19.7.2016

Official Journal of the European Union

C 261/7

Publication of an amendment 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

(2016/C 261/07)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘POMMES ET POIRES DE SAVOIE’/‘POMMES DE SAVOIE’/‘POIRES DE SAVOIE’

EU No: FR-PGI-0117-01376 — 24.9.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat Fruits des Savoie

Maison de l’Agriculture

52 avenue des Îles

74994 Annecy Cedex 9

FRANCE

Tel. +33 479338317

Fax +33 479339253

Email: syndicatfruitsdessavoie@haute-savoie.chambagri.fr

The syndicate is composed of fruit producers, producer-shippers, producer-storers and shipping stations. It therefore has a legitimate right to request amendments to the product specification.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

—	☒	Product name
—	☒	Description of product
—	☒	Geographical area
—	☒	Proof of origin
—	☒	Method of production
—	☐	Link
—	☒	Labelling
—	☒	Other: Name and address of the group, references to the inspection body

4. Type of amendment(s)

—	☒	Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
—	☐	Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

The applicant group wishes to update the form of the product specification and take into consideration a number of practices that are shared within the geographical area and reinforce the PGI’s link to the territory.

5.1. Product name

It is requested that the following names be added to the present name ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’: ‘Pommes de Savoie’ and ‘Poires de Savoie’. The group would like to be able to use the names ‘Pommes de Savoie’ and ‘Poires de Savoie’ on packaging or labelling when the products constitute apples or pears only. Until now these simple names have not been used, because operators have used the name ‘Pommes et poires de Savoie’ on the labels of their products.

5.2. Description of product

This chapter has been reorganised and supplemented.

The description of the fruit comprises a visual, physico-chemical and organoleptic description. The marketing categories for the fruit have been extended to cover category 2 for fruit with scab on an area of less than 1 cm2 of the total surface of the fruit. The objective of the group is to allow access to the PGI for organic fruit.

The registered product specification presents a summary description for a few authorised varieties (Golden Delicious, Reinette Blanche du Canada et Melrose), and a description has been added for apples of the Idared, Reinette Grise du Canada and Jonagold varieties and for pears of the Passe Crassane variety.

The list of authorised varieties has been supplemented with the following varieties:

—	Apples: Reine des Reinettes, Elstar, Delgollune, Gala, Delcorf, Pinova, Fuji, Suntan, Initial, Pilot, Belle de Boskoop, Dalinco and Opal;

—	Pears: Williams, Louise Bonne d’Avranches, Conférence, Doyenné du Comice and Général Leclerc.

This change reflects the specificity of the Savoie orchard, where extremely diverse varieties are cultivated. The great range of altitudes, types of exposure and soils have made it easy for numerous varieties to adapt to the area. This diversity meets the needs of the short and semi-short marketing channels widely used in Savoie. These marketing methods require a broad selection of varieties so as to make it possible to protect the stored fruit and apply a very restrictive ban: no use of post-harvest chemical treatments.

The varieties listed in the draft product specification have all been tested to verify their specificities and their causal link with the climatic and soil conditions of the geographical area.

The indication of a minimum size that concerns only three apple varieties has been deleted. All the fruit must comply with European legislation in particular as regards size. The group applies the size definition specific to each commercial category.

Furthermore, the Mutsu apple variety has been removed from the product specification. When drafting the product specification, the group drew up a list of varieties that seemed to correspond to the production expectations for ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’, and this was done before receiving the results from the testing stations. The results of these tests for the Mutsu variety did not meet expectations, and therefore that variety has never been planted for the purpose of production.

In order to make it easier to verify that the fruit comply with their organoleptic and physico-chemical descriptions, target values have been added to the product specification.

5.3. Geographical area

The geographical area, defined originally according to purely administrative criteria, has been recentred in the historical production region, which does not include the municipalities situated in the high mountains, where it is difficult for the fruit to reach a sufficient level of maturity. In order to strengthen the link between the product and its territory, the geographical area has been limited to certain municipalities of the two departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie and extended to cover seven additional municipalities of the department of Ain with proven functional links to the operators in the geographical area. All of these municipalities have the same climatic characteristics.

Below are the criteria for defining the geographical area:

—	a municipality where apples and pears are produced under the conditions laid down in the product specification of the PGI;

—	an altitude between 200 and 1 500 m;

—	rolling hills typical of the submountainous region;

—	deep soils resting mostly on calcareous sedimentary formations;

—	a continental climate with a southern influence leading to substantial rainfall (1 000 mm);

—	a place of mixed farming and livestock farming.

The geographical area of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ extends over 463 municipalities instead of 650.

5.4. Proof of origin

The operators’ obligations as regards declarations have been clarified in order to provide a better framework for data recording for the purpose of checks. Furthermore, a traceability system has been established to facilitate product monitoring.

