24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/1

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.8481 — ABP Food Group/Fane Valley/Linden Foods)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/01)

On 29 September 2017, 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 English 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 32017M8481. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/1

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Initiation of proceedings

(Case M.8547 — Celanese/Blackstone/JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/02)

On 17 October 2017, the Commission decided to initiate proceedings in the abovementioned case after finding that the notified concentration raises serious doubts as to its compatibility with the internal market. The initiation of proceedings opens a second phase investigation with regard to the notified concentration, and is without prejudice to the final decision on the case. The decision is based on Article 6(1)(c) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).

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

In order to be fully taken into account in the procedure, observations should reach the Commission not later than 15 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 M.8547 — Celanese/Blackstone/JV, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/2

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.8608 — ENGIE/La Caisse des dépôts et consignations/CEOLFALRAM76)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/03)

On 18 October 2017, 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 French 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 32017M8608. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/2

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.8659 — Equistone Partners Europe SAS/Groupe Bruneau)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/04)

On 19 October 2017, 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 French 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 32017M8659. EUR-Lex is the online access to European law.

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/3

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Notice for the attention of the persons subject to the restrictive measures provided for in Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763 as amended by Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1933 and Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1755 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Burundi

(2017/C 358/05)

The following information is brought to the attention of the persons that appear in the Annex to Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763 (1), as amended by Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1933 (2) and in Annex I to Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1755 (3) concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Burundi.

The Council of the European Union has decided that the persons that appear in the above-mentioned Annexes should continue to be included in the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures provided for in Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763 as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/1933 and in Regulation (EU) 2015/1755 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Burundi. The grounds for designations of those persons appear in the relevant entries in those Annexes.

The attention of the persons concerned is drawn to the possibility of making an application to the competent authorities of the relevant Member State(s) as indicated in the web-sites in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2015/1755, in order to obtain an authorisation to use frozen funds for basic needs or specific payments (cf. Article 3 of the Regulation).

The persons concerned may submit a request to the Council before 2 July 2018, together with supporting documentation that the decision to include them on the above-mentioned list should be reconsidered to the following address:

Council of the European Union

General Secretariat

DG C 1C

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175

1048 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

E-mail: sanctions@consilium.europa.eu

Any observations received will be taken into account for the purpose of the Council’s next review, pursuant to Article 6 of Decision (CFSP) 2015/1763, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/1933 and Article 13(4) of Regulation (EU) 2015/1755 of the list of designated persons.

The attention of the persons concerned is also drawn to the possibility of challenging the Council’s decision before the General Court of the European Union, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 275, second paragraph, and Article 263, fourth and sixth paragraphs, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

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(1)  OJ L 257, 2.10.2015, p. 37.

(2)  OJ L 273, 24.10.2017, p. 9.

(3)  OJ L 257, 2.10.2015, p. 1.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/4

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Notice for the attention of the persons to whom measures provided for in Council Decision 2010/638/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/1934, and in Council Regulation (EU) No 1284/2009 concerning restrictive measures against the Republic of Guinea apply

(2017/C 358/06)

The following information is brought to the attention of the persons that appear in the Annex to Council Decision 2010/638/CFSP, as amended by Decision (CFSP) 2017/1934 (1), and in Annex II to Council Regulation (EU) No 1284/2009.

The Council of the European Union has determined that the persons that appear in the above-mentioned Annexes continue to fulfil the criterion set out in Decision 2010/638/CFSP and in Regulation (EU) No 1284/2009 concerning restrictive measures against the Republic of Guinea and should therefore remain subject to the measures, as renewed by Decision (CFSP) 2017/1934.

The attention of the persons concerned is drawn to the possibility of making an application to the competent authorities of the relevant Member State(s) as indicated in the web-sites in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 1284/2009, in order to obtain an authorisation to use frozen funds for basic needs or specific payments (cf. Article 8 of the Regulation).

