EN Official Journal of the European Union C 374/5

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

(2015/C 374/06)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

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

‘LINGOT DU NORD’

EU No: FR-PGI-0105-01312 – 11.2.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

The ‘LINGOT DU NORD’ Association is making this amendment application.

Address: 21, rue Duhamel Liard ZAE des Petits Pacaux BP 84 59660 Merville Tel. +33 328496532 Fax +33 328483654 Email: lingot-du-nord@wanadoo.fr

The association brings together all 24 producers of the ‘Lingot du Nord’ PGI representing a sown area of 57 hectares (2013 marketing year) and one packaging facility. The association therefore has a legitimate right to request amendments to the product specification.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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

— ☐ Product name — ☒ Product description — ☒ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Production method — ☐ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other: Updated contact details of the group and of the inspection body and amendment to the requirements relating to packaging

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

5.1. Product description

— Deletion of the description of the plant given that the ‘Lingot du Nord’ PGI relates only to the plant's seeds.

— Updating of the product description to bring it into line with the official nomenclature of characteristics: ‘not kidney-shaped, almost cylindrical, often flat at one end’ is therefore replaced by ‘oval-shaped, straight, often with truncated edges’.

— Amendment to the requirements relating to grading in order to simplify the checking procedure: average length is defined using a range of measurements (15 to 16 mm) rather than a target value (16 mm) and the difference between the shortest and longest bean is expressed as a proportion (50 %), thereby replacing the 6 mm length difference.

— Deletion of the reference to tasting tests comparing the product with standard dried white beans. The aim of this reference was to highlight the superior quality of the product, which is not related to the causal link with the product's area of origin. The descriptive qualities identified have been used to define the specific qualities of the product.

— The organoleptic description has been defined more precisely: distinctive chestnut flavour. Redundant descriptions have been deleted: uniform size is irrelevant given the size range used to define average length; the thin skin and white colour are referred to previously.

5.2. Geographical area

— The area is widened to include 10 municipalities bordering the current area: Armentières, Aubers, Bois grenier, Erquinghem Lys, Frelinghien, Fromelles, Houplines, La Chapelle d'Armentières, Le Maisnil and Radinghem en Weppes. These municipalities meet the demarcation criteria for the area that is currently registered.

— Clarifications regarding the processes that must be carried out in the geographical area: from sowing of the ‘Lingot du Nord’ until sorting prior to packaging.

— Addition of the map showing the geographical area.

5.3. Proof of origin

— Updating of the table with the various steps and associated traceability: deletion of the requirement to grow the seeds in the geographical area in line with the amended production method.

5.4. Production method

— Updated life cycle. The stages no longer covered by the product specification (seed production, phytosanitary treatments) have been deleted.

— Deletion of the requirements concerning winter ploughing, sulphur content and phytosanitary treatments, given that these cultivation practices are not specific to the geographical area.

— Deletion of the requirement to grow the seeds in the geographical area of the PGI: Lingot seeds can be attacked by a bacteria of the Xanthomonas genus, which causes blight. In an area that has not been declared disease free — which is the case for the Nord-Pas de Calais region where the area is located — seeds must undergo testing. In the event of contamination, the contaminated batches are destroyed. The group has decided to lift the requirement for seeds to be produced in the geographical area, so as to avoid running the risk of a seed shortage. The product's link to the area of origin and its characteristics are not affected by this decision.

— Amendment to the list of authorised varieties: the list of authorised varieties, which until now was restricted to the lingot variety only, is expanded to include all lingot-type varieties. Varieties are included on the list following a selection procedure that comprises the following steps. — Checks to ensure that the variety is a lingot-type variety defined in the specification by consulting the GEVES (this public interest group is an official body that assesses new vegetable varieties and tests seed quality; it is the only such body in France). — Growing tests of the proposed variety in the geographical area to ensure that it is suited to the soil and climate conditions. — Sensory testing to check that the organoleptic characteristics of the product are not compromised: thin, tender skin, melt-in-the-mouth texture and distinctive chestnut flavour.

— The list of varieties is approved by the group and sent to producers, the inspection body and the relevant monitoring bodies. The product's link to the area of origin is not affected, as the aim of the selection procedure is to ensure that the new variety delivers the product's specific qualities.

