Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.10712 – APOLLO MANAGEMENT / TENNECO)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/01)

On 27 October 2022, 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 policy’ 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 32022M10712. EUR-Lex is the online point of access to European Union law.

---

(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.11083 – KBR / SUN CAPITAL / HOMESAFE JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/02)

On 11 May 2023, 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 policy’ 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 32023M11083. EUR-Lex is the online point of access to European Union law.

---

(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

Euro exchange rates (1)

16 May 2023

(2023/C 175/03)

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,0881
JPY	Japanese yen	147,89
DKK	Danish krone	7,4468
GBP	Pound sterling	0,86938
SEK	Swedish krona	11,2765
CHF	Swiss franc	0,9732
ISK	Iceland króna	150,90
NOK	Norwegian krone	11,6130
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	23,675
HUF	Hungarian forint	369,20
PLN	Polish zloty	4,4865
RON	Romanian leu	4,9478
TRY	Turkish lira	21,4425
AUD	Australian dollar	1,6307
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4652
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	8,5293
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,7428
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,4545
KRW	South Korean won	1 458,78
ZAR	South African rand	20,7496
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,5793
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	16 132,09
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,8954
PHP	Philippine peso	61,001
RUB	Russian rouble
THB	Thai baht	36,963
BRL	Brazilian real	5,3340
MXN	Mexican peso	18,9822
INR	Indian rupee	89,4655

---

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

Summary of the Opinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications

(2023/C 175/04)

(The full text of this opinion can be found in English, French and German on the EDPS website https://edps.europa.eu)

On 1 March 2023 the European Commission issued a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications (‘the proposal’).

The objective of the proposal is to improve road safety across the Union, by laying down rules providing for Union-wide effect of driving disqualifications for major road-safety related offences, committed in a Member State other than the one that issued the driving licence of the offender.

The EDPS is satisfied with the elements given in the Explanatory Memorandum and the Preamble of the proposal as they are sufficiently detailed and founded to support the legitimacy of the proposal and the necessity to exchange information with the Member State of issuance.

The EDPS welcomes the fact that the proposal aims to limit the exchange of personal data with the Member State of issuance to what is necessary to comply with the obligations laid down in the proposal.

1.   INTRODUCTION

1.

On 1 March 2023 the European Commission issued a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications (1) (‘the proposal’).

2.

The proposal forms part of a larger legislative package, referred to as the ‘Road Safety Package’ which also includes: a. Directive (EU) 2015/413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2015 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences (2) and b. Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences (3).

3.

The objective of the proposal is to improve road safety across the Union, by laying down rules providing for Union-wide effect of driving disqualifications for major road-safety related offences, committed in a Member State other than the one that issued the driving licence of the offender (4).

4.

The present opinion of the EDPS is issued in response to a consultation by the European Commission of 1 March 2023, pursuant to Article 42(1) of EUDPR (5). The EDPS welcomes the reference to this consultation in Recital 31 of the proposal.

3.   CONCLUSIONS

16.

In light of the above, the EDPS considers that the proposal provides for sufficient justification for the establishment of a framework providing for Union-wide effect of driving disqualifications for major road-safety related offences committed in a Member State other than the one that issued the driving licence of the offender. The EDPS further considers that the proposal limits in an adequate manner the personal data to be exchanged with the Member State of issuance to comply with the obligations laid down in the proposal.

17.

The EDPS recalls that he expects to be consulted on the forthcoming implementing act(s) to be adopted pursuant to Article 5(1) of the proposal.

---

(1)  COM(2023)128 final.

(2)  OJ L 68, 13.3.2015, p. 9.

(3)  OJ L 403, 30.12.2006, p. 18.

(4)  COM(2023)128 final , p. 15 and Recital 8.

(5)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).

