Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2022/C 231/13)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Peitzer Karpfen’

EU No: PGI-DE-02587 – 5.9.2019

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s)

‘Peitzer Karpfen’

2. Member State or Third Country

Germany

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.7. Fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

3.2. Description of the product to which the name under point 1 applies

‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is a mirror carp with a straight back, a largely full row of dorsal scales from head to tail and a few mirror scales on the base of the paired fins, the caudal peduncle and the operculum. It has no or very few individual scattered scales. The colouring is characterised by yellow tones on the belly shading to olive green on the back. The ratio of depth to length varies between 1:2,5 and 1:3,4. The corpulence factor of spawning fish is between 3,0 and 4,0. The shape is primarily elongated.

The meat yield is as follows:

— gutted, with head 70-80 %

— gutted, without head 53-63 %

— fillet with skin 32-42 %

— fillet without skin 28-38 %

The meat is bright to pale pink, firm, tender and lean, with a distinct flavour that is typical for the species and an aromatic odour.

‘Peitzer Karpfen’ can be sold live; killed, gutted, cut or filleted; or as a frozen food product. Smoking the fish is also permitted; fish that have already undergone the freezing process can also be smoked. The fish may be hot smoked or cold smoked over hardwood chips after immersing the fish in brine. In all of the preparation and processing methods listed above, the above-mentioned distinct flavour that is typical for the species is preserved.

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

The principal source of feed for ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is primarily the natural food found in the pond (zooplankton, phytoplankton, etc.). This food influences the growth of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ in all stages of development. This aspect ensures the quality of the meat described above. Feed supplementation is permitted; grain is also permitted from the second development stage. If grain is given as supplementary feed, it must comply with the applicable national regulations.

All feeds used as supplementary feed are GM free.

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

The fish are reared within the defined geographical area. Conditions appropriate to species and age are taken into account when determining the stocking density, corresponding to the phase of the production cycle. The choice of stocking density is intended to achieve optimum growth in size and number. In accordance with the guidelines of good professional practice, the stocking density and feeding guarantee that the natural nutrition available in the pond is utilised extensively, thereby ensuring the outstanding quality of the meat.

The production cycle of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ consists of the following stages: broodstock management and certification of the breeding animals; breeding the ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ broodstock in artificial ponds; releasing the spawn in natural ponds; fry rearing; food fish rearing; pond clearing; and keeping the fish in natural or artificial ponds.

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

—

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

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the following region of the federal state of Brandenburg:

— the town of Peitz in the Spree-Neiße rural district;

— the municipality of Teichland in the Spree-Neiße rural district;

— the municipality of Kolkwitz in the Spree-Neiße rural district;

— the town of Lübben in the Dahme-Spreewald rural district;

— the municipality of Schlepzig in the Dahme-Spreewald rural district.

5. Link with the geographical area

(1) Specific features of the geographical area:

The application for registering the PGI ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is based on the quality of the product and its particular renown. The particular appeal of the meat of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ lies in its distinct flavour and aromatic odour. The production in the geographical region follows traditions dating back more than 100 years, consisting of selection and rearing in combination with the highly favourable geographical and climatic conditions, which ensure the high quality as well as form the basis for the particular renown.

The region that comprises the geographical area of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is a centre of the fishing culture in the federal state of Brandenburg. The size and structure of the carp pond farms shape the appearance of the landscape. The geographical area of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ stands out because the water in the artificial canals diverted from the Spree or its tributaries, such as the Hammergraben and the Priorgraben, ensures a high-quality, stable water supply throughout the year. The Peitz ponds have primarily sandy, limy, relatively nutrient-poor bottoms and are not very muddy. They have a good-quality but not overly rich microorganism population. The pH value of the water is between 7 and 8. A unique feature of the Peitz ponds is that despite their size (some measure more than 100 hectares) they are only 0,9-1,0 m deep on average. Hibernation ponds can be deeper. The biological advantage is that the water warms up quickly, which increases the amount of natural food for the carp.

This rapid warming potential is aided by the region’s mild average annual temperature, which was 8,9 °C in the period 1961-1990, 0,7 °C higher than the German average in the same period. These location factors, along with the semi-intensive farming practices, ensure that the fish have a unique meat quality. In terms of weight development, ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ generally achieves 25-50 g as a one-year-old and 250-500 g as a two-year-old, and is predominantly put on the market at three years of age with a weight between 1,5 and 2,5 kg. Heavier specimens are possible at three years of age if they have hibernated in warm water or at four or more years of age.

(2) Specificity of the product:

The ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ stock can be traced back to a variety developed by a civil servant by the name of Kuhnert in the late 19th century in the domain of Peitz and has been purebred since then.

The stock is the product of a cross between Galician, Holstein landrace and Lusatian species. This resulted in a variety characterised by rapid growth and very good resistance to diseases and bad weather, as well as high meat content and delicious flavour.

‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is a straight-backed type of mirror carp. The primarily elongated body shape is characterised by a ratio of depth to length of between 1:2,5 and 1:3,4. ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is characterised by its bright to pale pink, firm, tender and lean meat, with a distinct flavour that is typical for the species and an aromatic odour. In terms of weight development, ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ achieves 25-50 g as a one-year-old and 250-500 g as a two-year-old. It is predominantly put on the market at three years of age with a weight between 1,5 and 2,5 kg and at four years of age with a weight of 2,5 kg or more.

