EN Official Journal of the European Union C 277/6

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 277/05

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 IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘ARROZ DE VALENCIA’/‘ARRÒS DE VALÈNCIA’

EC No: ES-PDO-0105-01162 — 30.09.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

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2. Type of amendment

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3. Amendments:

3.1. Regarding the description

Varieties

Request to include new varieties of rice, specifically: J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet and Albufera.

Rice is a plant which forms hybrids very easily. This means that, despite the genetic improvement work done both by plant breeding companies and by breeders themselves, over time varieties lose some of their agronomic qualities, such as increased height, tillering capacity, etc. So every so often new varieties with improved agronomic characteristics need to be developed.

Each year both the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias and private seed production companies obtain new varieties. Of these, it has been decided to include J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet and Albufera because — once it has been shown that they have adapted perfectly to the area — their cultivation is more sustainable and they have the same organoleptic characteristics as the varieties already included.

The fact that almost all PDO ‘Arroz de Valencia’ is grown in natural parks means that we have to be particularly attentive to the environment and aware that we should be introducing new varieties whose cultivation is more environment-friendly and sustainable. In short, only varieties which adapt to the specific conditions in the defined geographical area can be grown there. More specifically, these varieties are included because:

1. They are more resistant to cryptogamic diseases, which reduces the need to use fungicides.

2. They are more resistant to Chilo suppressalis infestation.

3. They are shorter-stemmed varieties which need less fertiliser.

4. They are less easily blown over, with natural resistance, so there is no need to use plant protection products to protect them from the wind.

5. They have shorter stems, so less stubble remains in the field. When there is less stubble in the field, it decomposes more quickly into the land, so there is less need to burn or remove it (both environmentally aggressive practices).

6. They have the requisite organoleptic characteristics and are agronomically and environmentally compatible with the defined geographical area.

Requirements

Packaged PDO Valencia rice must meet the following requirements:

Brokens 4 % Yellow and copper-coloured grains 0,20 % Red and red-streaked grains 0,50 % Chalky and immature grains 2 % Stained and insect-damaged grains 0,50 % Foreign matter 0,10 % Minimum quantity without defects 92,70 %

The main amendment is that previously a distinction was made between the different sizes of broken grain and now this distinction is no longer made, as all broken grains are considered equally undesirable regardless of their size.

In addition, some of the product description parameters have changed. Descriptions of shape have been deleted, as this has no link with the product’s organoleptic characteristics and is an inherent feature of the varieties concerned.

3.2. Regarding the geographical area

The defined geographical area has been amended to include the municipalities of Rafelbuñol, Alcira, Chilches and La Llosa.

The municipality of Rafelbuñol borders on municipalities that are already included, such as Massamagrell and La Pobla de Farnals, and forms part of the same wetland area with the same type of soil and climate.

The rice-growing tradition of the Rafelbuñol area is, moreover, evidenced in the work of Antonio José Cavanilles (Observaciones sobre la historia natural, geográfica, agrícola, población y frutos del Reino de Valencia, 1795), where he mentions rice growing and its impact on public health, and in the Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico de España y sus posesiones de ultramar (1850), where it is stated that the Moncada canal powered flour and rice mills in Rafelbunyol.

The municipality of Alcira borders on Algemesí, Corbera, Favareta, Llaurí, Polinyà de Xúquer and Tabernes del Valldigna (all already included).

The municipalities of Chilches and La Llosa form a single, indivisible marsh with Almenara (already included). In addition, the rice-growing tradition of Alcira, Chilches and La Llosa is evidenced in the work of José Cavanilles (Observaciones sobre la historia natural, geográfica, agrícola, población y frutos del Reino de Valencia, 1795), where he mentions rice growing and its impact on public health, and in the Diccionario geográfico-estadístico-histórico de España y posesiones de ultramar (1850).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

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

‘ARROZ DE VALENCIA’/‘ARRÒS DE VALÈNCIA’

EC No: ES-PDO-0105-01162 — 30.09.2013

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name

‘Arroz de Valencia’/‘Arròs de València’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit and vegetables (fresh or processed)

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

Rice (Oryza sativa) of the varieties Senia, Bahía, Bomba, J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet and Albufera. To be sold as wholegrain or white rice, with the following parameters (average values):

Brokens 4 % Yellow and copper-coloured grains 0,20 % Red and red-streaked grains 0,50 % Chalky and immature grains 2 % Stained and insect-damaged grains 0,50 % Foreign matter 0,10 % Minimum quantity without defects 92,70 %

Characteristics of the uncooked, processed grain (average values):

Variety Length (mm) Length/width Pearly appearance (%) Bahía 5,6 1,8 99 Senia 5,6 1,8 99 Bomba 5,2 1,8 99 J. Sendra 5,7 1,8 99 Montsianell 5,7 1,8 99 Gleva 5,7 1,8 99 Sarçet 6 1,8 99 Albufera 5,2 1,7 99

The composition of PDO Valencia rice is as follows (average values):

Variety Amylose (%) Bahía 19,1 Senia 16,3 Bomba 24,9 J. Sendra 17,5 Montsianell 18,1 Gleva 17,7 Sarçet 16,3 Albufera 25,6

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

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3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

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

All stages, from sowing to harvesting, drying and preparation for packaging.

