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Document 91997E002374

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2374/97 by Juan COLINO SALAMANCA to the Commission. Protected designation of origin for the sheep's cheese Roncal (from Navarre)

ĠU C 82, 17.3.1998, p. 66 (ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)

European Parliament's website

Date of document:
10/07/1997; Dáta tarchurtha
Date of dispatch:
10/07/1997
Date of reply:
04/09/1997; ?
Author:
Il-Parlament Ewropew, COLINO SALAMANCA
Form:
Mistoqsija bil-miktub
Parliamentary term:
Ir-raba’ leġiżlatura
Political group:
Grupp Soċjalista fil-Parlament Ewropew

91997E2374

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2374/97 by Juan COLINO SALAMANCA to the Commission. Protected designation of origin for the sheep's cheese Roncal (from Navarre)

Official Journal C 082 , 17/03/1998 P. 0066


WRITTEN QUESTION E-2374/97 by Juan Colino Salamanca (PSE) to the Commission (10 July 1997)

Subject: Protected designation of origin for the sheep's cheese Roncal (from Navarre)

The PDO, as defined in Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 ((OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1. )), establishes a close link between the quality and production of raw materials and their geographical origin.

It would appear that there are irregularities in the production of Roncal cheese, owing to the use of ewe's milk other than that produced locally.

Is the Commission aware of or has it heard about these irregularities?

Can producers, by means of this kind of practice, change the specifications of a PDO?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (4 September 1997)

This matter has already been brought to the Commission's attention by a letter from European Farmers Coordination of 14 May 1997.

Following the adoption of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 ((OJ L 148, 21.6.1996. )), the use of the name 'Roncal', a protected designation of origin within the Community, is reserved for producers established within a defined geographical area of the autonomous region of Navarre who produce the cheese in question in accordance with binding specifications.

In accordance with the definition in Article 2(2)(a) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92, in the case of a protected designation of origin (PDO) the raw material has in particular to come exclusively from the area defined by producers in the above specifications. Using raw material produced outside the defined area would result in loss of entitlement to the PDO.

European Farmers Coordination's objections to a Navarre company's use of ewe's milk from Aveyron and the Basque region of France in the production of 'Roncal' cheese are too vague for the Commission to take any action on the matter for the present. They have been asked to provide factual proof which would bear out the Honourable Member's allegations so the Commission can take up the matter with the Spanish authorities and exchange opinions on this subject.

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