The persons concerned may submit a request to the Council, together with supporting documentation before 30 June 2018, that the decision to include them on the above-mentioned list should be reconsidered, to the following address:

Council of the European Union

General Secretariat

DG C 1C

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175

1048 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

E-mail: sanctions@consilium.europa.eu

The attention of the persons concerned is also drawn to the possibility of challenging the Council's decision before the General Court of the European Union, in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 275, 2nd paragraph, and Article 263, 4th and 6th paragraphs, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

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(1)  OJ L 273, 24.10.2017, p. 10.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/5

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Euro exchange rates (1)

23 October 2017

(2017/C 358/07)

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,1740
JPY	Japanese yen	133,59
DKK	Danish krone	7,4437
GBP	Pound sterling	0,89090
SEK	Swedish krona	9,6440
CHF	Swiss franc	1,1581
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,3883
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,641
HUF	Hungarian forint	308,06
PLN	Polish zloty	4,2266
RON	Romanian leu	4,6000
TRY	Turkish lira	4,3386
AUD	Australian dollar	1,5018
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4835
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	9,1607
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6838
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,5996
KRW	South Korean won	1 326,40
ZAR	South African rand	16,0711
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,7957
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,5070
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 888,92
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,9718
PHP	Philippine peso	60,458
RUB	Russian rouble	67,4375
THB	Thai baht	38,965
BRL	Brazilian real	3,7493
MXN	Mexican peso	22,2922
INR	Indian rupee	76,3365

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

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/6

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8586 — TPC/JSR/UMG/UBE/MR)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/08)

1.

On 16 October 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). This notification concerns the following undertakings: — Techno Polymer Co., Ltd (‘TPC’, Japan), controlled by JSR Corporation (‘JSR’, Japan), — UMG ABS, Ltd (‘UMG’, Japan), controlled by Ube Industries, Ltd (‘UBE’, Japan) and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (‘MCC’, Japan; formerly Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd — ‘MR’). MCC ultimately belongs to Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (‘MCH’, Japan). JSR and UMG acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of TPC. The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of assets and purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: —   for JSR: chemical manufacturing company, whose core businesses are petrochemical products and fine chemical products, —   for TPC: wholly-owned subsidiary of JSR, active in the supply of resins and alloys, —   for UBE: company active in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement and construction materials, machinery, and energy and environment, —   for MCC: manufacturing company, active in chemicals, plastics, and fibres, —   for MCH: chemical manufacturing company, active in performance products, industrial materials, and health care applications, —   for UMG: joint venture between UBE and MCC, active in the supply of resins and alloys.

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 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 the 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. The following reference should always be specified: M.8586 — TPC/JSR/UMG/UBE/MR Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below: Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu Fax +32 22964301 Postal address: European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/8

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.8640 — CVC/Blackstone/Paysafe)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2017/C 358/09)

1.

On 16 October 2017, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). This notification concerns the following undertakings: — CVC Capital Partners SICAV-FIS SA (‘CVC’, Luxembourg), — Blackstone Group LP (‘Blackstone’, United States), — Paysafe Group PLC (‘Paysafe’, United Kingdom), CVC and Blackstone acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of Paysafe. The concentration is accomplished by way of public bid announced on 4 August 2017.

2.	The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: —   CVC: provision of advice to and management of investment funds and platforms, —   Blackstone: a global alternative asset manager, —   Paysafe: provision of online and mobile payment processing services.

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.

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. The following reference should always be specified: M.8640 — CVC/Blackstone/Paysafe Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below: Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu Fax: +32 22964301 Postal address: European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/9

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Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2017/C 358/10)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR AMENDMENT

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council  (2)

‘GRANA PADANO’

EU No: PDO-IT-02296 — 1.3.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) TSG ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano

Via XXIV Giugno 8

25015 Desenzano del Garda (Brescia)

ITALIA

Tel. +39 030919811

Fax +39 0309010487

The Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano represents producers of Grana Padano and is entitled to submit an amendment application pursuant to Article 13(1) of Decree No 12511 of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy of 14 October 2013.

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy.

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

—	☐	Description of product
—	☐	Proof of origin
—	☐	Production method
—	☐	Link
—	☒	Labelling
—	☐	Other [to be specified]

4.   Type of amendment(s)

—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires no amendment to the published single document.
—	☒	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires an amendment to the published single document.
—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published.
—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5.   Amendment(s)

This amendment concerns the way in which packaging for the Trentingrana type of Grana Padano is presented.