Identification marks of the fruit: in order to ensure traceability, it has been specified that fruit with the ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ PGI must be identified individually by a sticker bearing this indication when they are presented in bulk to consumers. However, this requirement does not apply in the case of direct sales between the producer and the consumer or when the fruit are marketed in tamper-resistant packaging.

5.5. Method of production

This part of the product specification has been reorganised and supplemented according to two objectives:

—	drawing up clear rules that can be checked easily. Provisions that constitute an explanation or a recommendation have been removed from the currently registered product specification.

—	preserving and clarifying the rules for managing the orchards in a way that maintains the physical condition of the soil and the plants, thereby reinforcing the production of fruit linked to the natural environment.

The life cycle of the product has been added.

These rules concern:

The introduction of a procedure for selecting varieties:

Each new variety must meet the acceptance criteria meant to identify the specificities set out in the description of the product. The procedure includes the following requirements:

—	compliance with the characteristics of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’;

—	the use of certified or virus-free plant material;

—	the inclusion of varieties grown in the geographical area in accordance with the provisions of the product specification;

—	observation of the crop behaviour and health behaviour.

Choice of plant material

In order to protect the production potential of the orchard, an obligation to use virus-free seedlings has been introduced. The obligations of seedling producers and fruit growers in the case of the direct use of seedlings have been specified.

Planting density

In order for the trees to have a sufficient volume of soil and favourable lighting, the planting density has been set at a maximum of 3 500 plants per hectare each time new planting takes place.

Soil maintenance

The provisions concerning this chapter have been supplemented in order to make the grassing of plantings compulsory from the 3rd year after planting and so that grass accounts for a minimum of 60 % of the surface area of the inter-row, with a grass strip of at least 2 metres. Grassing of the soil contributes to humidity variations between day and night, which is conducive to the development of a rosy colour on one side of the fruit.

Furthermore, in order to promote cultivation practices that are less aggressive towards the environment and thus to protect the original characteristics of the soils, the use of synthetic chemicals to disinfect the soils has been prohibited.

Irrigation, fertilisation and plant protection

The purpose of all these provisions is to promote the wise use of different inputs. The objectives are:

—	to protect more efficiently the integrity of the production factors (soils, plant material) in order to maintain the distinguishing features of the PGI’s territory.

—	to manage the production of the tree in a way that encourages regular nourishment of the tree while controlling its vigour so as to ensure the slow and even ripening of the fruit. The purpose of this is to obtain firm and crisp fruit, in particular with regard to apples.

The group has added the possibility to raise operators’ awareness of the adequate use of plant protection products on the basis of technical observations on the ground. The aim is to limit the inadvertent use of plant protection products and thereby strengthen the link between fruit production and the area of production.

Pollination

Pollination by bees is encouraged through the obligation to have at least one hive near the orchards within a distance of no more than 4 kilometres. This distance corresponds to the average foraging range of a foraging bee.

Harvesting of the fruit

A physico-chemical analysis has been made compulsory at harvest. Its purpose is to verify the characteristics of the fruit. This information allows the operator to decide on the storage conditions and on the most suitable marketing date.

In addition, chemical treatment of the fruit after harvesting has been prohibited, thus providing an incentive for the operators to obtain quality fruit well suited to being stored.

The storage conditions have been specified

The provisions on the duration of storage on the basis of the marketing speed and type of storage for the fruit have been deleted. The operators have efficient storage equipment for preserving the qualities of the product. Practical issues are left to the discretion of the operator, who manages changes in the maturity of the different varieties, the varying storage conditions (temperature, humidity) and the marketing conditions over a period of time.

The analyses described in the section ‘Description of product’, made at the time of marketing, help to ensure that the original characteristics of the fruit have been preserved successfully.

The obligations of the storers and shippers have been described, in particular the ban on using pallets for the final packaging and the obligation to mark each fruit by affixing an individual sticker on it.

5.6. Labelling

The labelling obligations have been supplemented and clarified.

In particular, they allow for the labelling of packaged products by type of product.

5.7. Other amendments

The name and address of the group and the references to the inspection body have been updated.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘POMMES ET POIRES DE SAVOIE’/‘POMMES DE SAVOIE’/‘POIRES DE SAVOIE’

EU No: FR-PGI-0117-01376 — 24.9.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Denominations

‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ are fresh fruit.

‘Pommes de Savoie’ are obtained from the following varieties and their mutants: Belle de Boskoop, Dalinco, Delcorf, Delgollune, Elstar, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Idared, Initial, Jonagold, Melrose, Opal, Pinova, Pilot, Reine des reinettes, Reinette blanche du Canada, Reinette grise du Canada and Suntan.

