EN Official Journal of the European Union C 267/46

Publication of an 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

(2007/C 267/16)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘AGNEAU DE LOZERE’

EC No: FR/PGI/005/0501/06.10.2005

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (I.N.A.O.) Address: 51, rue d'Anjou F-75008 Paris Tel. (33) 153 89 80 00 Fax (33) 142 25 57 97 E-mail: info@inao.gouv.fr

2. Group:

Name: Association Viande d'Agneau de Lozère (A.V.A.L.) Address: c/o Cobevial Avenue Pierre Sémard F-48100 Marvejols Tel. (33) 466 32 43 08 Fax (33) 466 32 04 02 E-mail: cobevial-48@wanadoo.fr Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( X )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.1: Fresh meat (and offal)

4. Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1 Name: ‘Agneau de Lozère’

4.2 Description: The characteristics of the product concerned by the PGI are as follows:

Breed: male and female Blanche du Massif Central breeding stock.

Type of animal: The lambs (male and female) are young and light, just on the threshold between suckling and grass-fed lamb. They are not separated from their mothers before being taken from the holding but suckle until natural weaning, and are never fed formula milk.

Rearing method: the rearing method is economical, based on the optimum use of grazing resources in the PGI area. The aim is to put the herd out to pasture as much as possible. Systematic use of areas of pasture on the holdings is a measure of the special character of the product. This distinguishes it from lambs raised in more intensive areas. As the mothers feed on land with varied vegetation and few inputs, their milk impacts on the lambs.

The lambs are slaughtered at not more than 130 days of age.

Carcase characteristics:

lamb carcase weight of between 7 and 19 kg,

conformation: U, R, O in the EUROP grading scale,

fat cover: classes 2 and 3 in the EUROP grading scale,

colour: pinky white,

fat quality: firm, malleable white fat.

The sheepmeat is sold fresh:

as whole and half-carcases,

in small wholesale cuts,

in ready-to-cut portions (Prêt A Découper, PAD),

in consumer sales units (Unité de Vente Consommateur, UVC).

4.3 Geographical area: The lambs are born, raised and slaughtered in the PGI area.

The ‘Agneau de Lozère’ PGI area is defined by the following criteria:

Presence of Blanche du Massif Central (BMC) ewes.

— Criterion used: presence of BMC: over 500 BMC ewes present in each canton.

Rising altitude, on a South-East/North-West axis.

— Criterion used: cantons situated above 800 metres or at an altitude varying between 600 and 800 metres.

Pastureland with poor productive capacity rising on a North-West/South-East axis.

— Criterion used: more than 20 % unproductive permanent grassland (Surface Toujours en Herbe, STH).

No volcanic subsoils, as these lead to more intensive production of animals and per hectare.

The geographical area consists of 259 municipalities in 4 departments.

— Département de la Lozère (48): the whole Department (185 municipalities).

— Département du Cantal (15): 33 municipalities: Alleuze, Anglards-de-Saint-Flour, Anterrieux, Celoux, Chaliers, Chaudes-Aigues, Chazelles, Clavieres, Coren, Deux-Verges, Espinasse, Faverolles, Fridefont, Jabrun, Lieutades, Lorcieres, Loubaresse, Maurines, Mentieres, Montchamp, Rageade, Ruynes-en-Margeride, Saint-Georges, Saint-Just, Saint-Marc, Saint-Martial, Saint-Remy-de-Chaudes-Aig, Saint-Urcize, Soulages, Tiviers, Trinitat, Vabres, Vedrines-Saint-Loup.

— Département de l'Ardèche (07): 11 municipalities: Borne, Cellier-du-Luc, Laval-d'Aurelle, Laveyrune, Lesperon, Malarce-sur-la-Thines, Montselgues, Saint-Alban-en-Montagne, Saint-Etienne-de-Lugdares, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, Sainte-Marguerite-Lafiger.

— Département de la Haute Loire (43): 30 municipalities: Alleyras, Ally, Arlet, Auvers, Besseyre-Saint-Mary, Chanaleilles, Charraix, Hastel, Chazelles, Croisances, Cronce, Cubelles, Desges, Esplantas, Ferrussac, Grezes, Langeac, Monistrol-d'Allier, Pebrac, Pinols, Prades, Saint-Austremoine, Saint-Christophe-d'Allier, Saint-Prejet-d'Allier, Saint-Venerand, Saugues, Tailhac, Thoras, Vazeilles-près-Saugues, Venteuges.

4.4 Proof of origin: Traceability is guaranteed from birth until the meat is sold to consumers. Sheepfarmers are required to keep herd registers up-to-date and to identify their animals in line with the rules.

Animals which are excluded from the PGI procedure are marked with a red cross on their back.

Animals which are eligible for the PGI procedure are given a special eartag referring to the PGI.

Traceability of live animals is ensured through the animal's working number.

Traceability of carcases is ensured by the slaughterhouse number (in connection with the working number), and traceability of the cuts of meat by the batch number.