— Deletion of the germination rate (‘80 % or above’): this rate was linked to the production of seeds by ‘Lingot du Nord’ producers in order to guarantee seed quality from generation to generation. As only certified seeds are used, this criterion is no longer needed.

— Updated agricultural practices: the maximum gap between rows is increased from 45 to 75 cm to align it with changes in equipment. Sowing density remains the same.

— Definition of the level of ripeness of the lingot beans for harvesting: The criterion of 80 % of fallen leaves is difficult to monitor. This criterion is replaced by the appearance of the first yellow pods — the pods turn yellow when they are ripe — which is a more reliable criterion for identifying the stage just before ripeness. The ‘Lingots du Nord’ are then harvested and reach full ripeness during the drying stage.

— Addition of a definition of ‘perroquets’, the frames which are used to dry the lingot beans: ‘Perroquet frames are made of poles held together at one end by a tack called a “corbeau” or by a wire, with supports at around 40 cm above the ground. The bean pods are placed on the supports, keeping a vent free inside the perroquet to allow the air to circulate.’ In fact, the product specification currently in force referred to this equipment without defining it, although its unusual structure plays an important role in preserving the thin and tender skin of the seeds. It is therefore necessary to specify the required features of this equipment.

5.5. Labelling

— Only the labelling rules specific to the PGI are referred to. Deletion of the labelling requirements laid down in national legislation.

— Requirement to include the European Union's PGI logo.

5.6. Other

— Group: The contact details of the group have been updated. The details presenting the group have been removed.

— Type of product: The heading of the product class has been updated: ‘Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed’.

— Preparation and packaging: details are given on various aspects concerning packaging. — Deletion of the size requirements for the different types of authorised packaging (250 or 500 g cartons; 10, 25 or 50 kg jute sacks) given that the size has no impact on the quality of the product. Only the types of authorised packaging are retained (string bags, microperforated bags, small cartons, jute bags or any other non-hermetic packaging). — Deletion of the concept of a second packing stage (simply repacking without sorting, which is not in itself a stage in the production process). The life cycle is therefore updated, as it is no longer necessary to differentiate between the two packing stages. — Deletion of the packaging types (string bags, boxes, cartons…), as these are not related to traceability.

Updated details of the inspection body. National requirements: introduction of a table with the main points to be checked, as required by national legislation.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘LINGOT DU NORD’

EU No: FR-PGI-0105-01312 – 11.2.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name(s)

‘Lingot du Nord’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Product type

Class 1.6: Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

The ‘Lingot du Nord’ is a dried white bean of the Phaseolus vulgaris L. species, which is air-dried on ‘perroquet’ frames made of poles held together at one end.

The ‘Lingot du Nord’ is produced from a lingot-type variety, defined by its dwarf growth type, white-coloured flowers and white oval-shaped seeds with truncated edges.

‘Lingot du Nord’ seeds have the following characteristic features:

— oval-shaped, straight, often with truncated edges;

— white to off-white in colour;

— with a thin and tender skin;

— and an average length of 15 to 16 mm, with a maximum length difference of 50 % between the shortest and longest bean.

It has the following organoleptic characteristics: melt-in-the-mouth, non-floury, tender texture, distinctive chestnut flavour.

‘Lingot du Nord’ can be sold packaged for retail or loose.

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

—

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

All steps from the sowing of ‘Lingot du Nord’ to sorting prior to packaging take place in the demarcated geographical area.

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

‘Lingot du Nord’ is packaged in string bags, microperforated bags, small cartons, jute bags or any other non-hermetic packaging.

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

In addition to the requirements laid down by the legislation in force, the labelling includes:

— the name of the PGI: Lingot du Nord;

— the European Union's PGI logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area corresponds to the Lys plain and comprises:

The following municipalities in the Nord department: Armentières, Aubers, Bailleul, Bois grenier, Erquinghem Lys, Estaires, Frelinghien, Fromelles, Haverskerque, Hazebrouk, Houplines, La Chapelle d'Armentières, La Gorgue, Le Doulieu, Le Maisnil, Merris, Merville, Morbecque, Neuf Berquin, Nieppe, Radinghem en weppes, Steenbecque, Steenwerck, Strazeele, Thiennes and Vieux Berquin.

