Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2020/C 305/03)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s eAmbrosia database.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’

EU No: PDO-FR-0204-AM04 – 15.5.2020

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product (as in Annex XI)

Class 1.4: Other products of animal origin (eggs, honey, various dairy products except butter, etc.)

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

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ is honey from honeydew collected by bees from Vosges fir trees. It is dark brown in colour with pale green highlights. It develops balsamic aromas and a very characteristic malty flavour and is free of bitterness and extraneous flavours.

It has a water content less than or equal to 18 %, an electric conductivity of over 950 microsiemens per centimetre and a hydroxymethylfurfural content of less than 15 mg/kg.

It is supplied in liquid form to consumers.

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

The honey must be harvested, extracted, filtered and decanted in the geographical area.

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

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ must be supplied to consumers in glass containers with an identification mark which is destroyed on opening the container.

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

Besides the compulsory references laid down in the rules on labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, the label must feature the registered name of the product in lettering which is clear, legible, indelible and sufficiently large, in a font size which is greater than the largest characters on the label and the European Union’s PDO logo. Those references must be displayed in the same visual field.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Department of Meurthe-et-Moselle:

the municipalities: Angomont, Azerailles, Baccarat, Badonviller, Bertrambois, Bertrichamps, Bionville, Bremenil, Brouville, Cirey-Sur-Vezouze, Deneuvre, Fenneviller, Flin, Fontenoy-La-Joute, Gelacourt, Glonville, Hablainville, Lachapelle, Merviller, Migneville, Montigny, Neufmaisons, Neuviller-Les-Badonviller, Parux, Petitmont, Pettonville, Pexonne, Pierre-Percee, Raon-Les-Leau, Reherrey, Saint-Maurice-Aux-Forges, Sainte-Pole, Saint-Sauveur, Tanconville, Thiaville-Sur-Meurthe, Vacqueville, Val-Et-Chatillon, Vaxainville, Veney.

Department of Moselle:

Cantons of Phalsbourg and Sarrebourg: all municipalities.

Department of Haute-Saône: the municipalities: Amont-Et-Effreney, Belfahy, Belonchamp, Beulotte-Saint-Laurent, Corravillers, Ecromagny, Esmoulieres, Faucogney-Et-La-Mer, Fresse, Haut-Du-Them-Chateau-Lambert, La Longine, Melisey, La Montagne, Plancher-Bas, Plancher-Les-Mines, La Rosiere, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Bresson, Servance-Miellin, Ternuay-Melay-Et-Saint-Hilaire.

Department of Vosges:

all of the municipalities except for: the canton of Neufchâteau and the municipalities: Aingeville, Aouze, Aroffe, Aulnois, Auzainvilliers, Balleville, Belmont-Sur-Vair, Bulgneville, Chatenois, Courcelles-Sous-Chatenois, Crainvilliers, Darney-Aux-Chenes, Dolaincourt, Dombrot-Sur-Vair, Dommartin-Sur-Vraine, Gendreville, Gironcourt-Sur-Vraine, Hagneville-Et-Roncourt, Houecourt, Longchamp-Sous-Chatenois, Maconcourt, Malaincourt, Mandres-Sur-Vair, Medonville, Morelmaison, Morville, La Neuveville-Sous-Chatenois, Norroy, Ollainville, Parey-Sous-Montfort, Pleuvezain, Rainville, Removille, Saint-Ouen-Les-Parey, Saint-Paul, Saint-Remimont, Sandaucourt, Saulxures-Les-Bulgneville, Sauville, Soncourt, Suriauville, Urville, La Vacheresse-Et-La-Rouillie, Vaudoncourt, Vicherey, Viocourt, Vouxey, Vrecourt.

Department of Territoire de Belfort:

the municipalities: Auxelles-Haut, Giromagny, Lamadeleine-Val-Des-Anges, Lepuix, Riervescemont, Rougemont-Le-Chateau, Vescemont.

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ is honey made from honeydew foraged on by bees in forests largely composed of Vosges fir trees (Abies pectinata) specific to the Vosges region.

Sap is extracted from the fir trees by aphids which turn this into honeydew. The honeydew, once produced, is foraged on by bees in order to make honey. Efforts by bees and humans alike culminate in honey which is characterised by a darker colour and green highlights, with balsamic aromas and a malty flavour.

The geographical area is characterised by the presence of the Vosges Mountains. In this heavily wooded mountain range, Vosges fir trees are by far the most abundant species. They are well suited to the soil, which is made up of an acidic substratum, granite and sandstone, and to the semi-continental climate, characterised by its humidity and coolness, which are favourable to the growth of the trees. The North-South orientation of the Vosges Mountains accentuates the characteristics of this climate, blocking clouds coming in from the west. This explains the abundant rainfall pattern (Foehn effect). Honey has long been produced in Lorraine. Various documents attest to awards won in competitions, most notably at a 1902 agricultural show.

Key operators from the Vosges beekeeping community have done everything to promote and highlight the value of this specific production sector.

This led to the recognition of the ‘Miel des Vosges-Montagne’ designation of origin in a ruling by the Nancy Regional Court of 25 April 1952, which later became the ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ registered designation of origin on 30 July 1996.

In Le goût du miel (Gonnet & Vache, 1985), the authors distinguish ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ from other types of fir honey produced in France on account of its specific characteristics: darker colour, typical pale green highlights, very slow – if any – crystallisation, balsamic aroma and very characteristic malty flavour.

‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ is a product that is very closely linked to its area of origin since it forms part of an uninterrupted chain from the Vosges fir. From this species, aphids extract the sap which they process into honeydew, which is foraged on by bees to produce this very characteristic honey.

Its production is very closely related to the location of the conifer forests specific to the Vosges region, from which beekeepers have been able to draw and preserve their specific character.

In literature (Gonnet & Vache, Le goût du miel, 1985) there are references to the unique character of ‘Miel de Sapin des Vosges’, which is associated in particular with the regional, climatic and soil conditions. Its specific characteristics stem from the fact that the bees forage on honeydew produced by aphids living on Vosges fir trees (Abies pectinata). It therefore draws its specific characteristics from the following factors: the species of fir which is foraged and the nature of ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ (honeydew honey).

Clearly illustrating this close interaction between the environment and the product is the cyclical pattern to the production of honeydew, which is linked to the growth cycle of aphid populations. To this day, this phenomenon remains largely unexplained.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-be8a8d67-bd17-426f-8c86-a4d3d42a4a27

(1) OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.