(3) Causal link:

The quality of the product is the result of the following unique production steps, which represent a distinguishing feature of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’:

a) Broodstock management and certification of the breeding animals expressing characteristics that most completely match the characteristics of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’. The breeding animals are kept in nutrient-rich natural waters when given supplementary grain feed in order to achieve particularly high-quality spawn.

b) Breeding the ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ broodstock in artificial ponds, to some of which warm water is added. In the latter case, artificial spawning is used to ensure optimum dates for the best conditions when the spawn is released. The eyespot stage and yolk-sac stage are undergone here.

c) Release of the spawn in natural ponds. The spawn is released into natural ponds in the middle of the yolk-sac stage so as to adapt to the natural food. By the end of the yolk-sac stage the spawn is almost entirely feeding off natural food.

d) Fry rearing – Development during the first year to one year of age in natural rearing ponds. Fish between one and two years of age with an average weight of 25-50 grams are removed from the rearing ponds. The fish then hibernate in the natural ponds or are taken to artificial rearing ponds, to which warm water is added, to continue growing. Fish between two and three years of age are traditionally reared in the natural ponds or in artificial warm-water ponds.

e) Food fish rearing in appropriate natural growing ponds to three years of age and beyond. In general fresh water is added to the ponds when the fish are removed.

f) Keeping the fish in natural or artificial ponds, with the addition of fresh water and, as needed, oxygen (for at least five days), so that the typically pure flavour that characterises ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ can reach maximum intensity.

In particular the maintenance of the original genetic line is based on the human factor, because a long-sighted staffing policy and long-term recruitment of the next generation maintain and continue the know-how developed through hundreds of years of tradition. The fact that experts carry out the individual steps ensures that, at the end of the process, the product is of unique quality and the meat has the distinct flavour and aromatic odour.

The product’s particular renown is the result of its long tradition going back more than 100 years, proven by its appointment as purveyor to the court of the Kingdom of Prussia and its highly exceptional visibility in the relevant food sector.

‘Peitzer Karpfen’ has a prominent market position in Germany at present. One out of every 20 carp produced in Germany comes from the geographical area described. The quality is based on the tradition of the ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ stock, which dates back more than 100 years, and the careful selection of healthy, vigorous breeding specimens since then. When making the selection, attention is paid to the typical characteristics of the product, such as its good body depth, the structure of the meat and the ratio of meat to bone. At the same time, interbreeding with other strains of carp is prevented, in order to preserve these typical characteristics. Thus, under highly favourable geographical and climatic conditions (abundant inflow of water from the Spree, sandy and nutrient-poor soil, little mud, shallow waters), the unique quality of the ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ has been able to develop. Because experienced personnel continually select the particularly healthy and strong fish for breeding, a lesser-quality product is avoided, and instead the uniformly high quality and unique flavour of the meat is guaranteed. This is reinforced in consumer perception and increases the product’s market volume as well as its renown. ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ has achieved several outstanding awards and honours, including the following:

— 1897 Hamburg city award and gold medal

— 1898 Top award in Dresden

— 1901 Champion at the fisheries exhibition in Danzig

— 1904 Top award and first-place award at the fisheries exhibition of the German Agricultural Society in Danzig

— 1906 Award at the Berlin fisheries exhibition

— 1964 Award at the 12th agricultural exhibition in Leipzig-Markleeberg

As a result of the quality of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ and the excellent reliability of its production, the Peitzer pond farming industry was made a purveyor to the court of the Kingdom of Prussia. Even the fame and significance of the Cottbus carp auction can be traced back to the quality and reputation of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’. For more than 50 years it was the centre of the carp trade in Central Europe. Even during the era of the German Democratic Republic, the Peitz region was the flagship of the carp breeding industry. ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ was even exported to West Berlin, for instance.

The ponds in Peitz, with an area of more than 1 000 hectares, make up one of the largest such regions in Europe. ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ is immensely popular in Germany and is distributed nationwide. Every year more than 500 tonnes of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ are reared and caught. This is only possible in this defined geographical area, where the Spree and its tributaries guarantee a stable water supply. Especially in drought years, when other regions face low water levels, the inflow of fresh water from the Spree prevents an increase of the underwater vegetation and sludge that would have a negative effect on the meat of the carp kept there. Carp reared in other regions then have a stronger muddy flavour. The meat of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’, on the other hand, maintains its excellent flavour, resulting in its quality and the product’s high renown.

The media frequently report on ‘Peitzer Karpfen’. The ARD and WDR television channels broadcast a full-length report on ‘Peitzer Karpfen’. The newspaper Lausitzer Rundschau reported on the state of ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ at the 2014 Fish International trade fair.

Countless exhibitions and information events mention ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ on a regular basis. The annual clearing of the ponds in the period from September to November is marked by a celebration with thousands of visitors enjoying demonstration fishing at the Peitz rearing pond. A fisher festival is held in the town of Peitz on the second weekend of August, drawing a great many visitors from far and wide. The period between Christmas and New Year primarily draws customers from Berlin and Cottbus, who patiently wait in long queues at the sales tables. Fresh fish are sold to customers in a region known as the ‘Peitzer Karpfen road’ stretching from the town of Königs Wusterhausen near Berlin to the town of Hoyerswerda in Saxony. Tours of the ponds provide a glimpse into the varied habitat and the practice of fish farming. A pond nature trail runs for 2.3 kilometres through the area of the ponds, with signboards and activity stops giving information about the Peitz pond landscape through history and the present day. There are also well-known regional and national cycling and hiking routes that lead through the idyllic pond region. In 2006 a fishery museum opened especially for the ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ that was funded in part by the EU. The museum’s opening was reported on nationwide on television. The museum has a variety of exhibits and explains the historical development of the Peitz fishing industry in the Peitz ponds to the present day.

Recipes for ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ can be found in internet recipe databases, and a small ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ cookbook is available from Amazon. Travel guides point out this special delicacy. Ronny Pietzner, a chef at the five-star hotel Grand Elysee Hamburg, included one of his favourite ‘Peitzer Karpfen’ recipes in his cookbook.

Reference to publication of the product specification:

https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/41757

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