Commission notice pursuant to Article 16(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community

Imposition of public service obligations in respect of scheduled air services

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/05)

Member State	France
Route concerned	Poitiers (Biard) – Lyon (Saint-Exupéry)
Original date of entry into force of the public service obligation	1 November 2005
Date of entry into force of the changes	1 November 2023
Address where the text and any relevant information and/or documentation relating to the public service obligation can be obtained	Order of 29 March 2023 imposing public service obligations on air services between Poitiers and Lyon NOR: TREA2308060A http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/initRechTexte.do For further information please contact: Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile DTA/SDS1 50 rue Henry Farman 75720 Paris CEDEX 15 FRANCE Tel. +33 158094321

Commission notice pursuant to Article 17(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community

Invitation to tender in respect of the operation of scheduled air services in accordance with public service obligations

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/06)

Member State	France
Route concerned	Poitiers (Biard) – Lyon (Saint-Exupéry)
Period of validity of the contract	From 27 November 2023 to 31 October 2027
Deadline for the submission of applications and tenders	20 July 2023 (16:00, Paris time)
Address where the text of the invitation to tender and any relevant information and/or documentation relating to the public tender and the public service obligation can be obtained	Syndicat Mixte de l’Aéroport de Poitiers-Biard (SMAPB) Hôtel du Département Place Aristide Briand CS 80319 86008 Poitiers CEDEX FRANCE Tel. +33 549629115 Email: smapb@departement86.fr Buyer profile: https://marches.securises.fr

Electronic identification schemes notified pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (1)

(2023/C 175/07)