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

Packaging must take place in the production area in order to guarantee the organoleptic characteristics of the product and ensure traceability under a single control system.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The PDO rice must be sold only in packaging bearing a numbered secondary label. The words ‘Denominación de Origen “Arroz de Valencia”’ must appear on the label and on the secondary label, possibly accompanied by the Valencian equivalent ‘Denominació d’Orige “Arròs de València”’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The rice is grown in natural wetlands in the provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, in the Valencian Community, mainly in municipalities located within the sphere of influence of the Parque Natural de la Albufera, the Parque Natural del Marjal de Pego-Oliva and the Marjal de Almenara. These are all areas of outstanding ecological value, where rice is extremely important to the sustainability of the ecosystem.

The area comprises the following municipalities:

Area within the sphere of influence of the Parque Natural de la Albufera (province of Valencia): Albal, Albalat de la Ribera, Alfafar, Algemesí, Beniparrell, Catarroja, Cullera, Massanassa, Sedaví, Silla, Sollana, Sueca and Valencia.

Other municipalities in the province of Valencia: Alginet, Almacera, Almusafes, Alquería de la Condesa, La Alcudia, Alcira, Benifayó, Corbera, Favareta, Fortaleny, Llaurí, Masamagrell, Oliva, La Pobla de Farnals, Polinya del Xuquer, Puzol, Rafelbuñol, Riola, Sagunto and Tavernes de Valldigna.

Municipality in the province of Alicante: Pego.

Municipalities in the province of Castellón: Almenara, Castellón, Chilches and La Llosa.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors

PDO ‘Arroz de Valencia’ is grown in marshy areas, with particular conditions that allow flooding. The soils are limey (30-50 % carbonates), clayey, poor in organic matter and alkaline (pH 8-8,3). The earth is hard and not very permeable.

Regarding the climate, as the area is on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, temperatures are mild throughout the year and rainfall is low and occurs mainly in spring and autumn.

This proximity to the sea means there are breezes, which keep cold daytime winds away. In summer a very dry, hot westerly wind blows down from the Meseta.

A substantial part of the defined area is located within the Parque Natural de la Albufera, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Because of the area’s specific characteristics, rice is the only crop that can be grown there and it is essential for maintaining the park’s ecological balance.

The Parque Natural de la Albufera covers an area of 21 120 hectares and 65 % of the land is planted with rice.

Human factors

Rice has been grown in the defined geographical area for centuries. There are documents showing that rice was grown in the old Kingdom of Valencia before it was conquered by James I of Aragon in 1238. The Llibre dels repartiments, which divided up the land in the newly conquered Kingdom, also mentions rice fields.

King Ferdinand VI’s regulation of 1753 demarcated the areas where rice should be planted.

Other works that recount the history of rice growing in the Valencian Community are El arroz (1939) by Rafael Font de Mora y Llorens and Compendio arrocero (1952) by José María Carrasco García.

Over the centuries specific practices have developed in the area, such as the eixugons (enjuagados in Castilian Spanish), which involve leaving the crop without water for several days to inhibit the growth of algae. The eixugons take place around the end of June, once the rice seedlings have germinated.

Another practice specific to the area is flooding when the fields lie fallow in winter. This interrupts the biological cycles of certain soil organisms and serves to disinfect the land. It also produces an increase in aquatic biodiversity — fungi, algae and small arthropods, which promote the decomposition of harvest remains and regenerate the soil with their own remains and macro- and micro-nutrients.

5.2. Specificity of the product

PDO Arroz de Valencia has a high flavour-absorption capacity, because of the high percentage of amylose in the varieties grown in the area. In addition to the high percentage of pearly grains, the uniformity of grain size is a very important factor, as this ensures that the rice cooks very evenly and consistently.

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 defined geographical area is located between the shoreline and the coastal mountains. This unique location means that at night the fields are bathed in a sea breeze, which ensures slow, gradual ripening of the grains, preventing the formation of cracks and minimising the number of grains that split, both during milling and during cooking.

The defined geographical area, which consists largely of the Parque Natural de la Albufera, is made up of ancient natural wetlands. Here, the soils are limey, clayey, poor in organic matter and alkaline. This means they are heavy and the earth is hard and impermeable, so the crop can be flooded with a minimal quantity of water and can make excellent use of the soil nutrients, which promotes grain-filling at the base of each panicle, minimising the number of misshapen or shapeless grains.

In the defined geographical area, there are no cold winds during the day and the water is warm, which promotes the formation of pearly grains and allows long-cycle rice varieties to be sown without the risk of failure, making it possible to grow the varieties covered by the PDO, which derive their distinctive characteristic, namely their amylose content, from the geographical area. This gives the rice its highly esteemed cooking qualities, as it is the amylose content that determines whether it has the right balance between flavour absorption and firmness.

The Valencian rice-growing tradition is closely linked with its cuisine. Valencia has a vast rice-based cuisine based on paella, rice caldosos and baked rice dishes. A cause-and-effect relationship has thus been established with the varieties typical of the area, as they have a high absorption capacity and can thus absorb a great deal of flavour from broth. This has led to the development of a cuisine that is very specific compared to rice-based cuisine elsewhere in the world.

The Poniente (westerly wind) removes spores of fungi such as Pyricularia and Helminthosporium, which helps reduce the number of defective grains.

Publication reference of the specification

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

http://www.agricultura.gva.es/pc_arrozdevalencia

(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) See footnote 2.

(4) See footnote 2.