EN Official Journal of the European Union C 223/20

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 223/10

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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘HOPFEN AUS DER HALLERTAU’

EC No: DE-PGI-005-0529-14.03.2006

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary contains the main details of the product specification for information only.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Bundesministerium der Justiz Address: Mohrenstraße 37 10117 Berlin DEUTSCHLAND Tel. +49 3020259333 Fax +49 3020258251 E-mail: —

2. Group:

Name: Hopfenpflanzerverband Hallertau e.V. Address: Kellerstraße 1 85283 Wolnzach DEUTSCHLAND Tel. +49 8442957200 Fax +49 8442957270 E-mail: info@deutscher-hopfen.de Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Others ( )

3. Type of product:

Hops, Class 1.8.: Other products covered by Annex I to the Treaty

4. Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’

4.2. Description:

Botany: The hop belongs to the same family as hemp (Cannabinaceae) and to the order Urticaceae (nettles). It is a dioecious plant, i.e. each plant carries only female or only male flowers. Only the female plants bear hop cones (Lupuli strobulus), otherwise known as strobiles.

Products: The protection afforded by Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, which is hereby requested for the designation ‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’, is to apply only to dried hop cones (Lupuli strobulus) and the products obtained by processing them (hop pellets and hop extracts). Conventional hop products include type-90 pellets, lupulin-enriched type-45 pellets, CO2 hop extract and ethanol hop extract. The pelleting process involves grinding the hops and applying pressure to form pellets. The extraction process involves the use of CO2 and ethanol as solvents to extract substances from the pellets.

Use: Over 99 % of ‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’ and the products obtained by processing them are used in the beer-brewing industry. The bitter substances and essential oils present in the hop varieties grown in the Hallertau region play a key part in influencing the brewing value. As the world’s largest coherent hop-growing region, around a third of the world’s hops are cultivated in the Hallertau. The range of varieties of hops cultivated is just as large, in terms of both bitter and aromatic hops.

Examples of bitter varieties cultivated in the Hallertau include:

— Hallertauer Magnum,

— Hallertauer Taurus,

— Herkules,

— Northern Brewer.

Examples of aromatic varieties cultivated in the Hallertau include:

— Hallertauer Tradition,

— Perle,

— Spalter Select,

— Saphir,

— Hallertauer Mittelfrüh,

— Hersbrucker Spät.

4.3. Geographical area:

The entire geographical area covers the rural administrative districts of Eichstätt, Freising, Kehlheim, Landshut, Nürnberger Land and Pfaffenhofen.

4.4. Proof of origin:

The existing certification procedure for each variety, crop year and growing region means that there is a self-contained, officially monitored system for tracking hops throughout the entire production cycle (from the hop-growers and processors through to the breweries). Every stage of processing and marketing is subject to an official certification procedure, which is also recorded by a supervisory body. When the hops have been harvested, all hop batches are analysed by a laboratory and once the official certification procedure is completed, they are passed on to companies which process them and trade in them.

4.5. Method of production:

Cultivation: Hallertauer hops are grown with the help of wire supports in the cultivation area. Work begins in March, with cutting and wiring followed by training, pruning, crop protection measures and mechanical tillage. Depending on the variety, the hops are harvested from the end of August to mid-September.

Further processing: To guarantee the quality of ‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’ the hops must be stored in a cool place in the first marketing stage immediately after harvest and packing by the producers. Suitable storage capacity has been established in the Hallertau region by international hops traders. After cold-storage of the raw hops they are processed into hop products — hop pellets and hop extracts. During the pelleting process, the dried hop cones are first ground and then formed into pellets by applying pressure. Some of these pelletes are processed further into an extract; this is achieved by extracting specific substances from the pellets.

4.6. Link with the geographical area:

The tradition of growing hops in the Hallertau region reaches back over 1 100 years, with the year 860 seeing the first official mention of the crop. Soil and climatic conditions in the Hallertau region are favourable for cultivating hops. The region’s geographical location — in tertiary hills with deep, loose soil combined with frost-free conditions from the end of April, an average temperature of 7,7 °C, moderate annual sunshine of 1 673 hours and ample annual precipitation of 816 mm — is a particularly important factor. Owing to its special climatic and soil conditions, the Hallertau region is held in particularly high regard by brewers throughout the world. The expertise which the hop-growers in the Hallertau region have accumulated over generations and the permanent, competent advice on offer play a very important part in the cultivation of ‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’, around 70 % of which are exported to some 100 countries worldwide. ‘Hopfen aus der Hallertau’ enjoy an excellent reputation at home and abroad, and are now regarded by most brewers around the world as a high-quality product. The great attention and care taken in processing the hops is another contributing factor to the good reputation enjoyed by Hallertauer hops in the international brewing industry. Many buyers swear by the high quality of these products, which have become such a key ingredient in their production lines. Traditional hop festivals and fairs, such as the Wolnzacher Volksfest in August or the Mainburger Gallimarkt in early October, and the annual election of a Hop Queen give the cultivation area a unique charm.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Institut für Ernährungswirtschaft und Markt Address: Menzinger Strasse 54 80638 München DEUTSCHLAND Tel. +49 8917800333 Fax +49 8917800332 E-mail: —

4.8. Labelling:

—