Title of the scheme	eID means under the notified scheme	Notifying Member State	Level of assurance	Authority responsible for the scheme	Date of publication in the Official Journal of the EU
German eID based on Extended Access Control	National Identity Card Electronic Residence Permit eID Card for Union Citizens and EEA Nationals	Federal Republic of Germany	High	Federal Ministry of the Interior Alt-Moabit 140 10557 Berlin DGI2@bmi.bund.de +49 30186810	26.9.2017 14.12.2020
SPID – Public System of Digital Identity	SPID eID means provided by: — Aruba PEC S.p.A. — Namirial S.p.A. — InfoCert S.p.A. — In.Te.S.A. S.p.A. — Poste Italiane S.p.A — Register S.p.A. — Sielte S.p.A. — Telecom Italia Trust Technologies S.r.l.	Italy	High Substantial Low	AgID - Agency for Digital Italy Viale Liszt 21 00144 Roma eidas-spid@agid.gov.it +39 0685264407	10.9.2018
	— Lepida S.p.A.				13.9.2019
National Identification and Authentication System (NIAS)	Personal Identity Card (eOI)	Republic of Croatia	High	Ministry of Public Administration, Republic of Croatia Maksimirska 63 10000 Zagreb e-gradjani@uprava.hr	7.11.2018
Estonian eID scheme: ID card Estonian eID scheme: RP card Estonian eID scheme: Digi-ID Estonian eID scheme: e-Residency Digi-ID Estonian eID scheme: Mobiil-ID Estonian eID scheme: diplomatic identity card	— ID card — RP card — Digi-ID — e-Residency Digi-ID — Mobiil-ID — Diplomatic identity card	Republic of Estonia	High	Police and Border Guard Board Pärnu mnt 139 15060 Tallinn eid@politsei.ee +372 6123000	7.11.2018
Documento Nacional de Identidad electrónico (DNIe)	Spanish ID card (DNIe)	Kingdom of Spain	High	Ministry of Interior - Kingdom of Spain C/ Julián González Segador, s/n 28043 Madrid divisiondedocumentacion@policia.es	7.11.2018
Luxembourg national identity card (eID card)	Luxembourg eID card	Grand Duchy of Luxembourg	High	Ministry for Home Affairs BP 10 L-2010 Luxembourg minint@mi.etat.lu secretariat@ctie.etat.lu +352 24784600	7.11.2018
Belgian eID scheme FAS/ eCards	Belgian Citizen eCard Foreigner eCard	Kingdom of Belgium	High	Policy & Support Federal Public Service (BOSA)/Directorate General Digital Transformation Simon Bolivarlaan 30 1000 Brussel eidas@bosa.fgov.be	27.12.2018
Cartão de Cidadão (CC)	Portuguese national identity card (eID card)	Portuguese Republic	High	AMA – Administrative Modernisation Agency Rua de Santa Marta 55, 3o 1150 - 294 Lisbon ama@ama.pt +351 217231200	28.2.2019
Italian eID based on National ID card (CIE)	Carta di Identità Elettronica (CIE)	Italy	High	Ministry of Interior Piazza del Viminale 1 00184 Roma segreteriaservizidemografici@interno.it +39 06465 27751	13.9.2019
National identification scheme of the Czech Republic	Czech eID card	Czech Republic	High	Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic Nad Štolou 936/3 P. O. BOX 21 170 34 Prague 7 eidas@mvcr.cz	13.9.2019
Dutch Trust Framework for Electronic Identification (Afsprakenstelsel Elektronische Toegangsdiensten)	Means issued under eHerkenning (for businesses)	Kingdom of the Netherlands	High Substantial	Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations - Logius Postbus 96810 2509 JE Den Haag info@eherkenning.nl	13.9.2019
Slovak eID Scheme	Slovak eID card	Slovak Republic	High	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic for Investments and Informatization Štefánikova 15 811 05 Bratislava eidas@vicepremier.gov.sk +421 220928177	18.12.2019
Latvian eID Scheme	eID karte eParaksts karte eParaksts karte+ eParaksts	Latvia	High Substantial	Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) of the Ministry of Interior of Republic of Latvia Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1 k-3 LV-1026, Rīga rigas.1.nodala@pmlp.gov.lv Latvia State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC) Ērgļu iela 14 Rīga LV-1012 eparaksts@eparaksts.lv	18.12.2019
Belgian eID Scheme FAS / itsme®	itsme® mobile App	Kingdom of Belgium	High	Policy & Support Federal Public Service (BOSA)/Directorate General Digital Transformation Simon Bolivarlaan 30 1000 Brussel eidas@bosa.fgov.be	18.12.2019
Danish eID Scheme (NemID)	NemID Key card NemID mobile app NemID token NemID on hardware NemID IVR NemID Magna card (key card)	Kingdom of Denmark	Substantial	Agency for Digitisation of the Ministry of Finance Landgreven 4 1017 Copenhagen K digst@digst.dk +45 33925200	8.4.2020
Chave Móvel Digital (CMD)	Digital Mobile Key (mobile eID)	Portuguese Republic	High	AMA – Administrative Modernisation Agency Rua de Santa Marta 55 3o 1150 - 294 Lisbon ama@ama.pt +351 217231200	8.4.2020
Lithuanian eID Scheme (ATK - Asmens tapatybės kortelė)	Lithuanian National Identity card	Republic of Lithuania	High	The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania Šventaragio str. 2 Vilnius LT-01510 bendrasisd@vrm.lt +370 52717130	21.8.2020
Dutch eID Scheme (DigiD)	DigiD	Kingdom of the Netherlands	Substantial High	Kingdom Relations - Logius Postbus 96810 2509 JE The Hague logiussecretariaatproductiehuis@logius.nl	21.8.2020
Maltese eID scheme (Identity Malta)	Electronic identity card (e-ID Card) Residence document (e-RP Card)	Republic of Malta	High	Identity Malta Castagna Building Valley Road, Msida enquiries@identitymalta.com +356 25904900	10.12.2021
French eID scheme (FranceConnect+ /The Digital Identity La Poste)	L’Identité numérique La Poste (La Poste Mobile App)	The French Republic	Substantial	DINUM (Interministerial Digital Direction) 20 avenue de Ségur 75007 PARIS eidas@franceconnect.gouv.fr	10.12.2021
Swedish eID (Svensk e-legitimation)	Freja eID Plus	Kingdom of Sweden	Substantial	Agency for Digital Government Storgatan 37 852 30 Sundsvall Sweden e-legitimation@digg.se +46 771114400	18.2.2022
Austrian eID scheme (ID Austria)	ID Austria	Austria	High	Federal Ministry of Finance/ SourcePIN Register Authority (Bundesministerium für Finanzen/Stammzahlenregisterbehörde) Johannesgasse 5 1010 Vienna, Austria post.szrb@bmf.gv.at +43 1514330	27.4.2022
Danish eID scheme MitID	MitID Mobile App MitID App enhanced security MitID chip MitID code display MitID Audio code reader MitID Password	Kingdom of Denmark	Substantial High	Agency for Digital Government Landgreven 4, 1301 København K digst@digst.dk/ eIDAS@digst.dk + 45 33925200	24.10.2022
Norwegian eID scheme Bank ID	Bank ID	Kingdom of Norway	High	The Norwegian Digitalisation Agency Post box 1382 Vika, 0114 Oslo, Norway Post@Digdir.no + 47 22451000	24.10.2022
Norwegian eID scheme Buypass ID	Buypass ID	Kingdom of Norway	High	The Norwegian Digitalisation Agency Post box 1382 Vika, 0114 Oslo, Norway Post@Digdir.no + 47 22451000	24.10.2022
Polish Public Electronic Identification System (Publiczny System Identyfikacji Elektronicznej)	Trusted profile Personal profile	Republic of Poland	Substantial High	Minister of Digital Affairs (minister in charge of IT) Królewska 27, 00-060 Warsaw, Poland kontakt@kprm.gov.pl +48 222500110	19.4.2023
Liechtenstein eID Scheme (eID.li Class A)	eID.li Class A	The Principality of Liechtenstein	High	Ausländer- und Passamt APA Städtle 38 9490 Vaduz Liechtenstein info@eid.li +423 2366141	19.4.2023
Liechtenstein eID Scheme (eID.li Class B)	eID.li Class B	The Principality of Liechtenstein	Substantial	Ausländer- und Passamt APA Städtle 38 9490 Vaduz Liechtenstein info@eid.li +423 2366141	19.4.2023
Slovenian eID card scheme	SI eID card	The Republic of Slovenia	High	Ministry of Digital Transformation Davčna ulica 1 SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia gp.mdp@gov.si +386 15555800	17.5.2023