The following municipalities in the Pas de Calais department: Berguette, Busnes, Calonne sur la Lys, Festubert, Fleurbaix, Gonnehem, Guarbecque, Hinges, Isbergues, La Couture, Ham en artois, Laventie, Lestrem, Lillers, Locon, Lorgies, Mont-Bernanchon, Neuve Chapelle, Richebourg, Robecq, Sailly sur la Lys, St Floris, St Venant and Vieille Chapelle.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area of the ‘Lingot du Nord’ PGI covers the Lys plain, a well-demarcated area that is around 25 km wide and 45 km long located in the southern half of French Flanders.

The Lys plain is a fertile region. It is a large depression around the river Lys, delimited by the Monts de Flandres hills to the north, the Artois plateau to the west, the mining area to the south, the Weppes area to the south-east and the Deûle river and the Ferrain highlands to the north-east. This large plain is the result of the subsidence of the sand and clay substrata in the Flanders region and a succession of marine transgressions during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods (the last of which took place in the eighth century). The tertiary clay was covered in loess (wind-blown salt) in the Quaternary period; at several or even dozens of metres thick, the loess completely masked the original relief of the land, leaving an almost perfectly flat landscape of open fields: the altitude is always below 30 metres and in the Lys flood plain it is around 15 metres.

Furthermore, the Lys plain features a dense river network, part of which has been made into canals. This has caused river deposits of mainly clay and silt to build up, creating fine-grained and nutrient-rich soils with a clay content that is generally above 20 %.

Precipitation levels stand at around 700 to 800 mm, lower than on the Artois plateau, which records over 1 000 mm of precipitation each year.

As regards the area's climate, the temperature is quite stable and mild with only slight temperature variations, particularly in the summer. Towards the end of the season, the Lys plain often benefits from a good amount of sunshine, with low rainfall in August and September.

Water levels remain high enough and periods of drought are in any case rare.

‘Lingot du Nord’ has been grown on the Lys plain for a long time; in Armentières, Hazebrouk and Merville this practice can be traced as far back as 1856.

It was around this time that the region's producers developed an original technique for drying the beans: drying in the open air on frames called perroquets.

Perroquets are made by gathering several poles into a teepee shape, with supports at around 40 cm above the ground. The bean pods are placed on the supports.

This traditional drying method can be traced as far back as 1865. At the time, the bean pods were attached to single poles. This method of drying on poles, which prefigures the current practice of drying on a perroquet frame, was described in detail in a number of works from very early on (for example, in the 13th volume of the Agriculture Archives of Northern France, pages 311-312).

More recently, in the 1970s, the perroquets were perfected by using several poles to make a frame.

This drying technique requires very specific know-how to pile the beans onto the perroquet and it also requires a workforce, as it cannot be mechanised.

Threshing of the beans also requires specific know-how given the thinness of the skin. Lingots are threshed in traditional threshing machines; these are wheat-threshing machines where the thresher has been modified to turn more slowly.

The Lys plain is traditionally an area of mixed crop farming and smallholdings. The land conditions in the region are not conducive to heavy mechanisation. The usable agricultural area on the Lys plain is taken up by potatoes, dried beans (lingots du Nord and Chevrier beans) and fresh vegetables. Indeed, in 1950 a Mr Cassez noted that ‘the Lingot du Nord is the most widely grown bean in the Lys Valley’.

‘Lingot du Nord’ growing was also able to develop as a result of available family labour. It is a secondary crop that is very well suited to family smallholdings in the Lys Valley.

Specificity of the product

‘Lingot du Nord’ is a dried white bean with the following characteristic features:

— oval-shaped, straight seeds, often with truncated edges,

— white to off-white in colour,

— a thin and tender skin,

— melt-in-the-mouth, non-floury texture,

— a distinctive chestnut flavour.

‘Lingot du Nord’ is a traditional crop in the Merville region. Its reputation is well established across France and particularly in its region of origin, as well as in the South of France where it is used in traditional dishes. Thanks to its thin skin and melt-in-the mouth texture it is ideal for use in dishes such as cassoulet.

Causal link

The link between ‘Lingot du Nord’ and its area of origin is based on its specific qualities, as well as its reputation.