In Article 8, point B of the specifications, the following text has been inserted:

This amendment is due to the requirement imposed by producers of the Trentingrana type of Grana Padano for uniformity as regards labelling layout.

Article 8, point B (last subparagraph) of the specifications has been added:

This change was necessary to allow manufacturers to provide an indication of the cheese’s ageing period on the label, and also to prevent such information from leading to any misunderstanding between official categories and voluntary additional information.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘GRANA PADANO’

EU No: PDO-IT-02296 — 1.3.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name

‘Grana Padano’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

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

Hard cheese made from cooked paste; it is matured slowly, manufactured throughout the year and used whole or grated; it is produced from raw, partially skimmed milk from cows, milked twice a day, whose basic diet consists of fresh or dried fodder; milk used may come from one milking or from two milkings mixed together. The cheese is cylindrical in form with a slightly convex or virtually straight heel, and with flat faces featuring a slightly raised edge.

It has a diameter of 35 to 45 cm and the heel is 18 to 25 cm high, depending on technical production conditions.

Weight: from 24 to 40 kg; rind: hard and smooth, 4-8 mm thickness.

The paste is hard, with a finely grained structure, flaky from the middle out and with barely visible eyes. The minimum fat content of the dry matter is 32 %. The colour of the rind is a natural golden yellow and the paste is white or straw-coloured. The paste has a fragrant aroma and a delicate taste.

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

The basic feed for the dairy cattle, consisting of green or preserved fodder, is fed to lactating cows, dry cows and heifers over 7 months old. Milk cows are fed primarily with feed produced on the home farm or in the Grana Padano PDO production area.

No less than 50 % of the dry matter of the daily ration must be made up of feed with a ratio of fodder to feed of no less than 1, by reference to the dry matter. At least 75 % of the dry matter of the fodder in the daily ration should come from feed produced in the production area of the milk.

The authorised feeds are listed in a positive list which includes:

—   fodder: fresh fodder, hay, straw, silage (not permitted for Trentingrana production),

—   raw materials for feed, by category, which may be added to the fodder: cereals and their derivatives, oil seeds and their derivatives, tubers and root vegetables and products derived from them, dehydrated fodder, derivatives of the sugar industry, legume seeds, fats, minerals, additives.

Starting material: Raw cow’s milk, natural whey and calf rennet. The milk comes from cows reared in the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

The production and maturing operations must take place on the territory of the production area delineated in point 4.

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

Grating and related packaging must take place within the production area defined in point 4, since freshly grated cheese is a highly sensitive product and the preservation of its organoleptic characteristics requires it to be packaged immediately in conditions such as to avoid any drying out; furthermore, immediate packaging in a packaging bearing the designation of origin is better able to guarantee the authenticity of the grated product, which by nature is more difficult to identify than a whole cheese (as confirmed by the judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-469/00).

The use, for the production of grated ‘Grana Padano’, of cheese left over from the cutting and packaging of ‘Grana Padano’ PDO marketed in pieces of varying or fixed weight, as blocks, cubes, bite-sized pieces etc., is permitted only under the following conditions: the maximum proportion of rind must be 18 %; traceability of the whole ‘Grana Padano’ PDO cheese from which the leftover cheese comes must be guaranteed; where the stages are separate and/or are transferred from one establishment to another, the leftover cheese must be kept apart by registration number and month of production; the leftover cheese may be transferred only within the same farm or between farms of the same group and only within the area of origin. The marketing of leftover cheese for the production of grated ‘Grana Padano’ is therefore prohibited.

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

The official mark attesting to the product having met the requirements justifying the use of the ‘GRANA PADANO’ Protected Designation of Origin, and which must therefore appear both on the whole wheel and on all the packaging of ‘GRANA PADANO PDO’ cheese in portions and grated, consists of a rhomboid shape over which the words ‘GRANA’ and ‘PADANO’ are stamped in upper case letters. In the upper and lower corners of the rhomboid, which are rounded, are inscribed respectively the initials ‘G’ and ‘P’.