‘Poires de Savoie’ are obtained from the following varieties and their mutants: Conférence, Doyenné du Comice, Général Leclerc, Louise Bonne d’Avranches, Passe Crassane and Williams.

‘Pommes de Savoie’ and ‘Poires de Savoie’ have the following characteristics:

—	For the yellow apple varieties: a rosy colour on one side.

—	For the bicoloured apple varieties: the size of the coloured surface must meet the requirements of the category Extra defined in the UNECE standard in force.

—	For the Reinette Blanche du Canada, Reinette Grise du Canada, Reine des Reinettes, Belle de Boskoop varieties, there must be russeting

—

For pears: an elongated shape and the presence of russeting in the case of the Conférence, Doyenné du Comice, Passe Crassane and Général Leclerc varieties. They correspond to the following commercial categories, as defined by the trade rules in force:

—	Category Extra or 1;

—	Category 2, for fruit where the only defect is the lack of russeting; the other characteristics of the fruit correspond to the categories Extra or 1.

Chemico-physical characteristics

When they leave the storage centre, ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ must have the following values:

For the yellow apples:

Varieties	Date	Firmness kg/cm2	IR % Brix	Acidity G of malic acid/litre of juice	Thiault index	Visual appearance CTIFL scale
Golden	Marketing before 1 November	≥ 5	≥ 12	≥ 4	175	≥ C4
	Marketing from 1 November to 31 December	≥ 5	≥ 12	≥ 3,5	165	≥ C4
	Marketing from 1 January to 28 February	≥ 5	≥ 12	≥ 3	160	≥ C4
	Marketing after 1 March	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 2,8	155	≥ C4
Opal		≥ 5	≥ 12	—	—	—

For the bicoloured apples:

Varieties	Firmness before 31 January	Firmness after 1 February	IR	Acidity	Visual appearance
Delbard Estival	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Initial	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Reine des Reinettes	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12,5	≥ 6	≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Elstar	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12,5	≥ 6	≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Gala	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Belle de Boskoop and mutants	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 6
Suntan	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 6	—
Jonagold	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Reinette Blanche du Canada	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 6
Reinette Grise du Canada	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 6	≥ 3/4 russeting
Pinova	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 13		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Dalinco	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12,5		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Jubilé	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12,5		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Pilot	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12	≥ 6	≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Melrose	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/3 of side coloured
Idared	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12		≥ 1/2 of side coloured
Fuji	≥ 5	≥ 4,5	≥ 12,5		≥ 1/2 of side coloured

For pears:

Varieties	Firmness	IR	Visual appearance
William	2 to 6	≥ 11
Louise Bonne d’Avranches	2 to 6	≥ 12
Général Leclerc	2 to 6	≥ 12	Presence of russeting
Conférence	2 to 6	≥ 12	Presence of russeting
Comice	2 to 6	≥ 12	Possibility to have a coloured side
Passe Crassane	2 to 6	≥ 12	Presence of peduncular russeting

Organoleptic properties

‘Pommes de Savoie’ are characterised by a balance between their high sugar content and a sustained acidity and a firm and crisp flesh.

‘Poires de Savoie’ are characterised by a firm and juicy flesh, with a mild and sweet taste.

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

—

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

The production and storage of the apples and pears are carried out in the geographical area.

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

Packaging must obligatorily take place in the geographical area owing to:

—	the fragility of the fruit and their sensitivity to shock, which requires particular vigilance at the packaging stations and minimum handling of the fruit;

—	the know-how of the storers and the close attention paid to the monitoring of the fruit quality during packaging;

—	the identification system for ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’, which requires an individual sticker to be affixed indicating the geographical origin. The label is affixed on the basis of the results of the physico-chemical analyses at the time of marketing.

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

Irrespective of the regulatory references applicable to all apples and pears, the labelling of the fruit must comply with the following rules:

—	the name ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’ or ‘Pommes de Savoie’ or ‘Poires de Savoie’ must be indicated on all the packages;

—	the contact details of the producer or storer or packer must be specified;

—	the contact details of the certifying body must be specified.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The department of Ain: the following municipalities: Anglefort, Béon, Ceysérieu, Corbonod, Cressin-Rochefort, Culoz, Flaxieu, Lavours, Pollieu, Seyssel, Talissieu and Vongnes.

