EN Official Journal of the European Union C 35/6

Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2) point (a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2017/C 35/07)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘CONNEMARA HILL LAMB’/‘UAIN SLÉIBHE CHONAMARA’

EU No: IE-PGI-0105-01291 — 12.12.2014

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Name : Connemara Hill Lamb Address : Connemara Hill Lamb Ltd, Corr na Mona, Co. Galway, Ireland Tel. : +353 949548798 Email : connemarahilllamb@eircom.net

Legitimate interest:

The applicant is the same as the original applicant. Connemara Hill Lamb is a group of producers and processors of the product in question.

2. Member State or Third Country

Ireland

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☐ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☒ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☒ Other (Updating contact information)

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

Description

Summary:

The product to be protected is Connemara Hill Lamb, which are bred, born and reared in the designated geographical region. The lambs are light in body-weight and bone and the carcass is lean with a light cover of fat, rose-red in colour and has a solid deep texture.

Description and reasoning:

‘Light cover’ is expanded to ‘light cover of fat’ for clarity as the term ‘cover’ may not be readily understood by non-specialists.

Proof of origin

Summary:

References to consumption of Connemara Hill Lamb can be traced to the early 19th century, when the blackface stock were introduced from Scotland. During the immediate post-famine years 1850/1870 significant quantities of blackface sheep were imported from Scotland for grazing on hill land. The Congested Districts Board established in 1891 made further importations in order to improve the breed. The breed has since evolved into a distinctive strain and has adapted to survive the rugged conditions of Connemara. The blackface breed is particularly suited to the terrain of the area given its ability to forage better than other breeds. In order to ensure full traceability from farm to slaughter all lambs are affixed with a special ear tag and carcass swing tag.

Description and reasoning:

The amendments provide greater detail on the appearance of the lambs as blackface or brecked (from breac meaning speckled in Gaelic, the Irish language).

Method of production

Summary:

The meat is from lambs of the blackface breed, born and raised in the designated geographical area. Lambs are born in the spring, generally from April onwards (later than other Irish lamb) and are suckled by the ewe throughout their lives. The lambs are left free to graze on the hilly habitat and are generally slaughtered from 14 weeks. Some lambs are slaughtered from 10 weeks.

Description and reasoning:

The amendments in the method of production correct an error in the original specification, which mistakenly indicated that lambs were generally slaughtered at 14 weeks instead of making it clear that this was generally the minimum age at which slaughter took place, with the maximum age for slaughtering being limited to no older than 32 weeks. The natural lactating period is up to 16 weeks and as lambs are also free to graze on the hilly habitat, slaughter may take place at a later age.

Link

Summary:

Lambs are born in the spring, generally from April onwards (later than other Irish lambs) and are suckled on the ewe for natural lactating period of up to 16 weeks or throughout their lives. The lambs are left free to graze on the hilly habitat and are generally slaughtered from 14 weeks with a maximum slaughter time of 32 weeks. Some lambs are slaughtered from 10 weeks. The rugged terrain means that the lambs are more agile than their lowland counterparts hence carcass composition is smaller, weighing 9 kg to 20 kg compared to 25 kg for lowland lambs.

Description and reasoning:

The full application submitted to the Commission as part of the Connemara Hill Lamb dossier and which was published on the DOOR database contained a weight range of 9-18 kg. A single figure of 10 kg was however included in error instead of a weight range in the original published summary. The upper limit of 18 kg is being increased to 20 kg to take account of increase in lamb size over a decade due to destocking, primarily for environmental reasons and control of bracken which improved flora in the area.

In the period 2005 to 2014 County Galway saw a decrease of 112 000 in the sheep population from 509 074 to 397 989 (Department’s annual sheep census). Choice of sire has also allowed for the production of a better type and heavier lamb. (Farmers have choice of sire, e.g. Galway/Mayo blackface/brecked, Texel, Suffolk, Beltex, Charlois, etc.)