The marking bands which cold stamp the origin mark on the wheels at the moulding stage are made up of a number of rhomboidal diamond shapes which contain within them the alternating words ‘GRANA’ and ‘PADANO’, and bear the cheese manufacturer’s identification references and the month and year of manufacture.

Only ‘Grana Padano PDO’ produced in the Autonomous Province of Trento, made using milk from cows fed throughout the year with fodder which does not include silage of any kind, qualifies for use of the special ‘TRENTINGRANA’ marking bands, consisting of a line of rhomboidal diamond shapes split by the word ‘TRENTINO’; in the centre, between the outlines of stylised mountains, the word ‘TRENTINO’ appears right way up and in vertical rotation.

Packaging that contains Grana Padano PDO cheese meeting the characteristics of TRENTINGRANA described above will be characterised by the following image on the relevant packaging material and advertising:

Identification of origin by means of marking bands includes the affixing of a casein nameplate bearing the words ‘GRANA PADANO’, the year of manufacture and an alphanumeric code which unambiguously identifies each cheese wheel.

‘Grana Padano’ cheese which has been matured for at least 20 months after being moulded — within the production area — may be described as ‘RISERVA’. Classification in the category ‘Grana Padano RISERVA’ is shown by a second brand, affixed to the heel of the cheese at the request of the operators, in accordance with the same rules governing the affixing of the PDO mark. The mark in question is composed of a circle with the word ‘RISERVA’ written across the centre. In the upper half are written the word ‘OLTRE’ and the number ‘20’, and in the lower half appears the word ‘MESI’.

The following additional categories are applicable in the case of packaged products: ‘Grana Padano’ OLTRE 16 MESI and ‘Grana Padano’ RISERVA.

On the packaging containing cheese of the category ‘Grana Padano’ Oltre 16 Mesi, the GRANA PADANO logo also bears the words ‘OLTRE 16 MESI’ on a single line between two parallel lines.

On the packaging containing cheese of the category ‘Grana Padano’ Riserva, the brand RISERVA appears in addition to the GRANA PADANO logo.

Notwithstanding the fact that for the categories expressly mentioned in the specification (‘Oltre 16 Mesi’ [more than 16 months] and ‘RISERVA — Oltre 20 Mesi’ [Reserve — more than 20 months], the logos for those categories must be complied with, the packaging may also refer to, on a voluntary basis, ageing periods other than those specific to the two categories concerned.

However, this must be done in such a way that does not lead to the mistaken belief that this is another product category provided for and approved by the specification.

Therefore, in the interests of clarity and to avoid misunderstandings between official categories and voluntary additional information designed to provide more precise and accurate consumer information, ageing of 16 months and 20 months may only be indicated by means of the two specific logos mentioned above, while other indications of ageing (e.g. ‘Stagionatura 12 mesi’, ‘Stagionatura 14 mesi’, ‘Stagionatura 18 mesi’ [12-month, 14-month and 18-month ageing, respectively] or similar) may only be indicated with fonts, colours, dimensions and location on packaging different from specific PDO Grana Padano packaging.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for the cheese, whole or grated, consists of the territory of the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Torino, Verbania, Vercelli, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova on the left bank of the Po, Milano, Monza, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese, Trento, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Venezia, Verona, Vicenza, Bologna to the right of the Reno, Ferrara, Forlì Cesena, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini, as well as the following municipalities of the province of Bolzano: Anterivo, Lauregno, Proves, Senale-S. Felice and Trodena.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The production area for ‘Grana Padano’ PDO is largely contiguous with the region of the Po plain, that is to say the geographical area of the Po river plain, characterised by fairly flat water meadows with alluvial soil of fluvial-glacial origin and well-supplied with water: this is one of the most fertile areas of the world and among the best suited for growing fodder.

In particular, these soil characteristics, together with the area’s microclimate, favour the production of maize, which represents the greatest proportion of the fodder for the cows whose milk is intended for ‘Grana Padano’ PDO, since it can make up to 50 % of the dry matter ingested.

