14.5.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 134/39

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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

2013/C 134/10

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).

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs  (2)

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘MIEL DE CORSE’/‘MELE DI CORSICA’

EC No: FR-PDO-0105-0066-20.04.2011

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Heading in the specification affected by the amendment

—		Name of product
—	☒	Description of product
—		Geographical area
—	☒	Proof of origin
—	☒	Method of production
—	☒	Link
—	☒	Labelling
—	☒	National requirements
—	☒	Other (update of the contact details of the group and the inspection bodies)

2.   Type of amendment(s)

—	☒	Amendment to single document or summary sheet
—		Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the single document nor the summary sheet has been published
—		Amendment to specification that requires no amendment to the published single document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
—		Temporary amendment to specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3.   Amendment(s)

3.1.   Description of product

This heading has been consolidated with the Decree of 30 January 1998 on the registered designation of origin and its technical implementing rules of 1 June 1999. The amendments concern the following:

(a)

In order to clarify the description of the product, the varietal range, which corresponds to the different types of annual beekeeping production, is included in the specification in the form defined in national legislation recognising the registered designation of origin. Furthermore, it is specified that defining the product according to its varietal range is optional, as the PDO honey is not always assigned one of the six varietal designations.

(b)	A retranscription error is corrected: the HMF content is less than or equal to 10 mg/kg at the packaging stage and not at the harvesting stage.

In addition, the limit values for the HMF content and water content of certain honeys are modified for the following reasons:

when the relative air humidity exceeds 60 %, bees cannot produce honey with a water content below 18 %. This is the case especially for honey produced in shadowy wet woodlands such as chestnut groves or during very wet seasons such as the Corsican autumn. Therefore, honeys produced in chestnut groves and honeys produced in autumn maquis are intrinsically moist. It is therefore proposed that a maximum water content of 19 % be allowed for these honeys, as this amendment does not alter the product;

owing to their floral origin, spring maquis honeys made from tree heather (Erica arborea) have a weak glucose-fructose ratio and a high di- and trisaccharide content, which make these types of honey crystallise very rapidly. For this reason, beekeepers often remelt the honey, and the high temperature accelerates the dehydration reaction of the sugars and produces HMF. The dehydration of the sugars is further accelerated by the acidity of heather honeys, whose pH is 3-4. Consequently, these honeys have an HMF content that is naturally higher than in other honeys. It is therefore proposed that the HMF content of spring maquis honeys made from tree heather (Erica arborea) be set at a value less than or equal to 12 mg/kg at packaging.

3.2.   Geographical area

In order to remove any ambiguity, the steps in production that must take place in the geographical area (harvesting and decanting) are reiterated in the specification.

3.3.   Proof of origin

Owing to developments in national legislation and regulations, the heading ‘Evidence that the product originates in the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together provisions on declaration obligations and on the keeping of registers for tracing the product and monitoring production conditions.

These amendments are related to the reform of the system for inspecting designations of origin introduced by Order 2006/1547 of 7 December 2006 on increasing the value of agricultural, forestry, food and marine products. In particular, provisions have been included for authorising operators so as to acknowledge their ability to meet the specification of the designation from which they wish to benefit. Inspection of the specification for the ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ PDO takes place according to an inspection plan drawn up by an inspection body.

Moreover, this heading contains several new provisions on registers and declaration documents making it possible to guarantee product traceability.

The text ‘The guarantee label with the name of the designation makes it possible to identify the product and monitor the volumes produced and marketed. It must be affixed to the pot in a visible manner’, provided for in national legislation on the registered designation of origin, has been added to the specification.

The guarantee label has a two-fold purpose: firstly, it is a traceability tool for the sector and, secondly, it helps identify the product. It is affixed to each product having the designation of origin in order to ensure traceability. The guarantee label also makes it possible to identify the product, because it features, among other information, the name ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’.

