EN Official Journal of the European Union C 466/8

Publication of an amendment 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

(2014/C 466/06)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment 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 ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 9

‘AGNELLO DI SARDEGNA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0205-01227-6.5.2014

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

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2. Type of amendment

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3. Amendment(s)

Description of product

— The maximum protein content has been deleted. The new wording allows the consumer to purchase ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ meat with a higher protein content than at present.

— The figure for the ether extract indicated in the Specification has been changed from ‘less than 3 %’ to ‘less than 3,5 %’. As the animals in question graze free-range and semi-free-range in a completely natural environment, particular climatic and environmental conditions may cause this figure to vary in the carcase; it is therefore necessary to take account of this fact so as not to risk the unjustified exclusion from the market of ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ meat raised using the method defined in the Specification.

Production method

— The weight range for the ‘suckling’ and ‘light’ categories has been broadened. The ‘suckling’ category has changed from ‘5-7 kg’ to ‘4,5-8,5 kg’. The decrease in the minimum weight has been requested by farmers who raise sheep in mountainous and/or rugged areas, as these tend to be smaller than sheep raised on the plains. The increase in the maximum weight, however, is necessary due to genetic improvements in the breeds, as well as to improved sheep rearing techniques/farming practices and health which has led to suckling lambs that are slightly heavier than those indicated in the Specification. As a result, the minimum weight for the ‘light’ category has also changed from ‘7’ to ‘8,5’ kg.

Conditioning

— So as to better meet the demands of major supermarket chains which ever more frequently wish to process products on their own retail premises, all geographical links to the preparation and conditioning of Agnello di Sardegna cuts within the Sardinia Region have been removed.

— The ‘short-forequarters’ cut, obtained when the head and pluck are removed, has been inserted. Adding this cut better describes the cuts that can be produced after removal of the head and the pluck.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (3)

‘AGNELLO DI SARDEGNA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0205-01227-6.5.2014

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Agnello di Sardegna’

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class: 1.1 Fresh meat (and offal)

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

On release for consumption, ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI has the following appearance: white, fine-textured and firm meat that is tender when cooked and slightly veined with fat. The carcase does not have excessive muscle mass and has the right balance between bone and muscle.

Organoleptic analysis must reveal properties such as tenderness, succulence, a delicate aroma and the presence of odours typical of young, fresh meat.

The meat must also have the following physico-chemical properties:

pH > 6 Proteins (on a wet basis) ≥ 13 % Ether extract (on a wet basis) < 3,5 %

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI meat is from lambs born and reared in Sardinia, obtained from sheep of the Sarda breed or first generation crosses with the Ile De France and Berrichon Du Cher meat breeds or other highly specialised and well-tested meat breeds.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

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3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

‘Suckling’ lambs (4,5-8,5 kg) must be fed exclusively with their mother’s milk (suckled) and ‘light’ lambs (8,5-10 kg) and lambs ‘for cutting’ (10-13 kg) with mother’s milk complemented with fresh or dried natural feed (fodder and cereals) and wild plants characteristic of the island of Sardinia.

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

The ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ Protected Geographical Indication is reserved exclusively for lambs born, reared and slaughtered in Sardinia.

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

No special form of packaging is proposed for the sale of whole lamb carcases, in principle in the production area, and they may be marketed in accordance with health and hygiene rules, using suitable refrigerated transport.

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI may be released for consumption as a whole carcass or in the following cuts:

a) ‘Suckling’ Agnello di Sardegna (4,5-8,5 kg):

1. whole;

2. half-carcass (obtained by sagittal sectioning into two symmetrical parts);

3. foresaddle and hindsaddle (whole or sliced);

4. head and pluck;

5. short-forequarters, obtained when the head and pluck are removed;

6. shoulder, haunch, loin (whole anatomical parts or sliced);

7. assorted pack (assortment of the anatomical parts described above).

b) ‘Light’ Agnello di Sardegna (8,5-10 kg) and Agnello di Sardegna ‘for cutting’ (10-13 kg):

1. whole;