The department of Savoie: all the municipalities with the exception of the following: Aigueblanche, Aime, Albiez-le-Jeune, Albiez-Montrond, Les Allues, Aussois, Les Avanchers-Valmorel, Avrieux, Beaufort, Bellentre, Bessans, Le Bois, Bonneval, Bonneval-sur-Arc, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Bozel, Bramans, Brides-les-Bains, La Chambre, Champagny-en-Vanoise, Les Chapelles, Le Châtel, Cohennoz, La Côte-d’Aime, Crest-Voland, Feissons-sur-Salins, Flumet, Fontaine-le-Puits, Fontcouverte-la-Toussuire, Fourneaux, Freney, La Giettaz, Granier, Hautecour, Hauteluce, Hermillon, Jarrier, Landry, Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis, Lanslevillard, La Léchère, Mâcot-la-Plagne, Modane, Montagny, Montaimont, Montgellafrey, Montgirod, Montricher-Albanne, Montsapey, Montvalezan, Montvernier, Moûtiers, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Notre-Dame-du-Cruet, Notre-Dame-du-Pré, Orelle, Peisey-Nancroix, La Perrière, Planay, Pontamafrey-Montpascal, Pralognan-la-Vanoise, Queige, Saint-Alban-des-Villards, Saint-André, Saint-Avre, Saint-Bon-Tarentaise, Saint-Colomban-des-Villards, Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, Sainte-Marie-de-Cuines, Saint-Étienne-de-Cuines, Saint-François-Longchamp, Saint-Jean-d’Arves, Saint-Jean-de-Belleville, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Saint-Julien-Mont-Denis, Saint-Marcel, Saint-Martin-d’Arc, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, Saint-Martin-de-la-Porte, Saint-Martin-sur-la-Chambre, Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Saint-Nicolas-la-Chapelle, Saint-Oyen, Saint-Pancrace, Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves, Salins-les-Thermes, Séez, Sollières-Sardières, Termignon, Tignes, Val-d’Isère, Valezan, Valloire, Valmeinier, Villard-sur-Doron, Villarembert, Villargondran, Villarlurin, Villarodin-Bourget and Villaroger.

The department of Haute-Savoie: all the municipalities with the exception of the following: Abondance, Arâches-la-Frasse, La Baume, Bellevaux, Bernex, Le Biot, Bonnevaux, Brizon, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, La Chapelle-d’Abondance, Châtel, Chevenoz, Combloux, Les Contamines-Montjoie, Cordon, La Côte-d’Arbroz, Demi-Quartier, Entremont, Essert-Romand, La Forclaz, Les Gets, Les Houches, Lullin, Megève, Mégevette, Montriond, Mont-Saxonnex, Morillon, Morzine, Nancy-sur-Cluses, Novel, Onnion, Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, Praz-sur-Arly, Le Reposoir, Reyvroz, Saint-Jean-d’Aulps, Saint-Sigismond, Samoëns, Servoz, Seytroux, Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, Thollon-les-Mémises, Vacheresse, Vailly, Vallorcine, Verchaix and La Vernaz.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

Characteristics of the terrain and geology

The geographical area of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ has clear natural limits. In the north it is delimited by Lake Geneva, in the east and in the south by the alpine range and in the west by the Colombier and Chartreuse mountain ranges.

It lies at an altitude of between 200 and 1 500 metres on relatively rolling terrain typical of the submountainous region of Savoie and Haute-Savoie.

As regards the nature of the soils, the sub-mountainous alpine region is characterised by a widespread calcareous formation called molasse, which is often associated with formations of the morainic type. All the soils are rich in mineral salts and water, and they are combined with soils that are rather rich in granulometric clay.

In addition, the soils of Savoie contain high levels of organic matter as a result of the numerous cattle farms.

Climate characteristics

The winters are long and sometimes harsh and the summers hot. The average annual rainfall exceeds 1 000 mm and may even reach 1 500 mm at the base of the pre-alpine mountain ranges. It is well distributed throughout the growing cycle of the trees.

This continental climate is characterised by wide temperature ranges, which mean fresh summer nights and marked humidity differences between day and night.

Average temperatures are low overall. They vary between 8 °C and 10 °C, depending on the altitude.

As regards human factors, the cultivation of apples and pears has a long history in Savoie and it is part of the traditional system of mixed farming and livestock farming.

Historical records show that at the end of the 1930s fruit production started being organised around small production areas on the basis of a multitude of varieties.

In these fruit-growing areas, fruit growers succeeded in their long-term work to select soils, plant material and varieties that were best suited to the local climatic conditions.

Specificity of the product

‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’ are characterised by:

—	a firm and crisp flesh for the apples and a firm and juicy flesh for the pears;

—	a balance between the high sugar content and a sustained acidity, which gives them an acidic feel in the mouth.

—	a visually more elongated shape for the pears.

The reputation of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ is well-established also at national level.

Causal link

The causal link of the ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ PGI is based on its specific quality and its reputation.