3.4.   Method of production

This heading has been consolidated with the Decree of 30 January 1998 on the registered designation of origin and its technical implementing rules of 1 June 1999. Therefore, the following provisions from these texts have been inserted:

—	list of excluded cultivated species: in particular, rapeseed, sunflower, sulla, buckwheat, sainfoin,

—	only pure beeswax may be used for the frames,

—	list of species authorised as fuel: pine needles, eucalyptus leaves, rosemary, etc.,

—	the prohibition on feeding the bees starts 15 days before the honey flow and continues until the honey harvest,

—

harvesting must be carried out on sealed combs. The term ‘completely’ has been deleted from the phrase ‘harvesting must be carried out on completely sealed combs’. In reality, honeycombs are never completely sealed, even when the honey is ripe and ready to be harvested. The term ‘completely’ is not really appropriate, because while most of the combs are sealed, a few of the cells may not be,

—	specific nature of the extraction and packaging premises,

—	as regards filtration, requirements for the mesh size of filters, which must be permeable to the elements contained in the honey under the applicable standard,

—	authorisation to remelt the honey (once),

—	condition concerning crystallisation: ‘Controlled crystallisation is authorised and must be carried out in accordance with good beekeeping practices’.

(c)	The paragraph ‘Honey with the protected designation of origin “Miel de Corse”/“Mele di Corsica” must be harvested and decanted exclusively in Corsica’ has been moved to under the heading ‘Definition of the geographical area’ in the specification.

(d)	The paragraph ‘The honey must have a pollen spectrum typical of its Corsican origin, a water content below 18 % and an HMF content that is less than or equal to 10 mg/kg at packaging’ has been moved to under the heading ‘Description of product’.

3.5.   Link

The presentation of this heading has been updated in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

It has also been supplemented in order to explain in more detail the link between the characteristics of the honey, the geographical area and the know-how.

3.6.   Labelling

This heading has been updated in order to specify that the words ‘Appellation d’origine contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’ are replaced by the words ‘Appellation d’origine protégée’ or ‘AOP’ and that the EU PDO logo related to them must appear on the labelling of the products.

The text ‘The guarantee label with the name of the designation makes it possible to identify the product and monitor the volumes produced and marketed. It must be affixed to the pot in a visible manner’ has been introduced. It is provided for in national legislation on the registered designation of origin ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’.

3.7.   National requirements

In the light of changes to national legislation and rules, the ‘National requirements’ heading now contains a table indicating the main items to be checked, their reference values and the evaluation methods to be used.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

‘MIEL DE CORSE’/‘MELE DI CORSICA’

EC No: FR-PDO-0105-0066-20.04.2011

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Name

‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.4.

Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

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

‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ is a product with a complex floral composition and typical markers of the island’s flora.

Its general characteristics may be described using a defined varietal range corresponding to the following successive types of annual beekeeping production:

spring;

spring maquis;

maquis honeydew;

chestnut grove;

summer maquis;

autumn maquis.

‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ has odours, aromas and tastes that may vary according to the varietal range. The honeys must not have any foreign odours, aromas or tastes.

In order to receive a varietal designation, the honeys must meet the visual, olfactory and gustatory requirements defined below and their pollen composition must correspond to the plant associations defined below.

