EN Official Journal of the European Union C 271/20

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

2009/C 271/11

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 of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘FASOLA KORCZYŃSKA’

EC No: PL-PGI-0005-0613-07.06.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Fasola korczyńska’

2. Member State or third country:

Poland

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product (pursuant to Annex II):

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed

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

Only the dried seeds of local dwarf, stringed populations of the multi-flowered bean known as Jaś Karłowy (Phaseolus coccineus) and intended for human consumption may be sold under the name ‘fasola korczyńska’.

Physical characteristics

— white colour typical of healthy seeds,

— large or very large seeds at least 18 mm long and at least 10 mm broad, with 60 to 90 seeds per 100 g of beans,

— seeds have very thin skins,

— natural and characteristic in smell, free of mouldy, rancid or other extraneous odours,

— seeds must be clean, whole, healthy, ripe, well-formed, dry without contamination, not shrivelled, without holes caused by insects, free of dangerous diseases, and must not manifest any deterioration or growth under the influence of temperature.

Chemical characteristics

— moisture content not more than 18 %,

— protein content not less than 22 %.

Organoleptic and culinary characteristics

— very delicate, mild flavour without any bitter taste,

— cooking time not more than 40 minutes,

— seeds do not disintegrate as a result of cooking and are not powdery.

The following minimum requirements apply to the beans prior to packing

(a) broken beans (half of the whole seed) — up to 0,1 %;

(b) shrivelled beans — up to 0,1 %;

(c) foreign matter — up to 0,05 % (maximum earth: 0,02 %);

(d) decayed and mouldy beans — not more than 0,2 %;

(e) beans that are not of a uniform colour — not more than 0,6 %.

However, the total quantity of beans not meeting these requirements may not exceed 1,05 % by weight.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

All steps in the production of ‘fasola korczyńska’ must take place in the geographical area identified at point 4. The crops must be cultivated on class-I, II or III alkaline soils of the types preferred by wheat and beet. Papilionaceous plants and grasses may not be grown as the preceding crop. The distance between plants should be at least 25 cm. The distance between the rows should not be less than 55 cm. Only chemical products permitted by the Instytut Ochrony Roślin (Plant Protection Institute) may be applied. The beans are harvested by cutting down the whole plant. After the plants have been cut down, they have to be dried on wooden frames. These are wooden openwork constructions manufactured by producers within the identified geographical area. The beans must be dried naturally in a well-ventilated place in the fresh air. The length of the drying period depends on the prevailing weather conditions, and the selection of a suitable threshing date depends on the skill and experience of local producers. The dried plants are threshed using threshing equipment with a suitable round-meshed sieve. The threshed beans have to be sorted in order to eliminate beans that are damaged or misshapen. The beans are sorted by hand. No more than two tonnes of beans may be harvested from one hectare of crop. The sorted beans can be further dried. They should be stored in clean, dry, well-ventilated spaces that are free of pests and extraneous odours.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

‘Fasola korczyńska’ may be produced in the following municipalities of the Świętokrzyskie voivodship: Nowy Korczyn, Wiślica, Solec Zdrój and Pacanów (which are in Busko District), Opatowiec (which is in Kazimierz District).

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The area in which ‘fasola korczyńska’ is cultivated is the southern part of the Nida Basin and the Vistula Lowland. This area is located along the Nida valley, with its southern part where the Nida flows into the Vistula.

This area is situated on an extensive depression between the Kraków-Częstochowski Upland and the Kielce-Sandomierz Upland. These uplands constitute a natural barrier that protects this region, causing it to have milder conditions than the neighbouring areas. The geographical area indicated is characterised by differences in relative height of more than 50 m. The lie of the land has a significant effect on the winds in this area, which are very light (moving at speeds of less than 5 m/sec.). Strong winds (speeds of more than 10 m/sec.) occur very rarely and usually in winter. On average, this area enjoys around six hours of sunshine per day, more than most other areas in the Świętokrzyskie voivodship. Other characteristics of this area are a well-developed irrigation and drainage network based on the Vistula and Nida rivers, and a high level of groundwater. The annual average relative air humidity in this area is around 79 %. The area is also characterised by a relatively low level of precipitation, which sets its apart significantly from the adjoining areas. The total annual precipitation here is less than 550 mm and the soil has a pH value ranging from 6,0 to 6,8. The vegetation period is around 214 days.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The seeds of ‘fasola korczyńska’ are characterised by their thin skins and their great culinary value (relatively short cooking time, delicate consistency with no powdery aftertaste) and sensory qualities (noticeably sweet taste).