2. half-carcass (obtained by sagittal sectioning into two symmetrical parts);

3. foresaddle and hindsaddle (whole or sliced);

4. head and pluck;

5. short-forequarters, obtained when the head and pluck are removed;

6. hindsaddle: the two whole haunches including the saddle (left and right);

7. English saddle: the upper dorsal part with the final two ribs and the belly flaps;

8. loin: the upper fore — dorsal part;

9. rump: the two fillets;

10. foresaddle: the shoulders, scrag and neck and upper chops of the forepart;

11. outer shoulder pair: the two shoulders attached to the neck;

12. leg chump-on: the leg, haunch, ilium and sacrum and the hind parts of the loins;

13. leg chump-off: the hind parts of the region of the ilium and sacrum and the hind parts of the loins.

Other cuts:

14. saddle: the ilium and sacrum, either with or without the final lumbar vertebra;

15. fillet: the lumbar region;

16. rack: the upper dorsal part including the first and second ribs;

17. uncovered loin: the fore parts comprising the first five dorsal vertebrae;

18. shoulder: whole;

19. neck: the neck area;

20. upper chops: the lower thoracic area;

21. shoulder, haunch, loin (whole anatomical parts or sliced);

22. assorted pack (assortment of the anatomical parts described above).

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI must be marketed whole and/or in portions and the packages of the whole or cut carcases bearing the PGI or the labels affixed thereto must bear the information laid down in the relevant rules in clear and indelible lettering.

In particular, vacuum packs and other forms of packaging allowed by law must bear details of:

a) the ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI, together with the logo;

b) the type of meat;

c) the cut.

The logo, consisting of a stylised lamb, shows a head and hoof. The outline is in the shape of Sardinia. The typeface used for the words ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ is Block.

The outline of the mark and of the lamb is in Pantone 350 (cyan 63 %, yellow 90 % and black 63 %); the background of the mark is in Pantone 5763 (cyan 14 %, yellow 54 % and black 50 %).

It is prohibited to add to the protected designation any other description not expressly provided for in the product specification, including the adjectives fine (fine), scelto (selected), selezionato (selected), superiore (superior) or genuino (genuine).

However, additional authentic place names may be used, such as historical/geographical names or the names of municipalities, undertakings, holdings and estates. with reference to the rearing, slaughtering and packing of the product, provided these are not of a laudatory nature and are not likely to mislead the consumer. Such wordings on the label must be in characters a third of the size of those used for the abbreviation PGI.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Agnello di Sardegna is reared throughout the Region of Sardinia.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The island of Sardinia enjoys an essentially Mediterranean climate with mild, relatively wet winters and dry, hot summers.

The influence of the sea is felt almost everywhere on the island and produces fairly mild average temperatures, with an annual average ranging from 14 °C to 18 °C. Rainfall is concentrated in November and December, whereas July and August see almost none, and during the rest of the year it is very erratic. Overall, rainfall is not scant (average of 500-800 mm/year).

One of the most striking features of the Sardinian climate is the wind: the maestrale, a cold north-west wind, blows with great violence, mainly in winter but also from time to time in other seasons. At the end of autumn temperate, moist winds from the Atlantic predominate, while in early spring hot, dry winds blow from Africa (i.e. from the south).

Partly because of its sparse population and its island nature, which have favoured separation from the surrounding areas, Sardinia has preserved intact to this day many of its original natural features, many of which are peculiar to the region: the landscape is often wild, harsh and deserted and in certain places has a beauty and charm rare in the Mediterranean. This has meant that Sardinia has maintained almost undisturbed a number of ancient plant species, which have elsewhere either changed or disappeared. Most of the island, where migratory livestock herding in open pasture has traditionally been the dominant activity, is covered by pasture land, both grassland steppe and scrubland. The richest, most extensive and vigorous flora is clearly the maquis that characterises the Sardinian landscape up to around 800 m above sea level, sometimes forming isolated, picturesque thickets on the bare coastal cliffs. The maquis comprises the typical combination of evergreen shrubs, which can reach heights of 4-5 m in deeper, moister soils, where it is known as high maquis. Here the species are primarily oleasters (wild olives), mastic trees, carob trees, myrtles, laurels, junipers and rockrose trees. Oleasters often grow thickly along the shores of streams. Elsewhere the maquis is impoverished, with shrubs around 50 cm high, commonly called ‘garriga’, including sage, rosemary, heather, thyme, broom etc. Also interesting to note are thickets of dwarf palm.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI is distinguished above all by its small size: meat covered by the ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI clearly differs from that from other, heavier, multi-purpose breeds, which often has a pronounced flavour that consumers do not always appreciate. ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI, on the other hand, always has a pleasant taste because of the low levels of saturated fats in its fat cover, which are conversely rich in tastier and more easily digestible unsaturated chains (because the lambs are fed on milk on natural pastures).

