# Official Journal C 103/2016

| | ISSN 1977-091X |
| --- | --- |
| Official Journal
  of the European Union | C 103 |
| | |
| English edition | Information and Notices | Volume 5918 March 2016 |

ISSN 1977-091X

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 103

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 5918 March 2016

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| Notice No | Contents | page |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | IV   Notices |
| | NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES |
| | European Commission |
| 2016/C 103/01 | Euro exchange rates | 1 |
| 2016/C 103/02 | New national side of euro coins intended for circulation | 2 |
| | Court of Auditors |
| 2016/C 103/03 | Special Report No 9/2016 — EU external migration spending in Southern Mediterranean and Eastern Neighbourhood countries until 2014 | 3 |

Notice No

Contents

page

IV   Notices

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

European Commission

2016/C 103/01

Euro exchange rates

1

2016/C 103/02

New national side of euro coins intended for circulation

2

Court of Auditors

2016/C 103/03

Special Report No 9/2016 — EU external migration spending in Southern Mediterranean and Eastern Neighbourhood countries until 2014

3

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| | V   Announcements |
| --- | --- |
| | ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES |
| | European Commission |
| 2016/C 103/04 | Call for proposals under the multiannual work programme for granting financial aid in the field of the trans-European energy infrastructure under the Connecting Europe Facility for period 2014-2020 (Commission Decision C(2016) 1587) | 4 |
| | PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY |
| | European Commission |
| 2016/C 103/05 | Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.7950 — EGB/GP) (
  1
  ) | 5 |
| | OTHER ACTS |
| | European Commission |
| 2016/C 103/06 | Publication of an 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 | 6 |

V   Announcements

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

European Commission

2016/C 103/04

Call for proposals under the multiannual work programme for granting financial aid in the field of the trans-European energy infrastructure under the Connecting Europe Facility for period 2014-2020 (Commission Decision C(2016) 1587)

4

PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY

European Commission

2016/C 103/05

Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.7950 — EGB/GP) (
  1
  )

1

5

OTHER ACTS

European Commission

2016/C 103/06

Publication of an 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

6

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| --- | --- |
| | (1)   Text with EEA relevance |

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(1)   Text with EEA relevance

1

| EN | |
| --- | --- |

EN

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IV Notices

NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES

European Commission

| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/1 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/1

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Euro exchange rates (1)

17 March 2016

(2016/C 103/01)

1 euro =

| | Currency | Exchange rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| USD | US dollar | 1,1311 |
| JPY | Japanese yen | 126,28 |
| DKK | Danish krone | 7,4553 |
| GBP | Pound sterling | 0,78218 |
| SEK | Swedish krona | 9,2935 |
| CHF | Swiss franc | 1,0959 |
| ISK | Iceland króna | |
| NOK | Norwegian krone | 9,4768 |
| BGN | Bulgarian lev | 1,9558 |
| CZK | Czech koruna | 27,044 |
| HUF | Hungarian forint | 310,05 |
| PLN | Polish zloty | 4,2895 |
| RON | Romanian leu | 4,4776 |
| TRY | Turkish lira | 3,2366 |
| AUD | Australian dollar | 1,4828 |
| CAD | Canadian dollar | 1,4701 |
| HKD | Hong Kong dollar | 8,7744 |
| NZD | New Zealand dollar | 1,6555 |
| SGD | Singapore dollar | 1,5314 |
| KRW | South Korean won | 1 312,85 |
| ZAR | South African rand | 17,4138 |
| CNY | Chinese yuan renminbi | 7,3317 |
| HRK | Croatian kuna | 7,5353 |
| IDR | Indonesian rupiah | 14 749,54 |
| MYR | Malaysian ringgit | 4,5917 |
| PHP | Philippine peso | 52,385 |
| RUB | Russian rouble | 77,3560 |
| THB | Thai baht | 39,351 |
| BRL | Brazilian real | 4,1438 |
| MXN | Mexican peso | 19,8183 |
| INR | Indian rupee | 75,3790 |