The reclamation and irrigation of the Po plain since the 11th century has given rise to the local development of livestock rearing. The resulting availability of substantial quantities of milk, which was surplus to the daily needs of the rural population, prompted the need to transform it into a durable cheese. Even today, the large supply of local fodder, in particular maize, linked to the vast supply of water, is an essential element for maintaining livestock rearing and the consequent supply of milk.

The specificity of ‘Grana Padano PDO’ may be ascribed to the following elements:

—	size and weight of the cheese,

—	particular morphology of the paste, linked to the production technique, characterised by a granular texture, which gives rise to its typical flakiness,

—	white or straw colour, with a delicate flavour and fragrant aroma, due essentially to the widespread use of waxy corn in the fodder fed to the cattle,

—	water and fat content largely similar to the protein content,

—	high level of natural breakdown of the proteins in peptones, peptides and free amino acids,

—	suitability for lengthy ripening, even beyond 20 months.

The causal link between ‘Grana Padano PDO’ and its area of origin may be traced to the following factors:

—

The high irrigation potential of the Po plain and the resulting availability of fodder, including mainly waxy corn, which is responsible for the specific characteristics of the white or straw colour, flavour and aroma of the paste. Indeed, the direct result of using corn or waxy corn silage is the inclusion in the diet of fewer colorants such as carotene, anthocyanins and chlorophyll than if using a feed based on straw of various kinds or green fodder essences. This is a direct effect of storage in silos,

—	the use of raw milk, which has the effect of including in the process of cheese-making lactic bacteria typical of the area,

—

the use of natural whey, which creates an unbroken microbiological link with the production area. In fact, the milk which turns to curds and thus to whey, is the link in the chain joining the cheese-making process to the production area and also ensures the continued and constant inclusion of lactic bacteria typical of the area of origin, to which are due the main special characteristics of Grana Padano PDO cheese.

The causal link between the characteristics of the product and its area of origin is also provided by the ‘casaro’ [cheesemaker] who since time immemorial has been of central and fundamental importance in the manufacture of Grana Padano PDO.

Even today, the task of transforming milk into ‘Grana Padano’ PDO is entrusted to cheesemakers rather than to technicians or scientists.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The consolidated text of the product specification can be consulted on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the homepage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti DOP e IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP, IGP e STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen), and finally by clicking on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

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(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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24.10.2017

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 358/15

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Publication of an application for approval of minor amendments in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2017/C 358/11)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1)

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF MINOR AMENDMENTS

Application for approval of minor amendments in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council  (2)

‘POMME DU LIMOUSIN’

EU No: PDO-FR-0442-AM02 — 18.5.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) TSG ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat de défense de l'AOP Pomme du Limousin (‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO protection association)

9 place Saint-Blaise

19230 Pompadour

FRANCE

Tel. +33 555733151

Fax +33 981383423

Email: syndicatpommelimousin@gmail.com

The ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO protection association, made up of ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO operators (producers and storers/packagers), has a legitimate interest in submitting the application.

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

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

—	☐	Product description
—	☐	Proof of origin
—	☐	Method of production
—	☐	Link
—	☒	Labelling
—	☒	Other: applicant group, geographical area, link, inspection, national requirements

4.   Type of amendment(s)

—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and requiring no amendment to the published single document.
—	☒	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and requiring an amendment to the published single document.
—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published.
—	☐	Amendment to product specification of registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5.   Amendment(s)

Heading ‘Labelling’

The requirement that the PDO logo of the European Union and/or the indication ‘AOP’ (‘PDO’) must appear on the sticker affixed to each ‘Pomme du Limousin’ apple is replaced by a requirement that the sticker must bear the PDO logo. In line with this, the rule determining the font size to be used for the ‘AOP’ (PDO) indication on the sticker is removed.