The natural conditions of the PGI’s geographical area are conducive to fruit cultivation owing to a number of factors:

all the soils are rich in mineral salts and water and they are combined with soils that are rather rich in granulometric clay and low mineral fertilisation, which allows the fruit to grow slowly: the fruit are less water-soaked but the cell multiplication rate remains high. This property is the reason for the crunchy nature of ‘Pommes de Savoie’.

The richness of the soils contributes to the ripening of the apples and pears, which must rapidly mobilise a large quantity of nutrients due to the short duration of the active growing cycle. The growing season is short because of the harsh climatic conditions.

The climate of the geographical area is also key to the specificities of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’.

Finally, the ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’/‘Pommes de Savoie’/‘Poires de Savoie’ PGI’s reputation is now such that it is universally recognised for its quality. The École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie of Yssingeaux, where training is provided by bakers who have been awarded the title of ‘Meilleurs Ouvriers de France’, refers to the gustatory quality of ‘Pommes et Poires de Savoie’. The quality of ‘Pommes de Savoie’ and ‘Poires de Savoie’ is recognised by restaurateurs.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-a92174df-5eea-4f3b-88bc-b1baa5ed9df9/telechargement

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

19.7.2016

Official Journal of the European Union

C 261/16

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

(2016/C 261/08)

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

‘RACLETTE DE SAVOIE’

EU No: PGI-FR-02095 — 23.11.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Raclette de Savoie’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

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

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is a pressed, uncooked cheese, made from raw or thermised cow’s milk.

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ comes in the form of a wheel with a diameter of 28 cm to 34 cm and a height at the outer rim of between 6 cm and 7,5 cm.

The total dry extract is greater than or equal to 56 %. The fat content (ratio of fat to dry matter) is between 48 % and 52 %. The salt content is between 1,4 % and 2,2 %.

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ has a pH greater than or equal to 5,50 and an ammonia content greater than or equal to 60 mg/100 g of cheese.

Organoleptic properties:

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ has a smeared rind that is yellow to brown in colour and a paste that is white to straw-yellow in colour.

The cheese may have a number of openings and has a firm and tender texture. When heated, it takes on a melting and creamy consistency. The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ does not exude much oil when heated.

Formats for sale:

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is sold in the following formats:

—	as a wheel;

—	as cut cheese: sliced into wedges;

—	in prepackaged units for sale to the consumer: sliced.

When intended for sale to the consumer in prepackaged units, the ‘Raclette de Savoie’ may be made in a cuboid form measuring 28 cm to 34 cm in length and a height at the outer rim of between 6 cm and 7,5 cm.

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

The dairy herd’s feed is made up of the following food categories:

—

coarse fodder making up the basic ration:

—

Grass, hay, second-hut hay, green maize, sorghum, straw, catch crops with the exception of species of the Brassicaceae family. Green-fodder-based feed is obligatory for at least 150 days a year, which may or may not be consecutive, equivalent to at least 50 % of the basic ration. 100 % of the coarse fodder given to the lactating cows comes from the geographical area.

—

Roughage:

—

Corn cob and wet grain maize, dehydrated fodder, dehydrated lucerne, dehydrated beetroot pulp, fodder beet. Dehydrated fodder, corn cob, dehydrated grain maize and fodder beet from outside the geographical area is limited to 4 kg of dry matter per lactating cow as a daily average throughout the year.

—

Complementary feed and additives:

—

Cereal grains and products derived from them (bran, sharps, flour, dehydrated distilling dregs), seeds, oilseed and protein cakes, by-products (lucerne protein concentrate, non-protein nitrogen, urea < 3 % in complementary feed), molasses and vegetable oil as a binder, minerals, vitamins, trace elements and natural plant extracts.

The distribution of lactoserum produced on the holding is allowed within 24 hours of its extraction.

In the case of farm-based production, the milk used for the manufacture of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ comes from a herd of dairy cows that consists of at least 75 % of cows from the Abondance, Montbéliarde or Tarentaise breeds.

At the processor, the milk collected for producing ‘Raclette de Savoie’ comes from a herd of dairy cows at least 75 % of which consists of cows from the Abondance, Montbéliarde or Tarentaise breeds.

To ensure that these rules are respected, the composition of the holding’s dairy farm may not be altered other than to increase the proportion of cows from the Abondance, Montbéliarde or Tarentaise breeds.

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

The dairy production, processing and maturing take place in the identified geographical area.

The production of milk intended for the production of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ in the geographical area is justified by the considerable sources of fodder in the area, which are used in the production of cheeses and which give the cheese its characteristic features.

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 ‘Raclette de Savoie’ label must include:

—	the name ‘Raclette de Savoie’;

—	the name and address of the producer, the maturer or the packager;

—	the name of the certifying body.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covers the two departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie in full and the following municipalities in the Departments of Ain and Isère.