---

(1)  OJ L 257, 28.8.2014, p. 73.

Notice of a request concerning the applicability of Article 34 of Directive 2014/25/EU

Request made by a Contracting Entity

(2023/C 175/08)

On 13 April 2023, the Commission received a request pursuant to Article 35 of Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). The request has been submitted by the Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft e.V (BDEW, German Association of Energy and Water Industries). The first working day following receipt of the request is 14 April 2023.

This request concerns activities relating to the generation and wholesale of electricity from renewable sources in Germany, with the exception of electricity from renewable sources generated in installations that went into operation before 1 August 2014 and still receive subsidies.

Article 34 of Directive 2014/25/EU provides that ‘contracts intended to enable an activity mentioned in Articles 8 to 14 to be carried out shall not be subject to this Directive if the Member State or the contracting entities having introduced the request pursuant to Article 35 can demonstrate that, in the Member State in which it is performed, the activity is directly exposed to competition on markets to which access is not restricted; nor shall design contests that are organised for the pursuit of such an activity in that geographic area be subject to this Directive’. The assessment of direct exposure to competition that can be carried out in the context of Directive 2014/25/EU is without prejudice to the full-fledged application of competition law.

The Commission is allowed a period of 90 (2) working days to take a decision on this request, commencing on the working day referred to above. The period therefore expires on 25 August 2023.

According to Article 35(5) of Directive 2014/25/EU, further requests concerning the same activities in Germany submitted before the expiry of the period opened in respect of this request shall not be considered as new procedures and shall be treated in the context of this request.

---

(1)  Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement procedures by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC (OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 243).

(2)  Pursuant to paragraph 1a of Annex IV to Directive 2014/25/EU in combination with the second subparagraph of said paragraph 1.

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.10978 – CACEIS / RBC INVESTOR SERVICES BANK / RBC OFFSHORE FUND MANAGERS / RBC INVESTOR SERVICES TRUST ASSETS)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/09)

---

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

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.11110 – EFMS / PSPIB / RADIUS)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/10)

---

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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.11117 – APOLLO / PLATINUM FALCON / UNIVAR)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/11)

---

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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M. 11046 – IBV / ACEN / ACRI / SINGAPORE JV / TAIWAN JV / PHILIPPINES JV)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2023/C 175/12)

---

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

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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

(2023/C 175/13)

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou'

EU No: PGI-GR-02821 — 6.12.2021

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Greece

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

‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ is a semi-hard, scalded curd cheese. It is off-white to pale yellow in colour and cylindrical or parallelepiped in shape. It has a buttery, slightly sour and slightly salty taste, which distinguishes it from similar cheeses of this type. These taste characteristics are partly due to the periodic addition of salt, which is part of the production process, and to the milk used, which has a high fat content and a strong, ripe aroma.

‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ has a firm, compact texture with very few openings and no rind. It has the following physico-chemical characteristics:

—	Fat content in dry matter >45 %

—	Fat content 27-30 %

—	Protein content 25–28 %

—	Maximum moisture content 40-45 %

Lastly, the salt content (sodium chloride) is between 1.4 % and 2 %, other inorganic components account for 2,5 % and the pH is between 5,0 and 5,3.

‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ is made from local raw or pasteurised milk (sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk, with the latter accounting for less than 35 % of the mix) using a specific method developed by the area’s Aromanian-speaking nomadic herders.

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

‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ is made only from raw or pasteurised milk from breeds of sheep and goats that traditionally have been raised extensively in the defined area. The milk has a high fat content (at least 6 %) due to the fact that the animals graze extensively or, during periods of bad weather, are fed local plants that have been dried and stored. The only substance that may be added to the milk that is used to make the cheese is commercially available ‘traditional Greek rennet’.

Regarding the milk that is produced in the defined area and used to make ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’, the following requirements apply:

i)	The milk must be sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk, the latter accounting for less than 35 % of the mix.

ii)	It must have a fat content of at least 6 % w/w

iii)	The animals must not be milked for at least 10 days after giving birth (for raw milk). Until it is curdled, the milk must be stored at a controlled temperature, in accordance with the legislation in force.

iv)	The milk must not be condensed or contain added milk powder, milk protein, casein salts, colouring or preservatives.

v)	There must be no residues of veterinary medicinal products (e.g. antibiotics), pesticides or other harmful substances present in the milk.

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

The production of the milk and all the stages in the production of ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ cheese, including the initial packaging, must take place in the defined geographical area.

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

—

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the milk is produced and ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ cheese is made comprises the entire Region of Epirus, the Regional Units of Kastoria, Grevena and Kozani in the Region of Western Macedonia and the Regional Units of Trikala and Karditsa in the Region of Thessaly.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Τhe basic factor that inseparably links ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ cheese with the geographical area is its reputation, which links the product with the area’s traditions, customs and economic life. This is confirmed by numerous important written records going back over 150 years and up until today. Another important factor that links the product with the geographical area is the human factor that led to the development of the specific production method, which is perfectly suited to the rugged mountainous terrain.

The countless written references to the unquestioned reputation that has linked ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ with the defined area over the years include the famous short story by Alexandros Papadiamantis Sto Christo sto Castro [Christ at the castle] (1892), Peri kefalotiriou kai kashkavaliou [Kefalotiri and kashkaval] (1900) by R. Dimitriadis, Kashkavali (1912) by E.D. Polichronidis, ‘The Nomads of the Balkans: an account of life and customs among the Vlachs of Northern Pindus’ (1914), and Nea Oikiaki Mageiriki [New home cooking] (1925) by A. Vitsikounakis. There are also historical references to the product in Elliniki Tyrokomia [Greek cheesemaking] (1956) and I istoria tou ellinikou galaktos kai ton proiondon tou [The history of Greek milk and dairy products] (2004). Lastly, the gold medal won by the Grigoriadis company at the Paris international fair in 1909 for the quality of their kashkavalia [kashkaval cheeses] is further evidence of the product’s high quality and commercial importance over time. ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ has continued to win awards to this day – it won a quality award at Prodexpo (Russia) in February 2011 and received an award from the International Taste Institute in January 2021.

The product’s strong reputation and high quality has meant that production units in the defined area have continued to make and distribute it to this day, as evidenced by numerous recent publications. By way of example, in Tris aiones mia zoi: yiayia Filio i mikrasiatissa (2005), a memoir by Filio Haidemenou, the product is mentioned in connection with memories of daily life, rural life, folklore, etc. in the defined area, confirming that it was one of the cheeses that was made by the shepherds who raised their sheep up in the mountains. In Flavours of Greece (London 2011) by Rosemary Barron there is a detailed description of Greek dairy products and cheeses, and the author notes that kaskavali is a special meze cheese because of its flavour. In Gastronomos, a magazine devoted to culinary topics and raw materials, there is an article by Vivi Konstantinidou entitled ‘Kostaki! Fai, paidi mou, to kashkavali sou!’ [Come on Kostaki! Eat your kashkaval!] where the author describes her experience of giving her son cheese for the first time and recommends that people try Kashkavali Pindou, saying that it makes excellent toasted cheese sandwiches (11 October 2021).