The fat in the carcase is the natural complement to the meat and most of it is lost during cooking, leaving the meat perfectly juicy and pleasant, but in particular more tender and succulent on the palate. ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI is distinguished by its tender, white meat, intense aroma and outstanding digestibility and leanness.

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI is an ideal food, not only because of its taste but also in terms of its nutritional value, being rich in complete proteins. This makes the meat particularly suitable for those requiring a light but high-energy diet.

‘Agnello di Sardegna’ PGI is biologically healthy and totally free of any chemical or biotic contamination. Sarda lambs, because of their young age, are not subject to force feeding, environmental stress or hormonal treatments, being reared in the open air in a completely natural environment.

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 characteristic features of ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ are entirely attributable to the region of origin.

Its distinctive wild flavour is a direct result of the lambs being fed on their mother’s milk and natural feed and reared in the open air. ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ lambs are reared extensively in open housing and thus in a totally natural environment characterised by large open areas constantly exposed to the strong sunshine, the winds and other weather conditions prevailing in Sardinia.

Rearing ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ in the open air means that its feed is almost unique: suckling lambs are reared only on their mother’s milk and then, when they grow, follow their mother to pasture where their diet is supplemented with natural feed, grasses and wild and aromatic plants characteristic of the island’s habitat. Over the years, the biological and reproductive cycles of the Sarda breed have adapted to their environment; the ewes therefore usually lamb in late autumn, when the first rains arrive and the vegetation starts to grow again. For these reasons, the meat is particularly prized for its organoleptic properties. In addition, the diet of mother’s milk determines not only the quantity of fat but also its quality. The fats ingested during suckling determine the composition of body fats throughout the growth period. Furthermore, rearing in the open air guarantees that the lambs are healthy and have adequate exercise, particularly in a natural environment such as that of Sardinia with its wide open spaces and a landscape unaffected by industrial and human activities. The Sardinian landscape shares a feature that gives it a remarkable degree of uniformity, its bareness, caused by a lack of cultivated trees, constantly recalling the prevalence of livestock grazing. This impression reflects reality: Sardinia is an island of shepherds and sheep-farming is by far the most important economic activity on the island. With 3 294 044 sheep on its 16 410 holdings distributed throughout the island, Sardinia has 40 % of the total Italian sheep population.

Thus Sardinia continues to be an island of shepherds, as it has been for centuries. Sheep-farming dates back to the prenuraghic era and remains of the first implements used to process milk have been found in nuraghi. Documents from Roman times also make frequent references to sheep-farming. The ‘Sarda’ sheep breed has become established on the island over the centuries through constant adaptation in response to selective breeding by the sheep-farmers. Essentially, it is the result of a long process of interaction between people and the land or in other words between people, the land and animal breeds.

Farmers today provide the same care and attention to their flocks as they have for centuries and by preserving the ancient practices they have ensured that ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ today has the same unique unadulterated quality and goodness that it has always had.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (4))

The Ministry launched the national opposition procedure with the publication of the amendment application regarding ‘Agnello di Sardegna’ Protected Geographical Indication in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 61 of 14 March 2014.

The full text of the product specification is available on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going direct to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità e sicurezza’ (at the top right of the screen), and then on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

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

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

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

(4) See footnote 3.