Department of Ain: Anglefort, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, Béon, Billiat, Ceyzérieu, Chanay, Châtillon-en-Michaille, Corbonod, Cressin-Rochefort, Culoz, Flaxieu, Injoux-Génissiat, Lancrans, Lavours, Léaz, Lhôpital, Massignieu-de-Rives, Nattages, Parves, Pollieu, Saint-Martin-de-Bavel, Seyssel, Surjoux, Talissieu, Villes, Virignin, Vongnes.

Department of Isère: Entre-deux-Guiers, Miribel-les-Échelles, Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers, Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, Saint-Pierre-d’Entremont.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

In topographical and geological terms, the geographical area for ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is quite diverse. The terrain is predominantly between 200 metres and 2 500 metres, often with deep soil from both old crystalline and limestone massifs.

The climate is typically mountainous: the winters are long and often harsh and the summers hot. With the exception of the valleys in the Maurienne and Tarentaise, which receive less rainfall on the whole, the annual rainfall in the geographical area is high, with an average of 1 000 mm and up to 1 500 mm at the base of the pre-Alpine mountain ranges. This characteristic of the geographical area favours good grass growth.

The geographical area’s soil composition and rainfall make it prime territory for high-quality grass. Both the hay meadows and pastures have a rich and diversified flora, typical of the Alpine mountain area.

In the Western part of the geographical area, the production of cereals and maize is also possible.

The history of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is closely linked to that of the Alps. It is part of the history of livestock farming and cheese-making expertise in the Alps.

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ has its origins in the Middle Ages, when the shepherds ate a ‘roasted cheese’, mainly in summer, namely a semi-wheel of cheese placed in front of a wood fire, which then melted the surface of the cheese.

It was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that the name ‘raclette’ appeared, in reference to the action of scraping (‘racler’) the melted surface of the cheese onto the potatoes on the plate.

‘Raclette de Savoie’ developed in the heart of a region dominated by grassland systems and livestock management based on the use of fodder sources and local breeds. This region also has a long-standing tradition of producing pressed cheeses incorporating specific cheese-making know-how and types of milk production adapted to this technology. On account of its average size, ‘Raclette de Savoie’ progressively came to complement the region’s other types of cheese. It was a way to conserve relatively small amounts of milk compared to larger-format cheeses.

This context, coupled with the socioeconomic organisation of agriculture in the Savoie region which was historically based on the ‘fruitières’ system (the local name given to cheese-making cooperatives) managed by farmers, enabled the development of a cheese-making culture shared between farmers and cheese-makers.

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ also benefited from the advent of winter tourism from the 1960s and 1970s and the industrial history of the Alps, with the birth of the raclette machine, thanks to the widespread availability of hydropower. The take-off of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is thus linked to the raclette machines developed through a partnership between the Rippoz and Tefal companies in 1975 in Savoie. Mastery of the technology for gluing Teflon onto aluminium, as a replacement to melting over a wood fire, followed by the first electrical machines for the catering industry, led to the emergence of a new way to eat ‘Raclette de Savoie’, heated on individual plates.

The growth of winter sports mass tourism in the 1970s and the construction of the resorts created to meet the growing demand for this type of leisure activity contributed to giving ‘Raclette de Savoie’ its reputation as the cheese typically enjoyed on these occasions.

The production of milk intended for the production of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is still based on the wide availability of grass in the geographical area and also on the continued tradition of raising traditional breeds: Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarentaise. These breeds have demonstrated their ability to adjust to the physical and climate constraints of the environment: body type adapted to grazing on sloping pastures, heat tolerance, capacity for grazing in the summer and dry fodder in the winter.

Furthermore, the technologies used in the manufacture of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ are adapted to the characteristics of the milk described above. The cheese-makers make the most of these characteristics and know how to adjust all the production parameters to obtain the specific characteristics of ‘Raclette de Savoie’. The control of the fat content is an important starting point which sometimes leads the cheese makers to partially skim the milk.

The seeding of milk also plays an important role, particularly the selection and management of the thermophilic flora. Removing the lactose and pressing are also key stages in the production process, which contribute to controlling the pH value. The cheese is traditionally matured for a minimum of eight weeks on wooden boards which promote a good protein breakdown in the cheese.

Specificity of the product

‘Raclette de Savoie’ is an average to large-sized wheel.

It is characterised by its creaminess and its firmness when cold.

‘Raclette de Savoie’ has a distinctive feature of being very spreadable and not exuding much oil when heated. It is also characterised by a melting character significantly higher than other raclettes.

In the mouth, ‘Raclette de Savoie’ is particularly creamy and not very sticky.

Causal link

The link between ‘Raclette de Savoie’ and its geographical area is based on its specific quality.

