EN Official Journal of the European Union C 204/26

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2006/C 204/06)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for registration according to Article 5 and Article 17(2)

‘POMME DU LIMOUSIN’

EC No: FR/0442/29.11.2004

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary has been drawn up for information only. For full details, interested parties are invited to consult the full version of the product specification obtainable from the national authorities indicated in section 1 or from the European Commission (1).

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Institut National des Appellations d'Origine Address: 51, rue d'Anjou — F-75008 Paris Tel: (33-1) 53 89 80 00 Fax: (33-1) 42 25 57 97 E-mail: info@inao.gouv.fr

2. Group:

Name: Syndicat de défense de la Pomme du Limousin Address: Le Bois Redon — F-19230 Pompadour Tel: (33-5) 55 73 31 51 Fax: (33-5) 55 98 54 42 E-mail: pommelimousin@wanadoo.fr Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.6 — Fresh fruit

4. Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1 Name: ‘Pomme du Limousin’

4.2 Description: ‘Pomme du Limousin’ is a fresh apple with the following characteristics:

it has a slightly elongated shape, with a clearly marked eye and eye cavity,

it has a minimum size of 65 mm,

the flesh is white, firm, crispy, juicy and non-floury,

the flavour is balanced as regards sweetness and acidity.

The apple is produced from the ‘Golden delicious’ variety.

‘Pomme du Limousin’ has a refractive index of at least 12,5 % Brix, firmness of at least 5 kg/cm2 and acidity of at least 3,7 g/l of malic acid.

The apple falls within marketing classes ‘Extra’ and ‘1’, as defined by Regulation (EC) No 85/2004 of 15 January 2004, or marketing class 2 purely because of the degree of russetting.

‘Pomme du Limousin’ is greeny-white to yellow in colour and may have a pink blush.

Products made from the apple (juice, compote, etc.) may not use the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO.

4.3 Geographical area: The apples are grown, graded and packed in 100 municipalities in the Departments of la Corrèze, la Creuse, la Dordogne and la Haute-Vienne.

The full list of municipalities is given in the product specification.

4.4 Proof of origin: All operators complete a declaration of aptitude, registered with the Institut National des Appellations d'Origin (INAO).

The purpose of the documentary follow-up is to monitor the product from planting to shipping of the fruit.

The apples are identified and stored after harvest at the unit of homogeneous production, as defined in the specification. On completion of harvest, each producer sends INAO a summary harvest declaration.

Undertakings storing/packing ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO apples must keep up-to-date records showing the provenance and destination of the apples and the quantities of apples handled and placed into circulation.

During packing, an individual sticker is affixed to apples protected by the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO.

Analyses and organoleptic tests are carried out on samples of apples protected by the ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO to ensure that they exhibit the characteristics described in point 4.2.

4.5 Method of production:

Variety:

The apples are of the ‘Golden delicious’ variety or of one of the mutants authorised for the PDO (standard characteristics or characteristics close to those of standard ‘Golden delicious’).

Rootstock and grafts must be certified.

Growing methods:

The maximum yield is 58 tonnes per hectare. If that yield is exceeded, the whole production of the unit of homogeneous production concerned loses PDO status.

Density:

The planting density for the trees must be between 1 000 and 3 000 trees per hectare.

The presence of pollinating varieties is authorised but their fruit cannot have PDO status.

Pruning:

The trees are pruned at least every two years, from the third leaf, using the vertical axis system. Pruning involves simplifying the fruiting branches and removing branches growing underneath these or receiving little light.

Irrigation:

Only localised irrigation or micro-irrigation is authorised and equipment to monitor the volume of water used must be installed.

Fertirrigation is prohibited.

Irrigation may not be carried out after 31 August or during the 15 days preceding harvest.

Plant-health treatments:

Chemical disinfection of the soil before planting is prohibited.

Growers must keep an up-to-date cultural register in which they record all cultural operations carried out on each unit of homogeneous production.

Harvesting:

The date at which harvest can begin is laid down by prefectoral order on a proposal from INAO.

The apples are harvested by hand.

Under no circumstances may plant-health treatments be applied to the fruit after harvest.

Storage of the apples:

The apples must be stored cold in order to preserve their firmness, texture and juiciness.

From 15 December, apples to be packed must have been kept in rooms with a controlled environment. These rooms must be airtight and have equipment for recording and monitoring temperature and the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Packing:

The apples are packed in suitable packaging to ensure that their characteristics and quality are preserved. Packing takes place in the geographical area described in point 4.3.

Packages may contain no more than 20 kg of apples and the use of plastic bags and paper bags is prohibited.

After a specified date, apples may no longer be released for circulation as ‘Pomme du Limousin’ PDO. This is determined on the basis of the colour of the apples and varies from 1 June to 1 August.

4.6 Link: The production area for ‘Pomme du Limousin’ is located on the plateaux of Haut-Limousin, the foothills of the Massif Central, between the Auvergne and the Aquitaine Basin. This geographical and geological area lies in the administrative regions of Limousin and Aquitaine in the Departments of la Corrèze, la Creuse, la Dordogne and la Haute-Vienne.

The light, deep soil lies on a crystalline basement and has good water-retention properties.

The area enjoys a humid, ocean climate, with fairly abundant, although not excessive, rainfall and temperatures that do not reach extremes. The average temperature of more than 9oC defines the physiological limit of the crop and can be directly linked to the day/night temperature variation, which is a decisive factor in September and October. The alternance of cold nights and hot, sunny days promotes the development of aromatic substances and anthocyanins, which give the skin its pink pigmentation.

Another factor is altitude. Apple trees grow best at an altitude of between 300 and 500 metres and there is a precise correlation between the taste of an apple and the altitude at which it is grown, altitude mitigating the higher temperatures that often inhibit the development of aromatic substances and anthocyanins. ‘Golden delicious’ grown at altitude has an elongated shape and is firmer, with a higher sugar content.

Encouraged by the increasing success of ‘Pomme du Limousin’, including on export markets, the whole of the sector has worked together to publicise the original characteristics of the product, promoting various initiatives, such as the ‘Route de la Pomme du Limousin’ (Pomme du Limousin Trail), tourist, cultural and sporting events organised around the PDO and the special menus created by artisans and restaurateurs to bring out the taste of the apple.

4.7 Inspection body:

Name: Institut National des Appellations d'Origine Address: 51, rue d'Anjou — F-75008 Paris Tel: (33-1) 53 89 80 00 Fax: (33-1) 42 25 57 97 E-mail: info@inao.gouv.fr

4.8 Labelling: Each apple is identified by a sticker bearing:

the letters ‘AOC’, in characters at least as large as those of the other wording on the sticker;

the name ‘Pomme du Limousin’, in characters at least half as large as the letters ‘AOC’.

In addition, each individual package bears:

the name ‘Pomme du Limousin’ in characters at least as large as the largest characters on the label;

the letters ‘AOC’ or the words ‘appellation d'origine contrôlée’.

Where the label shows, in addition to the address, the name of the packer or a brand name, the name ‘Pomme du Limousin’ is repeated between the words ‘appellation’ and ‘contrôlée’.

In addition to the label, all the accompanying documents and invoices must bear the words ‘Pomme du Limousin’ and ‘appellation d'origine contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’.

4.9 National requirements: —

(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural Product Quality Policy, B-1049 Brussels.