The characteristics of ‘Lingot du Nord’ are essentially a result of the soil and climatic conditions in the area, the use of Lingot-type seeds and local know-how related to the practice of drying the beans in the open air on perroquet frames; this practice, used for over 100 years, remains unchanged today.

The soils in the Lys Valley contain high levels of clay from the first few layers of soil. This means that the soils form a very rich arable layer that is beneficial for lingot growing, as the beans are planted at a very shallow depth. The high clay content of the soil ensures a good water supply for the beans until they reach ripeness and this lends the ‘Lingot du Nord’ beans their flavour and helps them hold together well during cooking. Indeed, by storing up starch in these very favourable conditions, the lingot beans hold onto starch during cooking, preventing them from breaking up. Furthermore, the structure of the soil means that the water supply is not excessive, as no hydromorphic phenomena can be observed in the first 50 centimetres of the soil, which is the average depth of the beans' roots.

In addition, humidity is lower on the Lys plain than in the neighbouring Lille region. This low level of humidity throughout the year is linked to the proportion of silt in the top soil, which allows efficient water drainage deep down. This is good for the development of the beans, which need loose soil that is not too dry (which would stop them germinating) or too wet (which would cause them to rot).

Sunshine at the end of the season, with low rainfall in August and September, allows the ‘Lingot du Nord’ to fully ripen in the pod and to be dried in the traditional way, on perroquets in the open air. Furthermore, at that time of year, the prevailing winds are from the east, north and north-east; these are drier winds that help with the drying process.

Cultivation practices also influence the quality of ‘Lingot du Nord’.

The characteristic oval shape with truncated edges and white to off-white colour of the ‘Lingot du Nord’ are the result of using Lingot-type seeds. This choice stems from the traditional bean-growing practices on the Lys plain.

The fine skin and melt-in-the-mouth texture of the ‘Lingot du Nord’ can be explained by the specific harvesting and drying techniques.

In the geographical area, which is characterised by family-run smallholdings, producers developed an original drying technique using frames called perroquets: the beans are harvested before they are fully ripe, otherwise the seeds would be released from the pods. They are harvested and partially laid out to dry on the ground and are then dried on the perroquets. The perroquets have a central vent that helps the air circulate and protects the beans from any rain because the water cannot penetrate far down into the pile of bean pods. The beans are thus able to ripen fully in a natural way.

This drying method has a real influence on the quality of the product, as it prevents the beans' skin from drying out and ensures that it stays thin. Furthermore, Mr Cassez noted back in 1950 that ‘this year's beans were the best and cooked more quickly than old beans’.

In fact, because the lingot beans have a thin skin, threshing is done in traditional wheat-threshing machines; this prevents the seeds from being broken or the skin from being damaged, as would happen if a combine harvester were used.

The use of combine harvesters is forbidden to this day and only the beans harvested during the marketing year are sold under the PGI.

In this way, thanks to a climate and soils that help the lingot beans to thrive, the selection of varieties and the use of original cultivation practices, ‘Lingot du Nord’ has become a traditional crop in the Merville and Armentières region, where it first gained its reputation.

‘Lingot du Nord’ was presented at the Universal Expo of 1867, a fact that bears testament to the product's longstanding reputation, which quickly spread throughout France, particularly in the south. Since 1938, restaurateurs in Castelnaudary have recommended using ‘Lingot du Nord’ in cassoulets.

‘Lingot du Nord’ often appears on restaurant menus and also features in the gastronomic fortnights devoted to showcasing typical regional specialities, organised by the ‘Tables Régionales du Nord Pas de Calais’ network. This initiative brings together restaurateurs from across the Nord and Pas de Calais regions, all of whom share the same desire to raise the profile of regional cuisine by featuring regional culinary specialities on their menus.

Every year an event called ‘Ducasse à Pierrots’ takes place near Lille, specifically in the town of Saint André lez Lille. This longstanding tradition dates back to the 1920s. Every year diners gather to enjoy the ‘Pierrot’, a dish of ‘Lingot du Nord’ beans and smoked sausage.

Finally, every year since 1999 the ‘Lingot du Nord’ festival has been held in Calonne-sur-la-Lys on the first Sunday in October. The festival features a threshing demonstration and ends with a ‘Lingot du Nord’ tasting session.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-8d51b634-115a-4fe9-b21e-4b1c6b2d2bd2

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