The ‘Raclette de Savoie’ owes its specificities to the expertise in producing milk and cheese in the geographical area.

The milk production in the geographical area promotes the optimum use of grazing resources in line with ancestral practices and the use of the milk obtained from traditional breeds. This milk, produced in large quantities thanks to the specific feed, is better suited to the production of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ than that of other breeds raised in the same conditions: the curd obtained after adding the rennet is firmer and the cheese yield greater. It is thus particularly well-adapted to the specific format of the ‘Raclette de Savoie’.

Furthermore, the cheese-making expertise in the production of ‘Raclette de Savoie’ has a certain impact on all the specificities of the product.

The mastery of the fat content directly affects the elasticity when warm, spreadability and low oil exudation of the ‘Raclette de Savoie’.

Its pronounced meltability is also linked to the low percentage of L. lactates which is mainly due to the specificity of the sowing with thermophilic cultures and lactose removal.

The maturing process, which promotes a high level of protein breakdown, is reflected in the specific characteristics of the tender firmness of the ‘Raclette de Savoie’ when cold.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-c48a712e-fa5c-4d71-83c3-aea878f3b473/telechargement

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

19.7.2016

Official Journal of the European Union

C 261/20

INFORMATION NOTICE — PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Geographical indications from Japan

(2016/C 261/09)

Within the ongoing negotiations with Japan for a Free Trade Agreement (hereafter ‘the Agreement’) including a chapter on Geographical Indications, the Japanese authorities have presented, for protection under the Agreement, the attached list of Geographical Indications. The European Commission is currently considering whether these Geographical Indications shall be protected under the Agreement as Geographical Indications within the meaning of Article 22(1) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

The Commission invites any Member State or third country or any natural or legal person having a legitimate interest, resident or established in a Member State or in a third country, to submit oppositions to such protection by lodging a duly substantiated statement.

Statements of opposition must reach the Commission within two months of the date of this publication. Statements of opposition should be sent to the following email address: AGRI-A2@ec.europa.eu

Statements of opposition shall be examined only if they are received within the time limit set out above and if they show that the protection of the name proposed would:

(a)	conflict with the name of a plant variety or an animal breed and as a result is likely to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product;

(b)

be wholly or partially homonymous with that of a name already protected in the Union under Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (2) and Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks (3), or contained in the agreements the Union has concluded with the following countries:

—	Australia (4)

—

Chile (5)

—	South Africa (6)

—	Switzerland (7)

—	Mexico (8)

—

Korea (9)

—	Central America (10)

—	Colombia and Peru (11)

—	Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (12)

—	Canada (13)

—	United States (14)

—	Albania (15)

—	Montenegro (16)

—	Bosnia and Herzegovina (17)

—	Serbia (18)

—	Moldova (19)

—	Georgia (20)

(c)	in the light of a trade mark’s reputation and renown and the length of time it has been used, be liable to mislead the consumer as to the true identity of the product;

(d)	jeopardise the existence of an entirely or partly identical name or of a trade mark or the existence of products which have been legally on the market for at least five years preceding the date of the publication of this notice.

(e)	or if they can give details from which it can be concluded that the name for which protection is considered is generic.

The criteria referred to above shall be evaluated in relation to the territory of the Union, which in the case of intellectual property rights refers only to the territory or territories where the said rights are protected. The possible protection of these names in the European Union is subject to the successful conclusion of these negotiations and subsequent legal act.

List of Geographical Indications (21)

Protected name in Japan	Transcription (for information purposes only)	Product category
‘ ’	‘Aomori Cassis’	Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed
‘ ’/‘ ’	‘Tajima Gyu’/‘Tajima Beef’	Fresh meat (and offal)
‘ ’/‘ ’/‘ ’/‘KOBE BEEF’	‘Kobe Beef’/‘Kobe Niku’/‘Kobe Gyu’	Fresh meat (and offal)
‘ ’/‘YUBARI MELON’	‘Yubari Melon’	Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed
‘ ’/‘Traditional Authentic YAME GYOKURO’	‘Yame Dentou Hongyokuro’	Other products of Annex I of the Treaty (spices etc.) – green tea
‘ ’	‘Kagoshima no Tsubozukuri Kurozu’	Other products of Annex I of the Treaty (spices etc.) – rice vinegar
‘ ’	‘Miwa Somen’	Pasta
‘ ’	‘Nihonshu’	Other products of Annex I of the Treaty (spices etc.) – other fermented beverages

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

(3) OJ L 39, 13.2.2008, p. 16.

(4) Council Decision 2009/49/EC of 28 November 2008 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and Australia on trade in wine (OJ L 28, 30.1.2009, p. 1).