Currency

Exchange rate

USD

US dollar

1,1311

JPY

Japanese yen

126,28

DKK

Danish krone

7,4553

GBP

Pound sterling

0,78218

SEK

Swedish krona

9,2935

CHF

Swiss franc

1,0959

ISK

Iceland króna

NOK

Norwegian krone

9,4768

BGN

Bulgarian lev

1,9558

CZK

Czech koruna

27,044

HUF

Hungarian forint

310,05

PLN

Polish zloty

4,2895

RON

Romanian leu

4,4776

TRY

Turkish lira

3,2366

AUD

Australian dollar

1,4828

CAD

Canadian dollar

1,4701

HKD

Hong Kong dollar

8,7744

NZD

New Zealand dollar

1,6555

SGD

Singapore dollar

1,5314

KRW

South Korean won

1 312,85

ZAR

South African rand

17,4138

CNY

Chinese yuan renminbi

7,3317

HRK

Croatian kuna

7,5353

IDR

Indonesian rupiah

14 749,54

MYR

Malaysian ringgit

4,5917

PHP

Philippine peso

52,385

RUB

Russian rouble

77,3560

THB

Thai baht

39,351

BRL

Brazilian real

4,1438

MXN

Mexican peso

19,8183

INR

Indian rupee

75,3790

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

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| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/2 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/2

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New national side of euro coins intended for circulation

(2016/C 103/02)

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009 (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the European Union providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.

Issuing country
  : Lithuania

Subject of commemoration
  : The Baltic culture

Description of the design
  : The design shows an amber disc, one of the most characteristic symbols of the Baltic culture. The disc is decorated with a crosspiece of drilled dots — an ornament symbolising the world’s axis. At the top is the name of the issuing country ‘LIETUVA’, flanked by the mint mark and the year of issuance ‘2016’.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Number of coins to be issued
  :

Date of issue
  : First half of 2016

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(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for the national faces of all the coins issued in 2002.

(2)  See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).

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Court of Auditors

| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/3 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/3

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Special Report No 9/2016

‘EU external migration spending in Southern Mediterranean and Eastern Neighbourhood countries until 2014’

(2016/C 103/03)

The European Court of Auditors hereby informs you that Special Report No 9/2016 ‘EU external migration spending in Southern Mediterranean and Eastern Neighbourhood countries until 2014’ has just been published.

The report can be accessed for consultation or downloading on the European Court of Auditors’ website: http://eca.europa.eu or on EU Bookshop: https://bookshop.europa.eu

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V Announcements

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

European Commission

| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/4 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/4

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Call for proposals under the multiannual work programme for granting financial aid in the field of the trans-European energy infrastructure under the Connecting Europe Facility for period 2014-2020

(Commission Decision C(2016) 1587)

(2016/C 103/04)

The European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, is hereby launching a call for proposals in order to award grants in accordance with the priorities and objectives defined in the multiannual work programme in the field of the trans-European energy infrastructure under the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2014-2020.

Proposals are invited for the following call:

CEF-Energy-2016-1

The indicative amount available for the selected proposals under this call for proposals is EUR 200 million.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is 28 April 2016.

The complete text of the call for proposals is available on: https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/connecting-europe-facility/cef-energy/calls/2016-cef-energy-first-calls-proposals

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PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY

European Commission

| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/5 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/5

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7950 — EGB/GP)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 103/05)

| 1. | On 10 March 2016, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertakings Česká spořitelna, a.s. (‘CSAS’, the Czech Republic); Slovenská sporiteľňa, a.s. (‘SLSP’, Slovakia) and Banca Comercială Română S.A. (‘BCR’, Romania), belonging to the Erste Group Bank AG (‘EGB’, Austria) on one hand, and Global Payments Inc. (‘GP’, United States) on the other, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Global Payments s.r.o. (‘the JV’) by way of transfer of assets and purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture. |
| --- | --- |

1.

On 10 March 2016, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertakings Česká spořitelna, a.s. (‘CSAS’, the Czech Republic); Slovenská sporiteľňa, a.s. (‘SLSP’, Slovakia) and Banca Comercială Română S.A. (‘BCR’, Romania), belonging to the Erste Group Bank AG (‘EGB’, Austria) on one hand, and Global Payments Inc. (‘GP’, United States) on the other, acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Global Payments s.r.o. (‘the JV’) by way of transfer of assets and purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

| 2. | The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:
  —   EGB: provision of banking, financial services and payment services including merchant acquiring services in Central and Eastern Europe,
  —   GP: provision of card payment processing services, including merchant acquiring services in the EEA, and also globally,
  —   JV: provision of merchant acquiring services in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. |
| --- | --- |

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—   EGB: provision of banking, financial services and payment services including merchant acquiring services in Central and Eastern Europe,

—   GP: provision of card payment processing services, including merchant acquiring services in the EEA, and also globally,

—   JV: provision of merchant acquiring services in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania.

| 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. |
| --- | --- |

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. 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.7950 — EGB/GP, to the following address:





  European Commission |
| --- | --- |
| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË |

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. 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.7950 — EGB/GP, 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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OTHER ACTS

European Commission

| 18.3.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 103/6 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

18.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 103/6

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Publication of an 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

(2016/C 103/06)

The 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)

‘STRACHITUNT’

EU No: PDO-IT-02092 — 24.11.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

| Consorzio per la Tutela [protection body] for Strachitunt Valtaleggio |
| --- |
| registered at Piazza Don Arrigoni 7 |
| c/o Town Hall |
| 24010 Vedeseta (BG) |
| ITALIA |
| Tel. +39 3355754211 |
| Email | : | info@strachitunt.it
  consorziostv@pec.it |

Consorzio per la Tutela [protection body] for Strachitunt Valtaleggio

registered at Piazza Don Arrigoni 7

c/o Town Hall

24010 Vedeseta (BG)

ITALIA

Tel. +39 3355754211

Email

:

info@strachitunt.it

consorziostv@pec.it

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

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

| — | ☒ | Description of product |
| --- | --- | --- |
| — | ☐ | Proof of origin |
| — | ☐ | Method of production |
| — | ☐ | Link |
| — | ☐ | Labelling |
| — | ☐ | Other [to be specified] |

—

☒

Description of product

—

☐

Proof of origin

—

☐

Method of production

—

☐

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. |

—

☐

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)

The product description has been amended so that the height of the heel of the cheese must be between 10 cm and 18 cm instead of between 15 cm and 18 cm.

The amendment request is justified by the changing requirements of the market. Since the product was registered as a PDO in March 2014, a growing appreciation of Strachitunt cheese among consumers has been observed, and greater interest among distributors. The presence of this PDO product in a small mountain valley has helped to promote tourism and increase demand for and direct sales of the local product, and it has acted as a driving force for other local products, thereby encouraging and driving the economy of this mountain area as a whole. However, it has been observed that buyers are more interested in cheeses with a lower heel and which are therefore slightly smaller. These smaller cheeses satisfy the needs of direct buyers on the one hand, who appreciate small portions, and large retailers on the other, given that the cheeses better meet their requirements for pre-packaged products; finally, they also attract foreign customers who are intrigued by the product but who are wary of carrying home cheeses that are too heavy. In order to meet the changing needs of consumers and distributors, it is important that the request for a minor amendment be granted, in view of the fact that the above-mentioned change in the parameters does not affect the subsequent processing stages, the ageing process or, most importantly, the characteristics of the finished product, which remain as set out in the specification.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘STRACHITUNT’

EU No: PDO-IT-02092 — 24.11.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name

‘Strachitunt’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses

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

Description of product to which the name in 1 applies

Strachitunt is a blue cheese made from raw whole cow’s milk using the ancient dual-curd technique and matured for a medium to long period of at least 75 days.

Strachitunt has a thin and coarse rind, of average firmness, sometimes covered with mould, and yellowish in colour but turning to grey with extended ageing.

It is a cylindrical cheese with flat sides varying in diameter from 25 cm to 28 cm, with a straight or slightly convex heel of 10 cm to 18 cm in height. Each cheese weighs between 4 kg and 6 kg.

When cut, Strachitunt has a compact, marbled texture, fusing just under the rind, with creamy streaks and green-blue veins from the mould formation. The degree of marbling in the curd varies according to the number of spores naturally present in the milk and their capacity to develop.

The flavour is aromatic and intense, ranging from mild to spicy, and can become more pronounced as it matures.

The fat content is at least 48 %, expressed as a percentage of dry matter.

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

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

Raw milk, collected in two separate milkings, with at least 90 % of the total coming from Bruna [brown] cows.

Calf rennet and salt available on the market are used in the production process.

The milk used in the production of Strachitunt comes from farms where grass and/or hay from mixed-grass meadows make up at least 65 % of the total dry matter in the cattle’s diet. At least 90 % of this fodder, corresponding to around 60 % of the cattle’s diet, must come from the area identified in point 4 below. The animals’ diet may also include cereal concentrates (corn, barley, wheat), pulses (soya), and by-products of cereal and pulse processing, representing no more than 35 % of the dry matter, with salt licks and mineral or vitamin complexes as supplements.

The use of maize silage is prohibited.

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

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

All stages of the production process must take place within the defined geographical area described in point 4 below, including rearing the cows, milking, collecting and processing the milk, and making and maturing the cheese.

