EN Official Journal of the European Union C 288/8

Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2006/C 288/04)

This publication confers the right to object the amendment application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objections must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Amendment application according to Article 9 and Article 17(2)

‘QUESO NATA DE CANTABRIA’

EC No: ES/PDO/117/085/24.01.1994

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

Amendment(s) requested

Heading(s) in the specification:

Name of product

Description of product

Geographical area

Proof of origin

Method of production

Link

Labelling

National requirements

Amendment(s):

Name of product

Replace ‘Queso de Cantabria’ with ‘Queso Nata de Cantabria’.

We hereby request that the name ‘Queso de Cantabria’, currently registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996, be replaced with ‘Queso Nata de Cantabria’.

The application to register the PDO ‘Queso de Cantabria’ was made under Article 17, since it was one of the designations of origin protected under legislation in Spain when Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 entered into force.

Legal protection had been granted in accordance with the national legislation in force, which excluded the possibility of protecting non-geographical names such as ‘Queso de nata’. For this reason, another of the names by which the cheese was known, ‘Queso de Cantabria’, was filed for.

Over a decade has passed since Community registration was sought and we have found that the designation ‘Queso de Nata’ continues to be used by many consumers, who think it involves a different cheese to the one protected by the PDO ‘Queso de Cantabria’. We therefore consider it appropriate to request that the name be amended by combining both designations. Their use is very extensive, as can be seen from the recent bibliography on Spanish cheeses:

— Arroyo González, M: ‘Fabricación de Quesos de Nata’, 1974;

— Arroyo González, M: ‘Los quesos de Cantabria’, 1981;

— Ministry of Agriculture: ‘Catálogo de Quesos de España’, 1990;

— Casado Cimiano, P: ‘La industria Láctea en Cantabria’, 1998

UPDATED SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for registration according to Article 5 and Article 17(2)

‘QUESO NATA DE CANTABRIA’

EC No: ES/PDO/117/0085

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary has been drawn up for information only. For full details, interested parties are invited to consult the full version of the product specification obtainable from the national authorities indicated in section 1 or from the European Commission (1).

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada Dirección General de Alimentación Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación de España Address: Infanta Isabel, 1 E-28071 Madrid Tel.: (34) 913 47 53 94 Fax: (34) 913 47 54 10 e-mail: sgcaproagro@mapya.es

2. Group:

Name: Consejo Regulador de la D.O. ‘QUESO DE CANTABRIA’ Address: Héroes 2 de Mayo, 27 E-39600 Muriedas (Cantabria) Tel.: (34) 942 26 98 55 Fax: (34) 942 26 98 56 e-mail: — Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.3 — Cheese

4. Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1 Name: ‘Queso Nata de Cantabria’

4.2 Description: Matured high-fat cheese, young or semi-cured; cylindrical or six-sided in shape; with smooth, even faces, soft crust and paste, off-white in colour; weight from 400 g to 2 800 g.

4.3 Geographical area: The entire production and manufacturing area covers the whole of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, except for the catchment areas of the Urdón and Cervera rivers (Articles 4 and 8 of the Regulation on the Designation of Origin).

4.4 Proof of origin: Milk as provided for in Articles 5 and 6 of the Regulation on the Designation of Origin, obtained from farms registered by the Regulatory Board, situated in the production area; the raw material and the production and ripening method are under the control of the Regulatory Board in registered establishments, marketed with a guarantee certified by the Regulatory Board.

4.5 Method of production: Milk from Friesian cows; coagulated using animal rennet at a temperature of 30 °C for 40 minutes; salting in brine; matured for at least seven days.

4.6 Link: Mountainous area, very humid climate, highly specialised in dairy farming using mainly Friesian cows; in the XIXth century a new type of pressed ‘pasiego’ cheese was developed, which was to become Cantabrian cheese.

4.7 Inspection body:

Name: Oficina de Calidad Alimentaria (ODECA) Address: Héroes 2 de Mayo, 27 E-39600 Muriedas (Cantabria) Tel.: (34) 942 26 98 55 Fax: (34) 942 26 98 56 e-mail: odeca@odeca.es

4.8 Labelling: ‘Queso Nata de Cantabria’ must be indicated. Label authorised by the Regulatory Board; back-labels numbered and issued by the Regulatory Board (Article 22 of the Regulation).

4.9 National requirements: Law 25/1970 of 2 December, Ministerial Order of 29 October 1985 ratifying the Regulation on the ‘Queso de Cantabria’ Designation of Origin.

(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural Product Quality Policy, B-1049 Brussels.