Browsing the web gives over 6 000 hits for the product and many recipes for dishes that use ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ in combination with other ingredients, such as chicken and lountza, pizza, meat loaf with croutons and paprika, and prasotigania [leeks fried with pork] and wine.

Regarding the human factor and how it helps to determine the specificity of the product, this ties in closely with the geomorphology of the defined geographical area, which is dominated by the presence of Greece's largest mountain range, the Pindos, which impacts the quality of the milk and the way the cheese is made.

Specifically, the area is rich in pastureland but unsuitable for other types of farming, so the inhabitants’ main activity is extensive livestock farming and the production of dairy products. It has a continental climate, with cold winters with frequent snowfall and cool summers, giving an average annual temperature of 10 °C. There is also frequent rain; average rainfall is 600-800 mm/year and there are no long periods of dry weather in summer. The influence of the climate can be clearly seen in the vegetation, which is not purely Mediterranean, as in the mountainous and semi-mountainous areas it resembles that of central Europe, with numerous fir, beech, chestnut, oak and plane tree forests and extensive areas of grassland. The area is also home to a rich and unique variety of plants – a total of 2 012 wild plant taxa have been recorded, 21,9 % of which are endemic to the Balkans and 5,6 % of which are endemic to Greece. The sheep and goats whose milk is used to make the cheese come from breeds that have been reared in the area for many years and are adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. The holdings are of medium capacity and keep only grazing animals that produce milk in small quantities but with a high fat content.

The area is the place of origin of the Aromanian-speaking nomadic herders (Vlachs), who developed a particular way of making ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ that is perfectly in harmony with the rugged mountainous terrain, and this is the main reason why it became established as one of the area’s main products and acquired an excellent reputation. The cheesemaking process consisted of a first stage, which was the curdling in situ of the milk produced up in the mountains in summer, to produce a cheese mass that was sliced up and transported down to the neighbouring lowland areas. This was followed by the second stage of the process, which consisted of mixing the curds with hot water and then maturing the cheese. This way of making ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ has a major advantage in that it allows the use of raw milk or milk that has soured, as when the cheese mass is mixed with hot water it is partially sterilised. Frequent dry salting gives the cheese its slightly salty taste.

This method is ideally suited to the area’s terrain and climatic conditions, which were such that in summer the nomadic herders had to keep their animals at high altitudes, where there were no dairies, processing facilities, ripening chambers, storage facilities, etc. Milk produced up in the mountains in summer was immediately transformed into cheese mass, which was then transported down to lower altitudes on horseback to be made into ‘Kashkavali Pindou / Kashkaval Pindou’. This solved the problem of how to preserve the milk produced in the mountains so that it could be turned into cheese. It also gave the product its name, as kashkaval roughly translated from Aromanian means ‘cheese transported by horses’.

‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ is a firm, compact cheese, with very few openings and no rind. These characteristics are due to the way it is made, which notably involves cutting the cheese mass into slices and then mixing these with hot water when the acidity is right. More specifically, during the cheesemaking process the cheese mass is left to mature and it is then cut into strips (slices) that are submerged in very hot water. The cheese mass becomes very pliable, like dough, so it can be easily shaped first in the water and then on the cheesemaking table. Thus, when it is transferred into moulds to form the cheese wheels that will subsequently harden, it is uniform, homogeneous, with a firm, springy texture and no cracks.

This specificity has successfully been carried over into the modern production process, where the elements of the traditional method remain unaltered. The adaptations are to do with safety and traceability but do not affect the character or the flavour of the cheese, as the main difference is the use of pasteurised milk and that the product is now branded and packaged. A basic specific characteristic of ‘Κασκαβάλι Πίνδου / Kashkavali Pindou / Κασκαβάλ Πίνδου / Kashkaval Pindou’ cheese is that it is still made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk, unlike similar cheeses with the same name that are made in Balkan countries using cow's milk. Finally, the milk used is an important factor linking the product with the defined area, as its high fat content gives the product a buttery flavour, while letting the sheep and goats graze extensively on the rich variety of aromatic plants and herbs in the Pindos mountains results in high levels of volatile terpenes and aldehydes in the milk, which give the cheese its strong, ripe aroma.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/2021/kashkavali_pindou_prod180123_.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.