The font size to be used for the designation of origin ‘Pomme du Limousin’ on the sticker and on unit packages changes:

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On the sticker affixed to each fruit, the name must be written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label, except those used in the European Union's PDO logo, rather than ‘in characters at least half as large as the letters “AOP” or larger than 1,5 mm if there is no “AOP” indication’. The relevant provision of the current product specification is therefore amended as follows: ‘Each apple is identified by a sticker bearing: — the European Union PDO logo, — the designation of origin “Pomme du Limousin” written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label, except those used in the European Union PDO logo.’ The same changes are made to point 3.6 of the single document.

—

On unit packages, the name must be written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label, instead of ‘in characters at least as large as the largest characters on the label except those of the indication “AOP” (PDO) or “appellation d'origine protégée” (protected designation of origin).’ The provision on unit packages of the current product specification is therefore amended as follows: ‘The labels on unit packages must include, on the side with the information on standards: — the designation of origin “Pomme du Limousin” written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label, — the European Union PDO logo.’ The same change is also made to point 3.6 of the single document: The paragraph ‘In addition to the information to be provided by law, the labelling on individual packages must contain, on the side with the information on standards, the designation of origin “Pomme du Limousin” written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label’ replaces the paragraph ‘The labels on unit packages must include, on the side with the information on standards: — the designation of origin “Pomme du Limousin” written in characters at least as large as the largest characters on the label except those of the indication “AOP” (PDO) or “appellation d'origine protégée” (protected designation of origin), — the European Union PDO logo.’ These changes are intended to harmonise the rules on labelling in order to simplify the management of stickers and the information appearing on the standardisation label on unit packages. They allow the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ name to stand out, while also giving operators and/or retailers the possibility to use their company or retailer's brands. The provision stating that ‘On the label, nothing must appear between “AOP” or “appellation d'origine protégée” and the designation of origin’ is deleted. It does not appear necessary in the light of current EU rules. This provision is also deleted from point 3.6 of the single document.

Other

—	Under the heading ‘applicant group’, the group's contact details have been updated.

—

Under the heading ‘Geographical area’, the reference to the administrative regions of Limousin and Aquitaine is replaced by a reference to the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, since the Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes regions were merged into one single region named Nouvelle-Aquitaine on 1 January 2016. The sentence ‘All stages of the production must take place in the geographical area, which covers the territory of the following 100 municipalities’ is replaced by ‘All stages of the production must take place in the geographical area approved by the National Institute of Origin and Quality (Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité) at the meeting of the competent national committee on 11 December 2003. The perimeter of this area comprises the territory of the following municipalities, based on the 2016 Official Geographic Code’, in order for the specification to include the reference dates for the delimitation of the geographical area and the list of municipalities delineating its perimeter. Moreover, to indicate that maps showing the delimitation of the geographical area are made available, the sentence ‘Maps of the geographical area can be found on the website of the National Institute of Origin and Quality’ is added. The names of four municipalities are corrected as follows: ‘Génis’ replaces ‘Genis’, ‘Savignac-Lédrier’ replaces ‘Savignac-Ledrier’, ‘Saint-Laurent-les-Églises’ replaces ‘Saint-Laurent-les-Eglises’ and ‘Saint-Paul’ replaces ‘Saint-Paul-d'Eyjeaux’. The same corrections are made in point 4 of the single document. These changes do not affect the perimeter of the geographical area, which remains unchanged.

—	Under the heading ‘Details bearing out the link with the geographical area’, the number of permanent employees and seasonal workers employed by the sector are updated with 2016 data. The same correction is made in point 5 of the single document.

—	Under the heading ‘References to inspection bodies’, the contact details of the inspection body are replaced by those of the competent authority for inspections in order to avoid having to amend the specification if the inspection body changes.

—	Under the ‘National requirements’ heading, the ‘document-based and/or visual yield assessment method’ referred to is replaced by a ‘document-based’ assessment method. In practice, a document-based check has proved sufficient to ensure compliance with the provision.

