EN Official Journal of the European Union C 355/5

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

(2016/C 355/05)

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 AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION 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

‘POMME DE TERRE DE L’ÎLE DE RÉ’

EU No: PDO-FR-0065-AM01 — 18.5.2016

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

The organisation is composed of producers and packagers of ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’. It therefore has a legitimate right to make the amendment request.

Group name: Syndicat de défense de l’appellation d’origine de la Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré (‘Ile de Ré Potato PDO Defence Union’). Group type: More than one person Participants: Producer(s)Other(s): Packagers Address: Route de Sainte-Marie-de-Ré — BP no 3 17580 Le-Bois-Plage-en-Ré FRANCE Tel. +33 0546092309 Email(s): pommedeterre.iledere@orange.fr

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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

— ☐ Product name — ☐ Description of product — ☐ Geographical area — ☐ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☒ Other

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified 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 qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

Method of production

Varieties:

The request for amendment of the specification concerns the amendment of the authorised varieties.

It is proposed to remove four varieties: Goulvena, Pénélope, BF15 and Roseval. After several years of implementing the designation, it appears that the characteristics of the BF15 and the Roseval no longer meet the production specifications for early potatoes such as the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ PDO. Over the years, it has become apparent that these two types of potato have a major disadvantage due to their long growth cycles (105-110 days). They do not help to curb the life-cycle of soil parasites (such as nematodes), which take a long time to grow. In this context, promoting short-growth-cycle varieties helps limit the growth of these parasites and reduce their numbers. With regard to the Goulvena and Pénélope varieties, as they are no longer produced by certified seed-potato producers, they are no longer available for producers of ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’.

It has also been requested to add three new varieties, namely Primabelle, Celtiane and Léontine. Celtiane and Léontine are edible potatoes with firm flesh. Primabelle is a variety of edible potato. These new varieties were tested for two years in accordance with a testing protocol, which aimed to verify that they met the designation’s technical, agronomic, and organoleptic quality criteria. The results of these tests showed that these three varieties meet all the descriptive criteria and specific characteristics of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ PDO.

Because it is included in the European catalogue, but not yet included in the French catalogue, the Primabelle variety does not belong to any culinary group in the corresponding French catalogue. In order to simply the drafting, it has been proposed to remove the reference to the culinary groups, as the culinary group is also strongly correlated with the dry-matter content of tubers. This does not affect the specification because the authorised varieties are designated by name, and they are included due to their characteristics and not due to their culinary groups.

This amendment is necessary for the continued production of ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’: on the one hand, it removes the varieties that are no longer available and those the growing of which raises agronomic problems, while on the other hand it introduces varieties that meet all the descriptive criteria and specific characteristics of the PDO.

Other

References to the inspection body:

The contact details of the control body have been replaced with those of the competent authority for control.

This amendment aims to prevent changes being made to the specification in the event that the control body changes.

Other

National requirements:

The reference values indicated in the checklist on potato varieties have been updated.

This involved taking into account the amendment on the removal and introduction of varieties.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘POMME DE TERRE DE L’ÎLE DE RÉ’

EU No: PDO-FR-0065-AM01 — 18.5.2016

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

The ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is an early potato under 70 mm in size.

Potatoes qualifying for the designation of origin ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ come from the edible potato varieties (Alcmaria, Starlette, Carrera and Primabelle) and the edible varieties with firm flesh (Amandine, Charlotte, Celtiane and Léontine).

They are characterised by their melt-in-the-mouth texture and specific aromas that may have vegetable overtones. Their dry matter content on the day they are lifted is between 15 and 20,5 % for the Alcmaria, Starlette, Carrera and Primabelle varieties and between 16 and 21 % for the Amandine, Charlotte, Celtiane and Léontine varieties.

Harvested before they are completely mature, their skin is fine and comes off easily with simple scrubbing.

They are seasonal produce and can only be sold up to 31 July inclusive of the year of the harvest, and they are not suitable for long-term storage.

The ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is a fresh vegetable that must be marketed quickly after lifting.

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 the steps, from germination to harvesting, take place in the geographical area.

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

Packaging takes place in the geographical area. It is done in distribution packaging not exceeding 25 kg. The methods of packaging ensure that the batches and their origin can be identified, thereby helping to guarantee that the potatoes are traceable.

As the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is a product that is only marketed fresh, it must be packaged quickly after lifting.

