PGI-0005-01218 – 24.03.2014

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Name

‘Polvorones de Estepa’

2.   Member State/Third Country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 2.3. Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionery, biscuits and other baker’s wares

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

The name ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ has traditionally been used to denote a type of Christmas confection, made in Estepa. ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ have been made using the same recipe for over a hundred years. They may be packaged either on their own or together with other typical Christmas confections.

‘Polvorones’ are baked dough pieces, obtained through mixing the following raw materials: wheat flour, lard, icing/powdered sugar, almonds, cinnamon and natural flavourings (lemon or vanilla), alternatively cloves may be used.

Depending on the almond content, the product may be classified as either:

Home-made

Almond/traditional

They are a toasted chestnut colour, fine-textured, soft and crunchy, firm on the outside and soft inside, with a slightly cracked surface and smooth on the palate. They are oblong in shape, with a covering of icing sugar on top, and are no more than 4 cm wide, 7 cm long and 2,5 cm high, weighing no more than 50 grams each.

Products bearing the name ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ must also meet the following physico-chemical parameters:

—   Moisture content: less than 7,5 %

—   pH: less than 6,5.

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

‘Polvorones de Estepa’ are made using the following raw materials in the proportions indicated: wheat flour (40-50 %), lard (20-25 %), icing/powdered sugar (22-27 %), cinnamon (0,1-1 %), natural flavourings (0,01-1 %), cloves (0-1 %) and almonds (≥ 8 % for the traditional/almond variety and ≥ 15 % for the home-made variety).

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

The production process begins with the selection of the raw materials.

After these have been suitably prepared, the mixture is kneaded and then cut into pieces for baking. The ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ are then cooled to lower their temperature to below 10 °C prior to packaging.

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

Packaging must take place in the geographical area in order to safeguard the quality of the product, preventing it from drying out, becoming rancid or breaking owing to its fragility, etc. The product is packaged individually just after being made, using one of the following methods:

mechanically on the flow-pack line, in heat-sealed paper, or

manually or mechanically, in tissue paper twisted on both sides.

Packaging must take place once the product has cooled, so as to preserve the physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics described in point 3.2, making it easier to handle and avoiding the possible condensation of water vapour inside the wrappers.

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

Both individual wrappers and boxes containing only protected products must bear labels that must include the words ‘Protected Geographical Indication’, the name ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ and the logo for the registered name, as indicated below.

‘Polvorones de Estepa’ included in assortments with products not covered by the PGI may be identified as such on their individual wrappers and may bear the PGI logo. Nevertheless, on the outside of the box, they may only be referred to in the contents of the box as ‘Polvorones de Estepa IGP’, and the PGI logo may not be used.

Image

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The municipality of Estepa, in the province of Seville.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ and the geographical area is based on the product’s reputation. That reputation is over a century old. In that time, the confections have been made to the same recipe. As a result, directly or indirectly, a great number of the population of Estepa is involved in their manufacture during the pre-Christmas period, September to December.

‘Polvorones de Estepa’ date back to the 16th century. Documents in the archives of the Convent of Santa Clara in Estepa show that confectioners were employed to meet the demand from Seville and Madrid, where they sent their products. The convent has records which refer to the preparation of ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ according to old recipes: they were made from a mixture of cereals and the excess lard left over from slaughter in December, which explains why this confection has always been eaten at Christmas time. They were produced in homes using moulds which gave them the shape in which they are still made.

Micaela Ruiz Téllez, known as La Colchona, invented the ‘polvorón’ as we know it today. She was born in Estepa in 1824 and died in 1901. She had the idea that would be the basis of the ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ as we know them today. Thanks to a method of baking that dried only the outside part, the confection remained soft on the inside without spoiling. She also perfected the process of refining and toasting the flour, making it smoother than in the original recipe.

We have evidence of the product being sold under the protected name dating back to the Third Feria del Campo in Madrid in 1959.

The following references to publications provide proof of the product’s reputation:

‘Polvorones de Estepa’ are included as traditional products in the INVENTARIO ESPAÑOL DE PRODUCTOS TRADICIONALES [Spanish Inventory of Traditional Products], a project funded by the European Union with the aim of showcasing Europe’s food and agricultural heritage, published in 1996. ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ are also catalogued in the volume CATALOGACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DE LOS PRODUCTOS TÍPICOS AGROALIMENTARIOS DE ANDALUCÍA [Cataloguing and Description of Typical Andalusian Agri-Food Products]

The GUÍA ALIMENTACIÓN MEDITERRÁNEA [Guide to Mediterranean Food], published by the Public Fishing and Farming Development Company of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Food, includes ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ among the food items belonging to the Mediterranean diet, declared intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010.

Some of the countless references in the press are given below.

The January 1987 edition of Gastronomía y Enología magazine discussed ‘Polvorones de Estepa’, their tradition and their link to Estepa, as well as their prestige and reputation.

On 20 December 1989, the newspaper El Correo de Andalucía referred to ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ and their link with Christmas.

On 30 September 1989, the magazine Alforja related the history of ‘Polvorones de Estepa’ and their century-old recipe.

The October 1991 edition of Financial Food magazine published an extensive review of the confectionery of Estepa, with references to ‘Polvorones de Estepa’.

The newspapers Diario de Córdoba and ABC, of 7 December 2007 and 26 December 2008 respectively, both include references to ‘Polvorones de Estepa’, and their consumption during the Christmas period, then being given as gifts to passengers on the AVE railway lines.

On 27 December 2013, the New York Times newspaper mentioned the ‘polvorón’ made in the city of Estepa, their recipe, history and tradition.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

The full text of the PGI specification is available at:

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_Polvorones_Estepa.pdf

or via the homepage of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development

(http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal), by following the navigation pathway: ‘Industrias Agroalimentarias’/‘Calidad y Promoción’/‘Denominaciones de Calidad’/‘Productos de panadería y repostería’; the specifications are located under the name of the Quality Designation.


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.