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

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

Strachitunt PDO cheese may be portioned and packaged outside the geographical production area. Companies portioning and packaging the cheese must inform the Consorzio di Tutela [protection body] for Strachitunt prior to carrying out such activities.

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

Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

Strachitunt cheese is marketed in whole wheels and/or in portions, and is released for consumption with the logo (figure) stamped on one side and the date of production stamped on the heel.

Whole wheels must also have an identifying label bearing the name ‘Strachitunt’ and the logo (figure) on the top side of the wheel. If marketed in portions, the external packaging of the cheese must show the logo (figure) in a repeated pattern.

Figure

Figure

Graphic symbol (logo)

Graphic symbol (logo)

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area includes the municipalities of Taleggio, Vedeseta, Gerosa and Blello, located in Bergamo Province at a minimum altitude of 700 m above sea level. These areas, in part or as a whole, make up the Valtaleggio region.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Link with the geographical area

The Taleggio valley, located at the heart of the Orobian Pre-Alps with a considerable portion in the Bergamo Orobian natural park, has no industrial activities or sources of pollution within its borders, and it benefits from a sufficiently remote position compared with the overcrowded Lombardy plains and the largest built-up areas. This situation enables the Taleggio valley to retain uncontaminated areas where nature thrives, and these have a positive influence on all the production activities in the area.

Aside from their neighbouring locations, the municipalities identified above also share similar geo-anthropic characteristics. The prevalence of grazing meadows provides an ideal environment for rearing livestock and alpine grazing, and enables the milk used in making Strachitunt cheese to be produced and processed. The high proportion of Bruna cows in the area is typical of cattle-rearing in this mountain region. The location of the area of origin guarantees that animals will have at least six months of pasture-grazing each year, and this improves the quality of the milk, which is highly dependent on achieving an optimum level of animal welfare. The combination of these conditions and the general climate of this mountain region at an altitude of at least 700 m above sea level, together with the storehouses where the cheese is matured, continues to represent the optimal environment for producing many different types of soft cheese, today as in the past. The geographical area consists of localities with an historic and documented dairy-farming tradition, and thus the techniques used in producing and maturing Strachitunt are long-established.

Within the geographical production area, the milk is processed either directly at the alpine pasture site, or at other farms in the region: in the first case, the milk is not transported at all; in the second, it is transported only a short distance.

In addition, the adoption of traditional techniques, such as the dual-curd method and the use of acid whey as a degreasing agent to clean the heating vat and utensils, are environmentally friendly and respect the microflora that are naturally present in the working environment, whilst maintaining the wholesomeness of the finished product. Farms within the area of origin mainly use underground storehouses for maturing the cheese, with ‘static’ cooling systems that take advantage of the climate’s low temperatures. This is made possible by the shape of the valley, whereby the areas to the right of the Enna stream have a very limited exposure to the sun, even during the summer. These conditions help to determine the varying degree of marbling that characterises the cheese.

Strachitunt is the product of the ancient dual-curd cheese-making technique. This technique requires the use of two curds: one warm, and one cold, obtained approximately 12 hours apart from the two daily milkings.

The curds are combined and mixed to form a single cheese.

Strachitunt’s distinguishing characteristics are its special production method, its degree of marbling which varies according to the presence of natural mould (adding any fungal cultures to the milk is prohibited), and its compact, marbled texture fusing under the rind, with creamy streaks.

The methods used to produce Strachitunt stem from the morphological characteristics of the Valtaleggio area, which led to the development of small farms where cheeses were made for private consumption.

In addition, rearing Bruna cattle, with their remarkable capacity to adapt to the mountain soil and climate conditions, has influenced and continues to influence the characteristics of the milk.

Historically, it was necessary to produce cheeses with raw milk processed in copper vats because of the use of wood as fuel, which meant that the milk could not be heat-treated.

The dual-curd technique also emerged as a result of the necessity of processing milk immediately after milking, as it was impossible to keep it chilled; this method allowed the warm curd to be used as soon as it was obtained together with the cold curd from the previous milk processing.

This processing method means that the chemical, physical and microbiological qualities of the milk and of the finished product are very closely linked. The marbling comes from the natural presence of mould spores in the milk and in the places where the cheese matures. This mould is able to develop due to the special production techniques and the practice of piercing holes in the cheese while it is maturing.

All the activities that take place during the production of Strachitunt are inseparably linked to the geographical environment and the traditions handed down over time, which determine the distinctive characteristics of the finished product.

Reference to publication of the specification

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The consolidated text of the product specification is available on the internet: 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 IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP 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.

1

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

2

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