Honeys	Visual characteristics	Olfactory characteristics	Gustatory characteristics	Main plant associations
Spring	Very light to light golden	Intensity: low to medium	Aromatic intensity: low to medium	The clementine tree (Citrus aurentium × deliciosa) associated with fruit trees and kiwi fruit and different species from the maquis around the cultivated areas: rock rose, oak, trefoil, willow, bramble, rose hip, myrtle, eucalyptus, cytinus or The asphodel (Asphodelus sp.) or the vetch (Vicia sp.) or the viper's bugloss (Echium sp.) or burrs of the Galactite type associated with different maquis species (see Erica maquis)
		Quality: plant, floral (cooked fruit or dairy product)	Quality: fruity, floral, fresh and delicate or fresh fruit, plant, dairy
			Taste: normal or medium sweetness, without any particular acidity or slightly acid
			Persistence and aftertaste: low to medium with no aftertaste
Spring maquis	Amber to dark amber	Intensity: medium	Aromatic intensity: medium, rather rich	Tree heather (Erica arborea) associated with other nectariferous species, in particular marine or stoechas lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and/or: — willows (Salix sp.) — trefoils (Lotus sp.) — viper's bugloss (Echium sp.) — clovers, asphodels — cytisus, calicotomes — yellow kidney vetch (Anthyllis hermanniae) — germanders (Teucrium sp.), brooms (Genista sp.) — hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) with the presence of pollen from: — rock rose, oak, flowering ash — boxwood and/or chestnut
		Quality: floral typified to a varying degree as ‘coconut’, liquorice, leather	Quality: delicate, rather typified. Dark caramel, cocoa
			Taste: normal sweetness with no particular acidity or bitterness
			Persistence and aftertaste: low to medium, slight aftertaste
Maquis honeydew	Dark	Intensity: low	Aromatic intensity: medium to high, rather rich	The three rock rose species (Cistus sp.) associated with marine lavender, cytinus (Cytinus hypocistis), calicotomes, jasione (Jasione montana), burrs of the Galactite type, myrtle (Myrtus communis), eucalyptus, etc. or Oaks (Quercus sp.) and different maquis species such as Erica maquis
		Quality: plant-like, woody, slightly sharp, caramel, slightly animal-like, musky	Quality: ripe fruit, dry. Cooked sugar, liquorice, caramel. (Balsamic, cooked wine)
			Taste: not too sweet, clearly acidic, malty taste
			Persistence and aftertaste: rather persistent, fairly long-lasting in the mouth
Chestnut grove	Amber to dark amber	Intensity: medium to high	Aromatic intensity: medium to high	Chestnut (Castanea sativa) associated mainly with: brambles (Rubus sp.) and various maquis associations: — Erica — Anthyllis — Teucrium — Genista with oaks and rock roses as well as ivy (Hedera helix) and clematis (Clematis sp.)
		Quality: phenolic, aromatic, woody, tannic	Quality: phenolic, over-ripe apple
			Taste: little sweetness, bitter, tannic, (rather) clear bitterness
			Persistence and aftertaste: very persistent, long-lasting in the mouth. Bitter aftertaste
Summer maquis	Light to light amber	Intensity: low to very low	Aromatic intensity: medium, rather aromatic for a light honey	— Yellow kidney vetch (Anthyllis hermanniae) — Different broom species (Genista sp.) — Cat thyme germander (Teucrium marum) — Brambles (Rubus sp.) — Caraway thyme (Thymus herba-barona)
		Quality: plant, generic honey	Quality: floral, fruity, aromatic, aromatic wood
			Taste: rather sweet, no particular acidity or bitterness
			Persistence and aftertaste: little persistence and no aftertaste
Autumn maquis	Light amber	Intensity: medium to high	Aromatic intensity: medium to high	Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) associated with: — ivy (Hedera helix) — chestnut (Castanea sativa) — brambles (Rubus sp.) — false yellowhead (Inula viscosa) — sarsaparilla (Smilax aspera)
		Quality: phenolic, coffee grounds, bark, woody (ruche gentiane)	Quality: phenolic, coffee grounds
			Taste: rather clear, noticeable bitterness
			Persistence and aftertaste: persistent to very persistent, with a bitter aftertaste

The honey must have the following characteristics:

a pollen spectrum typical of its Corsican origin;

a water content below 18 %, with the exception of honey from chestnut groves and late honey flow from autumn maquis, for which the water content is below 19 %;

a hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content less than or equal to 10 mg/kg at packaging, with the exception of spring maquis honey made from tree heather (Erica arborea), for which the HMF content is less than or equal to 12 mg/kg at packaging.

The honeys must come from nectars and/or honeydew collected by bees of the Corsican ecotype Apis mellifera mellifera L. from plant associations growing spontaneously and naturally in Corsica.

With the exception of citrus plantations, honeys made from cultivated species (in particular rapeseed, sunflower, sulla, buckwheat and sainfoin) are excluded.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

—

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

The prohibition on feeding the bees starts 15 days before the honey flow and continues until the honey harvest.