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The uniqueness of ‘fasola korczyńska’ is the result of characteristics specific to the geographical area identified at point 4. and of the product’s good reputation. The natural characteristics described at point 5.1, in particular the gentle winds, good quantity of sunshine, relatively low level of precipitation and close-to-neutral soil pH, create favourable conditions for cultivating the beans. Coupled with the human skills involved in drying the pulses on frames and choosing the optimum date for threshing, they make it possible to achieve a finished product with the properties described at point 5.2. The skills of local producers, particularly with regard to drying the bean plants in the open air and the special design of the frames, or racks, used for this purpose, which provide very effective ventilation of individual batches of the dried bean, combined with the climatic conditions prevalent during the drying period, and in particular ample sunshine, the low level of precipitation and the favourable winds, this has a beneficial effect on the top-quality finished product, and in particular help ensure that ‘fasola korczyńska’ has thin skins.

The superior quality of ‘fasola korczyńska’ is borne out by a sensory study showing the advantages of this bean in terms of taste and aroma, structure and consistency as well as its relatively short cooking time compared with beans from another geographical area. Furthermore, in the geographical area indicated, specific human skills have been developed, as demonstrated among other things by the introduction of special cultivation methods (e.g. sowing before 8 May) and by the method of harvesting of the product itself (e.g. special racks for drying the plants).

There is a very long tradition of growing ‘fasola korczyńska’ in the region. Bean production in and around Nowy Korczyn was developed during a period in the late 1950s when the River Nida flooded. Floods destroyed the other crops being cultivated there at the time. Beans began to be cultivated on the flooded areas. The most popular variety of bean in this area were the stringed varieties of the dwarf Jaś Karłowy runner bean. The conditions for growing this variety were very favourable, and such fine specimens were obtained here with the specificity described above that it began to be called ‘fasola korczyńska’. The geographical designation was used in order to indicate and highlight the specified quality of the beans. The cultivation of this crop is still very much concentrated here. In 1999, out of the estimated 2 500 ha on which beans of the local populations of Jaś Karłowy were grown in the whole of Poland, as much as 2 375 ha were located in the area indicated at point 4, i.e. 95 % of the total area under this crop.

There are also numerous documents dating back to the 1960s and 1970s concerning ‘fasola korczyńska’ and providing evidence of bean cultivation on this land and of the principles for selling, financing and insuring this bean. These documents confirm that bean production in this area was well organised and developed.

The good reputation enjoyed by ‘fasola korczyńska’ is also borne out by the fact that it is sold successfully outside Poland. Exports by one of the largest businesses trading in ‘fasola korczyńska’ from this area ranged from 250 to 500 tonnes per year in the years 1994 to 2006. It should also be emphasised that, on average, the prices achieved for ‘fasola korczyńska’ are 30 % higher than the prices achieved for beans of the same variety from outside the area indicated at point 4.

The good reputation enjoyed by ‘fasola korczyńska’ and its importance to the local community are also borne out by numerous articles in the press, e.g. ‘Najlepszy świętokrzyski produkt regionalny’, ‘Potem ćmaga’ and ‘Mamy patent na fasolę’, all of which appeared in the Tygodnik Ponidzia weekly newspaper, as well as ‘Polskie smaki na Praskiej Giełdzie po raz trzeci’ in a 2007 issue of the fortnightly newspaper Agro Serwis. ‘Fasola korczyńska’ is also mentioned in a play entitled ‘Szopki po Parchocku’ which was performed by children in January 1991.

The high quality, delicate flavour and very good growing conditions have been factors in the increasing popularity of ‘fasola korczyńska’. The popularity and good reputation of the product is confirmed by the awards it has received, including first ‘Perła’ prize in 2004 in the national Polish competition ‘Nasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo’.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.minrol.gov.pl/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabOrgId=1620&LangId=0