Other: (Updating contact information)

(Responsible Department in Member State)

Name : Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Address : Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Tel. : +353 16072371 Fax : +353 16072038 Email : geographicalIndications@agriculture.gov.ie

Description and reasoning:

The Department title changed in 2011 to include ‘the Marine’.

Other: (Concise description of geographical area)

(Geographical area)

Summary:

The geographical area is that west of the Corrib Basin including the islands of Inishmaan, Inisheer and Inishmore and represents an area in the west of Ireland known internationally as Connemara. The landscape of this area is characterised by its mountains, bogs and lakes. The lambs are reared in the mountainous terrain where they graze on mountain grass, heathers and herbs.

Description and reasoning:

The amendments give greater clarity to the boundaries of the geographical area and include islands which were not specifically named in the original application but are within the geographical range, i.e. west of the mainland area.

Other: (Updating contact information)

(Inspection body)

Name : Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Address : Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Tel. : +353 16072371 Fax : +353 16072038 Email : geographicalIndications@agriculture.gov.ie

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CONNEMARA HILL LAMB’/‘UAIN SLÉIBHE CHONAMARA’

EU No: IE-PGI-0105-01291 — 12.12.2014

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Connemara Hill Lamb’/‘Uain Sléibhe Chonamara’

2. Member State or Third Country

Ireland

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

Connemara Hill Lamb is the meat from lambs of the blackface/brecked breed dam, born and raised in a Connemara Mayo blackface/brecked ewe flock and on land farmed within the geographical area. The lambs are light in body-weight and bone and the carcass is lean with a light cover of fat, the meat is rose-red in colour and has a solid deep texture. The lamb has a natural succulent flavour and taste with a very pronounced aroma. It is available from July to January (occasionally from June).

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

No intensive feeding takes place as lambs are raised extensively on grassland within the geographical area, according to traditional husbandry practices of Connemara sheep farming. Additional feeding may only take place on occasions where feed is necessary due to lack of vegetation, adverse weather conditions or lack of growth of lambs, with Department of Agriculture approved feed utilised to supplement grass pasture.

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

The meat is from lambs of the blackface/brecked breed dam, bred, born and raised in the designated geographical area.

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

The geographical indication ‘Connemara Hill Lamb’ or ‘Uain Sléibhe Chonamara’ must appear on carcases, parts of carcases or cuts in combination with the PGI symbol.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is that west of the Corrib Basin from Galway city to Westport including the Aran Islands (Inishmaan, Inisheer, Inishmore) Inishshark, Omey, Inishbofin, Inishturk, Clare Island and all uninhabited islands which represent an area in the west of Ireland known internationally as Connemara.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The landscape of this area is characterised by its mountains, bogs and lakes. The lambs are reared in the mountainous terrain where they graze on mountain grass, heathers and herbs.

The main constituents are the grasses Agrostis spp., Festuca spp. and Molina, the sedges Carex spp., Scipus cespitosus, Eriophorum angustifolium and Trichophurum cespitosum. Other important plants in the diet are the heathers Calluna vulgaris, Erica tetralix and Erica cinerea and the plants Nartecium ossifragum and Potentilla erecta.

Specificity of the product

The blackface/brecked breed is particularly suited to the terrain of the area given its ability to forage better than other breeds

The rugged terrain means that the lambs are more agile than their lowland counterparts hence carcass composition is smaller, weighing 9 kg to 20 kg compared to 25 kg for lowland lambs.

Lambs are born in the spring, generally from April onwards (later than other Irish lambs) and are suckled on the ewe for the natural lactating period of up to 16 weeks or throughout their lives. The lambs are left free to graze on the hilly habitat and are generally slaughtered from 14 weeks with a maximum slaughter time of 32 weeks. Some lambs are slaughtered at 10 weeks.

Causal link between the geographical origin and, where appropriate, a given quality, the reputation or other characteristic

Given quality: The taste, flavour and colour of Connemara Hill Lamb are directly linked to the local flora on which the lambs grazed. The diet is mountain grass, heathers and herbs, common to the area of production.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/gi/pdopgitsg-protectedfoodnames/products/

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