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

The harvesting and decanting of the honey must take place within the defined geographical area.

3.6.   Specific rules on slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

—

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by general legislation, the labelling of honeys with the protected designation of origin ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ must include:

—	the words ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’,

—	the words ‘Appellation d’origine protégée’ or ‘AOP’,

—	the European Union PDO logo.

The words ‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ must be written in characters at least the same size as half of the largest characters on the label; they must be immediately preceded or followed by the words ‘appellation d’origine protégée’ or ‘AOP’ with no text in between.

These words must be written in clear, legible and indelible characters. They must all be in the same visual field, which may also feature, in smaller characters, references to the varietal range.

Information on the floral or plant origin is authorised only in addition to the varietal range and if the product comes predominantly from the place of origin indicated and has the corresponding organoleptic, physico-chemical and pollen characteristics.

The guarantee label with the name of the designation makes it possible to identify the product and monitor the volumes produced and marketed. It must be affixed to the pot in a visible manner.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covers the entire island of Corsica (departments of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud).

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Specificity of the physical environment

Insularity and geographical identity:

The island of Corsica is characterised by the originality of its natural environment. Its insularity is an advantage when defining the production area.

Corsica is a mountainous island with very uneven terrain. It is divided into three main geological units: crystalline in the west and south and slaty in the north and east, with a central sedimentary depression.

The soils are rather acidic, so the majority of plant species are acidophilous.

Temperatures in Corsica are mild and rainfall is substantial but irregular.

The significant differences in temperatures and rainfall between the coastline and the peaks make it possible to distinguish three separate climates. It is not surprising that such a natural environment is home to an original flora with floral associations and vegetation belts typical of Corsica.

The Corsican maquis has a clearly identifiable set of structural, architectural and floral characteristics that link it undeniably to the terrain of the island. It is vegetation endemic to the island and covers very large areas, from the coastline up to an altitude of about 1 200 metres throughout the island.

Certain plant species cover the island very densely and are distributed over a wide area, from the coastline to higher altitudes where the flowering season is staggered. This results in highly consistent seasonal and regional production of nectar, with quantities varying in accordance with the climatic year: tree heather during the entire spring season; chestnut at the beginning of summer; strawberry tree in autumn-winter.

While these examples reflect the unchanging character of the region, there are numerous more localised species that have special edaphic and/or thermal requirements. They can be used to define specific micro-regional characteristics.

Traditional beekeeping has been developed that makes the most of the potential of this particular flora.

Specificity of the human environment

The tools and writings related to beekeeping in Corsica testify to the long history of this activity.

Since ancient times, numerous writings have described the abundance of honey, which at the time was collected from wild bee colonies.

These ancient authors draw attention to the high levels of production, economic value (tributes) and medicinal properties of the honey, which together reflect its important role on the island.

Starting in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the interest shown by judicial bodies in beekeeping makes it clear that it had become a fully-fledged agricultural activity.

In 1976, beekeepers started meeting and drawing up an ambitious plan to develop their sector. The first research and development projects were launched, in particular to characterise the bee population for selection purposes and to turn the product into a true framework of reference.

Today beekeeping is once again the principal activity of the majority of farmer-producers.

Once honey stopped being collected from wild bee colonies, beekeepers developed tools suited to the requirements of their occupation. While they are very different from the ones used today, a few of those traditional tools can still be found in villages. In other words, beekeeping is an inherent part of Corsica's history.

A special bee population: the Corsican bee ecotype

A biometric study of over 6 000 indicators showed that the island has a native bee population distinguishable both from the golden bee and the black bee living on the continent by its longer tongue, higher cubital index and rather short pilosity.

When it comes to beekeeping and production, this clearly distinguishable ecotype, which is perfectly adapted to its environmental conditions, in particular the climate variations, is able to make the most of the succession of exceptional flowering seasons throughout the year.

