EN Official Journal of the European Union C 82/17

Publication of an 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 82/10)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘FESOLS DE SANTA PAU’

EU No: ES-PDO-0005-01226-14.5.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Fesols de Santa Pau’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

Protected Designation of Origin ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ are the seeds of the following traditional varieties of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): Tavella Brisa, Setsetmanera and Gra Petit, dried or cooked and preserved.

PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ are classed in the ‘extra’ commercial category and have the following characteristics:

3.2.1. Dried beans, uncooked

3.2.1.1. Morphological characteristics

The seeds of these three traditional varieties, which are types of navy or haricot beans, are white and rounded; 100 seeds weigh between 18 g and 30 g, where the moisture content is 12 %.

3.2.1.2. Chemical characteristics

— Protein: high protein content, at least 25 %

— Humidity: less than 15 %

3.2.2. Beans cooked either at home or by the processing industry

3.2.2.1. Organoleptic characteristics

— Smooth skin which is only slightly perceptible (from 2 to 4 on a scale of 0 to 10)

— Mealiness: low-medium (from 3 to 4 on a scale of 0 to 10)

— Mild bean flavour (4 on scale of 0 to 10) and absence of foreign tastes (from 0 to 1 on a scale of 0 to 10)

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

PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ are dried or cooked and preserved beans. The processed product may be made only with beans that meet the PDO specification, water and salt. No other type of additive or preservative may be used.

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

PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ must be produced within the geographical area defined in point 4, as it is the combination of the traditional germplasm with the volcanic soil, the growing period and the production techniques that give the final product its specific characteristics. The following steps must take place within the defined area:

— cultivation: to be carried out exclusively in natural volcanic soil in the municipalities which form part of the geographical area defined in point 4,

— drying the plants,

— threshing and cleaning the seeds,

— insecticide treatment (freezing), and

— preparation of the product.

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

For the dried beans any type of breathable packaging is permitted (maximum capacity 25 kg).

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

The Protected Designation of Origin name ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ must be printed clearly on the packaging, together with the product’s own logo and the EU PDO logo, and any other information generally required under the legislation in force.

Reproduction of the logo itself (colour version and black and white version):

4. Concise description of the geographical area

PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ are produced and processed in the municipalities of Santa Pau (main centre of production), Castellfollit de la Roca, Les Planes d’Hostoles, Les Preses, Olot, Sant Feliu de Pallerols and Sant Joan les Fonts (all in the district of Garrotxa, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain).

5. Link with the geographical area

The cultivation of ‘Fesols’ (beans) in the volcanic region of Santa Pau started in the 18th century. Since then farmers have shaped the traditional varieties, first selecting genotypes adapted to mixed cropping with maize and later, from the 1970s, selecting genotypes suitable for monoculture and efficient management. This has given rise to the traditional varieties authorised for the PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’: Tavella Brisa, Setsetmanera and Gra Petit, very well adapted to the local conditions and of a recognised quality.

PDO ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ have a very high protein content, fine skin, low mealiness and a mild flavour. These characteristics are derived both from the pedo-climatic conditions of the geographical area where they are grown and from the traditional varieties used.

The climate of the geographical area of the PDO is Mediterranean but with continental features. Average annual rainfall is around 1 000 l/m2, with irregular distribution, mainly concentrated in spring and autumn, although there is enough rain in summer to allow the beans to be grown without irrigation. Maximum temperatures in July and the first half of August can reach 35 °C but from mid-August and in September, maximum temperatures drop below 27 °C (mild temperatures).

There has been intermittent volcanic activity in the Garrotxa area for 350 000 years and the last eruption occurred 11 000 years ago. The area’s volcanic rock is fundamentally basalt and not very acidic, i.e. poor in SiO2 (SiO2 between 52 % and 45 %). Soil formation processes have turned the basalt into extremely fertile soil with the following characteristics:

— relatively high organic matter content (usually between 2,5 and 5,0 g/100 g),

— slightly acidic or neutral pH, usually between 6,0 and 7,5,

— absence of calcium carbonate and, consequently, low calcium availability,

— high cation-exchange capacity (usually more than 25 cmol+/kg), and

— high water-retention capacity.

These soil characteristics directly affect the quality and characteristics of the product obtained as the increased capacity for cation exchange favours the high protein content linked to the low mealiness of the product, whilst the low calcium content and the slightly acid or neutral pH produce a fine skin. These two factors enhance one another as the seed matures with temperate temperatures occurring from mid-August. Moderate temperatures during maturation also promote the mild flavour.

The area’s climatic irregularity, especially as regards rainfall and temperature, means that only farmers with local experience know exactly which variety to sow and when (the beans should start ripening from mid-August, with mild temperatures). The farmers usually combine the three authorised varieties (distinguished from one another by type of growth, length of growing cycle and degree of tolerance of environmental variation) in different fields, in order to guarantee a minimum production regardless of the weather in any given year. The experience of the local farmers is also crucial in ensuring that the seeds are dried properly in the autumn, when it can be very wet, which allows for the maximum expression of the organoleptic characteristics of the product.

Fesols de Santa Pau have been used in various traditional and innovative dishes, and form the basis of the ‘Cuina volcànica’ (volcanic cuisine) which has made the area a gastronomic destination with traditional culture due to the activities linked to ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’ such as the ‘Feria del Fesol de Santa Pau’ (Fesol de Santa Pau fair) which, since 1991, has been celebrated annually in the middle of January.

Reference to the publication of the specification

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

The full text of the specification may be consulted on the following web page:

http://www.gencat.cat/alimentacio/pliego-fesols-santa-pau

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