Publication of a request under Article 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 to amend one or more parts of the specification of a name registered under Article 17 or Article 6 of that Regulation

(2001/C 296/04)

Publication confers the right to object within the meaning of Article 7 of the Regulation. Any objections to this request must be forwarded via the competent authority of a Member State within six months of the publication date. The amendment is not a minor one and it must therefore be published under Article 6(2) of the Regulation.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT OF A SPECIFICATION: ARTICLE 9

1. Registered name: Comté

2. Responsible department in the Member State Institut national des appellations d'origine 138, Avenue des Champs-Élysées F - 75008 Paris Tel. (33-1) 53 89 80 00 Fax (33-1) 42 25 57 97

3. Amendment(s) requested - Specification heading:

[square ] name

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description

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geographical area

[square ] proof of origin

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method of production

[square ] link

[square ] labelling

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national requirements

- Amendment(s):

Description:

The cheeses weigh 30 kg to 48 kg (instead of 35 kg to 55 kg) and are 50 cm to 75 cm in diameter (instead of 40 cm to 70 cm) and 8 cm to 13 cm in height (instead of 9 cm to 13 cm). The cheeses must not be more than 1,4 times higher at the centre than at the outer rim. The salt content must not be less than 0,6 g of sodium chloride per 100 g of cheese. The moisture content of the fat-free cheese may not exceed 54 %.

The cheese may also be presented in packaged portions.

Geographical area:

Reduction in geographical area involving the deletion of 90 communes.

Method of production:

The main points of the method of production of "Comté" cheese are clarified in the following respects:

- unless exceptional conditions arise, the dairy herd is to be fed on fodder from the geographical area with a minimum of one hectare of grassland per cow; silage and other fermented feedingstuffs are banned for the whole dairy herd,

- the milk is to come from within a circular area measuring 25 km in diameter; the processing plant is to be located within that circular area; limited adaptations and waivers may be allowed,

- the milk from no more than two successive milkings is chilled and possibly partly skimmed; natural rennet is added no more than 24 hours after the first milking, together with selected starter cultures; the curd is heated in a copper vat and kept at 53 °C for at least 30 minutes,

- the curd must be pressed at a minimum pressure of 150 g/cm2 for at least six hours,

- maturing involves two stages: an initial pre-maturing phase (at between 10 °C and 15 °C and a humidity of more than 90 %) lasting at least 21 days, and a second phase in either a warm cellar (between 14 °C and 19 °C) or a cool cellar (below 14 °C). The cheeses are turned over regularly, salted with sea salt and their surface rubbed with cheese smear. Maturing on spruce boards for at least 120 days (instead of 90 days) within the geographical area is mandatory,

- pre-packaging is carried out within the geographical area (instead of subject to no limits) except where a waiver is granted for five years; only cheeses selected on the basis of certain criteria relating to the texture of the cheese and of the rind can be cut up and this must take place within 15 days after the cheese leaves the maturing cellar (instead of subject to no conditions).

National requirement:

for:"Decree of 29 December 1986",

read:"Decree on the appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Comté'".

4. Date of receipt of the full application: 20 April 2001.