The particular annual biological cycle of the Corsican bee ecotype shows how well it has adapted to its environment. It is of Mediterranean type. The critical period for it coincides with the summer drought (egg-laying prevented in August), while development during the winter ceases for only a short time or hardly at all on the coast. In terms of beekeeping and production, this means that all of the environmental resources can be used rationally and reliably.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Miel de Corse’/‘Mele di Corsica’ honey is an authentic product that can be defined using a varietal range. The range corresponds to the seasonal types of beekeeping production.

Different botanical origins are possible, either floral or honeydew.

The product has great diversity of odour, aroma, taste and colour depending on the diversity of its botanical origins. Most of the honeys are typed and marked. The range extends from the mildest to the strongest honeys; from the lightest to the darkest, with aromas that can be floral, fruity, aromatic or phenolic.

However, all unwanted odours, aromas and tastes are prohibited (overly pronounced smell of smoke, old wax, etc.).

The honey must be free from foreign particles or impurities having a diameter greater than 1/10 mm, for example wax. The only elements that it may naturally contain are microscopic particles (pollen grains or algae or microscopic mushroom spoors in the case of honeydew).

Its water content guarantees a superior quality by preventing any developments leading to fermentation.

Its HMF content, caused by the degradation of fructose, ensures the freshness of the product, as it increases with the age of the honey.

The pollen analysis provides information on the Corsican origin and micro-regional provenance of the honey on the basis of the markers in the honey. It helps detect nectars from oil-bearing crops (e.g. rapeseed or sunflower, which, however, are rarely cultivated on a large scale in Corsica), as such honey flow must be excluded.

The taxons identified after a complete inventory of the pollen content of the PDO honey must belong to the regional populations. Significantly absent are taxons (species) that are not present in Corsican flora or are very localised but that are typical of other Euro-Mediterranean honeys.

Honey with the PDO must not contain pollen from the following species:

cultivated species: — Onobrychis viciifolia: sainfoin, — Brassica napus: rapeseed, — Helianthus annuus: sunflower, — Hedysarum coronarium: sulla, — Fagopyrum esculentum: buckwheat;

uncultivated plants: — the genus Hypecoum, — Loranthus europaeus, — Rhus cotinus and Rhus coriaria, — Calluna vulgaris, — Thymus vulgaris.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The typical features of ‘Miel de Corse’ honeys result from the environment and its particular climate, topographical and edaphic conditions. As Corsica is a mountainous island, vegetation belts follow each other in rapid succession.

The organoleptic characteristics of the honeys reflect strongly the principal species used in making the product.

The varietal range reveals the link between the organoleptic specifications of ‘Miel de Corse’ honeys and the main plant associations typical of the island. It represents the successive flowering seasons of the main nectariferous plants.

Each of the categories is linked to a landscape, plant physiognomy and floral associations representing the typical features of the area.

The specificity of this production involving almost exclusively natural vegetation results in greater diversity of production during the course of a year and more inter-annual variation from one year to another than is the case for cultivated plants.

Harvesting is staggered throughout the year, from April to October-November or even February.

The originality of Corsican apicultural flora is crucial in determining the geographical origin of the honeys.

The variety of combinations of both the major (sugar and water) and the minor (different substances) ingredients, which affects the characteristics of the honeys, is clearly linked to the flora that provides the raw materials for the product.

When determining the link to the geographical area, pollen and organoleptic analyses play an essential role, especially as they help define the specific characteristics of the honeys. The quality and quantity of the pollen content of the honeys varies according to their diverse geographical and botanical origins. Pollen grains, which identify their species of origin, are an indicator of the interactions between the bee colony and the environment and serve to establish the link between the product and its geographical area. This analysis provides information on the Corsican origin and micro-regional provenance of the honey on the basis of the markers (pollen grains) in the honey.

The visual, olfactory and gustatory examinations that are part of the organoleptic and sensory analyses make it possible to characterise the honeys according to their colour, aroma and taste. The different sense impressions made by these honeys are directly linked to their origin and composition.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCMielDeCorse.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  See footnote 2.

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