6.   Updated product specification (only for PDO and PGI)

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-80e22731-2551-4b7e-bb17-1d5897a5ab50/telechargement

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘POMME DU LIMOUSIN’

EU No: PDO-FR-0442-AM02 — 18.5.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Pomme du Limousin’

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

‘Pomme du Limousin’ is a fresh apple with the following characteristics:

—	it has a slightly elongated shape, with a clearly marked eye and eye cavity,

—	it has a minimum size of 65 millimetres or a minimum weight of 115 grams,

—	the flesh is white, firm, crispy, juicy and non-floury,

—	the flavour is balanced as regards sweetness and acidity.

The apples are of the ‘Golden delicious’ variety or of one of the mutants authorised for the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ designation of origin (standard characteristics similar to those of ‘Golden delicious’), with the exception of Cala golden.

‘Pomme du Limousin’ has a refractive index of at least 12,5 % Brix, firmness of at least 5 kilos per square centimetre and acidity of at least 3,7 grams per litre of malic acid.

The apple falls within marketing classes ‘Extra’ and ‘1’, within the meaning of EU legislation, or marketing class 2 purely because of the degree of russeting.

‘Pomme du Limousin’ is greeny-white to yellow in colour and may have a pink blush.

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

Not applicable.

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

The entire production process takes place within the geographical area.

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

The apples must be stored cold in order to preserve their firmness, texture and juiciness.

The geographical area has a local expertise in storage. Storage sites

—	manage their storage plans, drawn up on the basis of analysis of the fruit carried out at harvest, and coordinate the deliveries of fruit by producers,

—	optimise the method and the time for filling the storage rooms,

—	control oxygen levels after the fruit is cooled, the stability of the temperature, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels as long as the fruit is being marketed.

Packaging must take place in the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ geographical area of origin, in view of:

—	the packaging sites' expertise in managing stored fruit (monitoring the rooms, checking the fruit during storage),

—	the fragility of the fruit and its sensitivity to shock and rough handling,

—	special packaging facilities which limit impacts and preserve the quality of the fruit,

—	the requirement for the fruit to be traceable: the fruit is not shipped in bulk and each piece is individually labelled to enable consumers to clearly identify the product and avoid any mixing with fruit of a different origin.

The apples are packaged in clean containers to preserve the characteristics and quality of the fruit.

Therefore, packages may contain no more than 20 kilos of apples, and the use of plastic bags and paper bags is prohibited.

The apples may no longer be released for sale under the designation of origin ‘Pomme du Limousin’ after a specified date. This is determined on the basis of the colour of the apples and varies from 1 June to 1 August of the year following the harvesting date.

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

Each apple is identified by a sticker bearing:

—	the European Union PDO logo,

—	the designation of origin ‘Pomme du Limousin’ written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label, except those used in the European Union PDO logo.

However, this requirement for the apples to be individually labelled does not apply to pre-packaged fruit.

In addition to the information to be provided by law, the labelling on individual packages must contain, on the side with the information on standards, the designation of origin ‘Pomme du Limousin’ written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the label.

Besides the label, all the accompanying documents and invoices must bear the designation of origin ‘Pomme du Limousin’ and the words ‘appellation d'origine protégée’ (protected designation of origin) or ‘AOP’ (PDO).

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Municipalities belonging to the Corrèze department:

Allassac, Arnac-Pompadour, Beyssac, Beyssenac, Chabrignac, Chameyrat, Concèze, Condat-sur-Ganaveix, Donzenac, Espartignac, Estivaux, Juillac, Lagraulière, Lascaux, Lubersac, Montgibaud, Objat, Orgnac-sur-Vézère, Perpezac-le-Noir, Sadroc, Saint-Aulaire, Saint-Bonnet-l'Enfantier, Sainte-Féréole, Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes, Saint-Julien-le-Vendômois, Saint-Martin-Sepert, Saint-Pardoux-Corbier, Saint-Pardoux-l'Ortigier, Saint-Solve, Saint-Sornin-Lavolps, Saint-Ybard, Salon-la-Tour, Ségur-le-Château, Seilhac, Troche, Uzerche, Vigeois, Vignols and Voutezac.