4.5 Method of production: Holdings must be authorised before they can produce Agneau de Lozère.

The lambs are born of ewes of the Blanche du Massif Central breed and rams of the same breed. The current aims of selection are to improve the qualities of the mother ewes, milk value (which impacts on fat quality and colour), prolificacy, growth and, above all, carcase quality (conformation and amount of fat).

The intensity is below 1,4 livestock units per hectare, or fewer than 10 ewes per hectare used (grassland, range: heath, undergrowth, summer mountain pasture).

Buildings must offer an internal area of around 1,5 m2 per ewe fed, if equipped with traditional troughs or with transverse feeding racks perpendicular to a central corridor. In buildings equipped with feeding racks the area required is just 1,3 m2 per ewe.

Feeding of mothers

In quantitative terms, the development of grazing resources is restricted by climate constraints (cold temperatures in winter, drought in summer, etc.) which reduce supply and the period of use. Thus, depending on the different times of year and on the physiological needs of the animals, farmers make use predominantly of grassland or of range. However, optimum use of grassland and range depends closely on the combined use of both, supplemented with other feed resources produced from range, grassland, fodder crops or dry fodder.

Farmers undertake to strive for self-sufficiency in fodder supply (harvested grass, grazed grass). 100 % of fodder consumed will therefore be harvested in the PGI area, apart from the dried alfalfa required as a source of protein. The fodder may be produced or purchased in the PGI area. However, the dried alfalfa purchased may not exceed 10 % of fodder consumed.

Feeding of lambs

During the first stage of their lives the lambs are fed exclusively from their mother's milk: they suckle until they are naturally weaned. There is contact between ewes and lambs at least twice a day for suckling to promote lactation for as long as possible. Lambs are not separated from their mothers until they are removed for slaughter.

At the end of the rearing period, on top of their mother's milk lambs may be given a feed supplement comprising at least 50 % cereals and cereal by-products. This feed supplement may make up no more than 31 % of the total ration and does not necessarily have to come from the PGI area.

Slaughter and cutting

The lambs are slaughtered in the PGI area. Cutting may be carried out outside the PGI area. The meat may be packaged under film, vacuum-packed or packaged under a modified atmosphere.

4.6 Link: BMC is a hardy breed which has been developed into a pure breed:

Historically, the Blanche du Massif Central (BMC) breed is considered to be one branch of a vast population of sheep termed ‘Caussenards’ which for more than 2 000 years inhabited the Causses, the dry regions with poor, stony soil bordering the Massif Central from the South to the South-West.

In recent decades the term ‘Blanc de Lozère’ appeared, marking a change in the population located in Margeride as breeders sought to obtain fuller and fatter animals from the best herds.

As the geographical area covered by the breed spread well beyond the boundaries of the area in which it originated, it finally took the less restrictive name ‘Blanche du Massif Central’ (BMC).

BMC advantages in terms of this rearing method: specific characteristics of this breed which make it particularly well-adapted to the territory:

The BMC breed has adapted particularly well to the different, sometimes difficult, almost entirely open-air herd management situations in dry, arid regions, and more continental mountain conditions. This quality gives farmers sheep which can tolerate the worst weather conditions on plateaux with no shelter, make do with whatever they find to eat and even walk long distances to find better grazing.

In Lozère, the continuing predominance of BMC over other sheep breeds in meat production is mainly down to its hardiness. The quality of this meat is determined by the PGI territory as it results from the specific nature of the diet of the mother ewes and lambs from this region.

By enduring with its special characteristics, the BMC breed today represents the key link to the area.

The importance of grazing in the rearing method

The rearing method (grazing) on which the production of the lambs covered by the PGI application rests is an economical system based on the optimum use of local resources: grazed grass, harvested grass and auto-consumed cereals.

Grazing therefore encompasses specific environments which, unlike areas such as grassland, lend themselves to traditional mechanised practices very little if at all, at least in an economically acceptable way. Grazing areas can be used rarely or not at all by other species such as cattle.

Hence the special character of ‘Agneau de Lozère’ rests on the combination of a high-quality product along with the purity of the breed and diversity of its feed, and an environmental consideration related to farming practices which make the best use of the natural environment and ancestral traditions.

A well-known meat

Despite the hardiness of the BMC breed, its meat is recognised as the best of the French hardy breeds. Sheepfarmers therefore manage the breed without cross-breeding.

‘Agneau de Lozère’ meat today has a very good reputation, as demonstrated by various press articles (general and specialist press) and testimonies from leading chefs (David Van Laer, Philippe Groult). World-famous local restaurateurs say that ‘Agneau de Lozère’ flesh is silky, its texture fine and firm and that the meat is ‘perfumed with the scent of grass’.

4.7 Inspection body:

Name: Qualisud, Organisme certificateur agréé EN 45011 Address: 2, rue des Remparts F-40000 Mont-de-Marsan Tel. (33) 558 06 15 21 Fax (33) 558 75 13 36 E-mail: qualisud@wanadoo.fr

4.8 Labelling: Name of product: ‘Agneau de Lozère’.

The PGI logo or the words Indication Géographique Protégée (protected geographical indication) will be used on the labelling.

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.