(5) Council Decision 2002/979/EC of 18 November 2002 on the signature and provisional application of certain provisions of an Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part (OJ L 352, 30.12.2002, p. 1).

(6) Council Decision 2002/51/EC of 21 January 2002 on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of South Africa on trade in wine (OJ L 28, 30.1.2002, p. 3) and Council Decision 2002/52/EC of 21 January 2002 on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of South Africa on trade in spirits (OJ L 28, 30.1.2002, p. 112).

(7) Decision 2002/309/EC, Euratom of the Council, and of the Commission as regards the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of 4 April 2002 on the conclusion of seven Agreements with the Swiss Confederation (OJ L 114, 30.4.2002, p. 1) and in particular the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Federation on trade in agricultural products — Annex 7.

(8) Council Decision 97/361/EC of 27 May 1997 concerning the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and the United Mexican States on the mutual recognition and protection of designations for spirit drinks (OJ L 152, 11.6.1997, p. 15).

(9) Council Decision 2011/265/EU of 16 September 2010 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Korea, of the other part (OJ L 127, 14.5.2011, p. 1).

(10) Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other (OJ L 346, 15.12.2012, p. 3).

(11) Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part (OJ L 354, 21.12.2012, p. 3).

(12) Council Decision 2001/916/EC of 3 December 2001 on the conclusion of an Additional Protocol adjusting the trade aspects of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, of the other part, to take account of the outcome of the negotiations between the parties on reciprocal preferential concessions for certain wines, the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of wine names and the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of designations for spirits and aromatised drinks (OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 6).

(13) Council Decision 2004/91/EC of 30 July 2003 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and Canada on trade in wines and spirit drinks (OJ L 35, 6.2.2004, p. 1).

(14) Council Decision 2006/232/EC of 20 December 2005 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America on trade in wine (OJ L 87, 24.3.2006, p. 1).

(15) Council Decision 2006/580/EC of 12 June 2006 concerning the signing and conclusion of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part — Protocol 3 on reciprocal preferential concessions for certain wines, the reciprocal recognition, protection and control of wine, spirit drinks and aromatised wine names (OJ L 239, 1.9.2006, p. 1).

(16) Council Decision 2007/855/EC of 15 October 2007 concerning the signing and conclusion of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part (OJ L 345, 28.12.2007, p. 1).

(17) Council Decision 2008/474/EC of 16 June 2008 on the signing and conclusion of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part (OJ L 169, 30.6.2008, p. 10) — Protocol 6.

(18) Council Decision 2010/36/EC of 29 April 2008 concerning the signing and conclusion of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters between the European Community, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia, of the other part (OJ L 28, 30.1.2010, p. 1).

(19) Council Decision 2013/7/EU of 3 December 2012 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs (OJ L 10, 15.1.2013, p. 1).

(20) Council Decision 2012/164/EU of 14 February 2012 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs (OJ L 93, 30.3.2012, p. 1).

(21) List provided by the Japanese authorities in the framework of the ongoing negotiations, registered in Japan.

		ISSN 1977-091X
Official Journal of the European Union		C 261

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 59 19 July 2016

Notice No	Contents	page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2016/C 261/01	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case M.8000 — DCC/Dansk Fuels) ( 1 )	1
2016/C 261/02	Multiple complaints registered under the reference CHAP(2015) 2880	1

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	Council
2016/C 261/03	Council Decision of 18 July 2016 appointing a member and alternate members of the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work for Romania	2
	European Commission
2016/C 261/04	Euro exchange rates	4

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,1053
JPY	Japanese yen	116,82
DKK	Danish krone	7,4387
GBP	Pound sterling	0,83372
SEK	Swedish krona	9,4679
CHF	Swiss franc	1,0869
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,3627
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	27,024
HUF	Hungarian forint	315,01
PLN	Polish zloty	4,3805
RON	Romanian leu	4,4686
TRY	Turkish lira	3,2680
AUD	Australian dollar	1,4557
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4315
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	8,5713
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,5555
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,4900
KRW	South Korean won	1 257,60
ZAR	South African rand	15,7685
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,4089
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,4957
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	14 468,93
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,3971
PHP	Philippine peso	51,650
RUB	Russian rouble	69,7145
THB	Thai baht	38,647
BRL	Brazilian real	3,5963
MXN	Mexican peso	20,4348
INR	Indian rupee	74,2758

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2016/C 261/05	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8098 — Italmobiliare/Clessidra SGR) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	5
2016/C 261/06	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.8061 — IMS Health/Quintiles) ( 1 )	6
	OTHER ACTS
	European Commission
2016/C 261/07	Publication of an amendment 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	7
2016/C 261/08	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	16
2016/C 261/09	Information notice — Public consultation — Geographical indications from Japan	20


	(1) Text with EEA relevance