Municipalities belonging to the Creuse department:

Bénévent-l'Abbaye, Chauchet (Le), Grand-Bourg (Le), Marsac, Montboucher, Nouzerolles, Sardent, Saint-Agnant-de-Versillat, Sainte-Feyre, Saint-Germain-Beaupré, Saint-Julien-le-Châtel and Saint-Pierre-Chérignat.

Municipalities belonging to the Dordogne department:

Angoisse, Anlhiac, Clermont-d'Excideuil, Dussac, Excideuil, Firbeix, Génis, Jumilhac-le-Grand, Lanouaille, Payzac, Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes, Saint-Médard-d'Excideuil, Saint-Mesmin, Saint-Paul-la-Roche, Saint-Pierre-de-Frugie, Saint-Priest-les-Fougères, Salagnac, Sarlande, Sarrazac and Savignac-Lédrier.

Municipalities belonging to the Haute-Vienne department:

Boisseuil, Bussière-Galant, Chalard (Le), Champnétery, Château-Chervix, Cognac-la-Forêt, Coussac-Bonneval, Geneytouse (La), Glandon, Glanges, Janailhac, Ladignac-le-Long, Linards, Meyze (La), Nieul, Oradour-sur-Vayres, Pensol, Roche-l'Abeille (La), Roziers-Saint-Georges, Sainte-Anne-Saint-Priest, Saint-Hilaire-la-Treille, Saint-Jean-Ligoure, Saint-Laurent-les-Églises, Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, Saint-Mathieu, Saint-Méard, Saint-Paul, Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche and Vicq-sur-Breuilh.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The geographical area consists of a crystalline basement formed by the pedogenic development of metamorphic and granitic rocks, including local formations of alterites and formations on colluvial or old residual alluvial soils.

The light, deep soil has good water-retention properties.

The geographical area has a humid, ocean climate, with fairly abundant, albeit not excessive, rainfall (average annual rainfall of less than 1 300 mm) and temperatures that do not reach extremes (average temperature above 9 °C).

Another factor is altitude: orchards are located on well-ventilated hill-top plateaus, at an altitude generally between 350 and 450 metres.

Limousin is a region with a strong fruit-growing tradition. ‘Golden Delicious’, which has been grown in Limousin since 1950, has continued to develop there. In this area, apple growing complements livestock farming and is based on traditional cultivation practices such as moderate irrigation and hand-picking.

The area also has local expertise in storage. Once harvested, the apples are stored in dedicated rooms with a controlled atmosphere, the technical and maintenance parameters of which are set every year (waterproofing, volume, number of hours of operation, etc.). Regular monitoring is carried out to check that the batches are preserved properly at all times.

‘Pomme du Limousin’ is characterised by its excellent eating qualities and its presentation: it has a slightly elongated shape, a particular colour, firm flesh, a high amount of juice, a good balance between sweetness and acidity and a long shelf life, which allows it to be marketed until 1 August.

The natural environment combined with the tree-growing tradition make the area well suited to the growing of the ‘Golden Delicious’ variety and have enabled the original characteristics of the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ to be preserved.

At higher altitude, there is more sunshine than in the plains, while the highest temperatures are moderate. The combination of cold nights and hot, sunny days on the plateaus of the geographical area favours the development of a good sweetness/acidity balance and the pink skin pigmentation resulting from the anthocyanins that are characteristic of the ‘Pomme du Limousin’.

Because they are grown at higher altitude at contrasting temperatures between night and day, the apples have a more elongated shape and are firmer and juicier.

Apple growing in the Limousin draws on specific cultivation practices. Moderate irrigation, for instance, allows the fruit to develop and keep its qualities better, and makes for better flower induction the following year. In addition, harvesting is done by hand to ensure that the fruit keeps all its qualities.

The area also has local expertise in storage which is geared towards the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ variety's long shelf life. After harvesting the fruit is cooled to the core as quickly as possible. The rooms are filled in the shortest time possible and immediately put in a controlled atmosphere to preserve the quality of the fruit.

The ‘Pomme du Limousin’ represents a dynamic sector, employing some 1 500 permanent and 2 500 seasonal workers (2016 figures).

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-80e22731-2551-4b7e-bb17-1d5897a5ab50/telechargement

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(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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