Additionally, it is harvested before it is completely mature and for this reason it is a fragile product. It is therefore necessary to avoid any blows that could lead to a change in the skin, e.g: bruises and browning. As a consequence the producers take particular care when harvesting, sorting and packaging, to preserve the characteristics of the potato.

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

In addition to the particulars provided for in regulations on the marketing of potatoes, the labelling of potatoes having the protected designation of origin ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ bears the name of the designation ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’, and the words ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ or the abbreviation ‘PDO’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area corresponds to the territory of île de Ré, composed of the following municipalities: Ars-en-Ré, La Couarde-sur-Mer, Loix, Les Portes-en-Ré, Saint-Clément-des-Baleines, Le Bois-Plage-en Ré, La Flotte, Rivedoux-Plage, Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, and Saint-Martin-de-Ré.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area of the designation of origin ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ corresponds to the 10 municipalities of the Charente-Maritime that make up île de Ré. Ile de Ré is located in the Atlantic Ocean 3 kilometres off the French coast, and it faces the municipality of La Rochelle.

Ile de Ré is part of the geological history of the northern edge of the Aquitaine Basin. It was created from different sedimentary deposits of coral reef and later of Jurassic argillaceous limestone. The limestone base of île de Ré was formed by this sedimentation dating from the secondary era and covered by argillaceous and eolian deposits during the quarternary era.

These different sedimentation phases resulted in a lowland landscape with rather even contours, where the highest point does not exceed 20 metres.

The most common soil types on the island are calcosol or calcisol on calcareous bedrock.

The demarcated areas reserved for the production of potatoes generally feature coastal soils of the brown calcareous or calcic type covered in sand as well as soils with eolian deposits and a fine, sandy texture. These soils are light, dry and permeable. They are rich in potassium and phosphoric acid and generally poor in humus.

Another specificity of île de Ré is that it provides the producers with a source of natural fertiliser: kelp. This organic compost made of marine algae harvested on the beaches of the island used to be the only organic compost material on the island and is still used today by some producers. The advantage of kelp is that it decomposes more rapidly than cow dung, for example.

The island has a temperate oceanic climate. The temperate quality is more marked than on the continental coastline, because there is more sunshine and less rainfall and temperatures are milder. The reason for these differences is that the effects of the ocean are stronger on the island than on the continent.

The island’s climate is characterised by plenty of sunshine, totalling about 2 300 hours a year, combined with much light, and by rainfall of less than 700 millimetres a year and an average annual temperature close to 13 °C. It rains principally in autumn and winter, and snow and frost are infrequent. In addition, île de Ré is exposed to hot and violent winds.

The cultivation methods applied aim at reinforcing the early nature of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’. In particular, they include:

— setting a planting deadline in order to guarantee the early harvesting of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’, which may no longer be harvested after 31 July.

— a high planting density and close rows;

— if haulm stripping is carried out, it must be done mechanically only, so as to avoid altering the soil, which contributes to the organoleptic characteristics of the product.

Specificity of the product

The ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is an early potato.

Its early maturity and small or medium size, which is less than 70 mm, gives it special organoleptic qualities: a melt-in-the-mouth flesh, odours after cooking that vary according to the season and range from vegetable-like to odours of dry fruit — as well as flavours that are almost always sweet, occasionally with slightly salty overtones.

Causal link

The climatic and soil factors of île de Ré combined with the producers’ cultivation methods are at the origin of the special organoleptic characteristics and qualities of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’.

The early maturity of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is due to the land and local know-how. The light, dry and permeable soils, mild temperatures and substantial amount of sunshine, together with the use of sheeting, allow the soil to warm up rapidly. The gain in maturity can be seen in germinators, when lifting the seed potatoes, and up until harvesting.

Another reason for the quality of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ is its maximum size of 70 mm, which contributes to the organoleptic qualities. Potatoes of this size are obtained through a combination of naturally regulated rainfall and a generally high planting density on the island. The good drying capacity of the soils, the mild temperatures, the heat and the violent winds that aid evapotranspiration also play a part in limiting the size of the potatoes. The high planting densities provide protection against the violent winds on the island.

In other words, the typical features of the ‘Pomme de terre de l’île de Ré’ result from the ideal climate and soil conditions of the island, which are further enhanced by well-adapted cultivation methods and a judicious selection of varieties.

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-33a6ecf7-2f06-499e-a064-705743de4243/telechargement

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