EN Official Journal of the European Union C 362/31

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2017/C 362/05)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR AMENDMENT

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2)

‘GUIJUELO’

EU No: PDO-ES-0077-AM02 — 4.5.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) TSG ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Guijuelo’ [Regulatory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Guijuelo’], which is a public-law corporation established under Law 6/2015. C/Filiberto Villalobos, 4 CP 37770 Guijuelo SALAMANCA ESPAÑA Tel. +34 923581514 Fax +34 923580097 Email: certificacion@jamondoguijuelo.com

Legitimate interest:

The Regulatory Council is officially recognised as the management body for the ‘Guijuelo’ PDO, in accordance with the first additional provision of Law 6/2015 of 12 May 2015 on protected designations of origin and geographical indications whose territorial scope extends to more than one of Spain's autonomous communities, and one of its specific functions is to propose amendments to the specification.

Number of registered factories: 70//Number of registered livestock farmers: 399//Number of registered slaughterhouses: 10

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

— ☐ Description of product — ☐ Proof of origin — ☐ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☒ Other: (11) Brand image

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☐ Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and requiring no amendment to the published single document. — ☒ Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 and requiring an amendment to the published single document. — ☐ Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published. — ☐ Amendment to the product specification of a registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

Current: Proposal:

We are requesting that the following rules on use be included in the specification:

‘The PDO “Guijuelo” logo used must always be the legally registered logo, which appears below. The use of the PDO “Guijuelo” logo shall be regulated by and in line with the Corporate Identity Manual that is in force’.

We are requesting the amendment for the reasons set out below:

The specification for the PDO ‘Guijuelo’ provides for the reproduction of a mixed trademark, and we wish to amend its logo/graphic component on account of the advantage, as pointed out by the corporation's governing bodies, to be gained from modernising the thirty-year-old brand image, especially with a view to promoting it commercially pursuant to Article 45(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 provides for amendments to product specifications, and the requested amendment, which does not affect any of the aspects set out in paragraph 2 of the said Article, is minor in nature.

The purpose of the amendment, which is considered a minor amendment to the specification for this Protected Designation of Origin in accordance with Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, is to change the logo (a mixed trademark), which will be used on the labels of products covered by the PDO ‘Guijuelo’, once the amendment has been approved, within the periods laid down by law.

We have also amended the Single Document so that it now includes the PDO ‘Guijuelo’ logo, and have changed the wording in order to provide clarification regarding its use.

The previous wording in the Single Document was as follows:

‘On completion of the production process, the product is certified by affixing the numbered label specific to the “Guijuelo” PDO, which bears the EU symbol, as well as the “Guijuelo” trademark, and indicates the type of product, the breed and the class to which the product belongs on the basis of the animal's diet. The label must always be accompanied by a commercial label, which must have been notified by the producer to the Regulatory Council. If a producer uses the same trademark to market a protected product and a product that is not protected, a distinction must be made by including the PDO logo on the commercial label of the protected product.’

The proposed new wording is as follows:

‘On completion of the production process, the product is certified by affixing the numbered label specific to the “Guijuelo” PDO, which bears the EU symbol, as well as the “Guijuelo” trademark and/or logo, and indicates the class to which the product belongs, in accordance with the sales designations set out in section B of the specification. The label must always be accompanied by a commercial label, which must have been notified by the producer to the Regulatory Council. All protected products must bear the logo, as indicated in the specification. The PDO “Guijuelo” logo used must always be the legally registered logo, which appears below.’

Updated product specification (only for PDO and PGI)

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/pliego2017-02-13_tcm7-448957.pdf

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘GUIJUELO’

EU No: PDO-ES-0077-AM02 — 4.5.2017

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Guijuelo’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.2. Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

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

Description: PDO ‘Guijuelo’ hams and shoulder hams are meat products obtained by salting, washing, post-salting, curing/maturing and ageing the forelegs and hind legs of Iberian pigs or Iberian-Duroc crosses that are authorised by national legislation with a minimum of 75 % Iberian blood.

Morphological characteristics: They have an elongated and stylised shape and weigh at least 6,5 kg and 3,7 kg, respectively, for hams and shoulder hams from pure-bred pigs and at least 7 kg and 4 kg, respectively, for hams and shoulder hams from pigs with 75 % Iberian blood. They are free of bruises, fractures or contusions, and the trotter is not removed, except where they are sold boneless, in portions or in pieces.

Organoleptic characteristics: The cut surface is intensely pink to purplish-red in colour, with a shiny appearance and streaks of fatty tissue. It has a delicate, sweet or slightly salty flavour and a characteristic aroma, depending on the animal's diet before slaughter.

Hams and shoulder hams are graded for sale as follows:

Class I : 100 % Iberian acorn-fed ham, from 100 % Iberian pigs. The finished hams must weigh more than 6,5 kg and the production process must take at least 730 days. If the minimum duration of the production process for hams of this category is more than 800 days, the words ‘Gran Selección’ may optionally be included on the label in the same visual field as the sales designation. 100 % Iberian acorn-fed shoulder ham, from 100 % Iberian pigs. The finished shoulder hams must weigh more than 3,7 kg and the production process must take at least 365 days. If the minimum duration of the production process for shoulder hams of this category is more than 425 days, the words ‘Gran Selección’ may optionally be included on the label in the same visual field as the sales designation. Class II : Iberian acorn-fed ham, from 75 % Iberian pigs. The finished hams must weigh more than 7 kg and the production process must take at least 730 days. If the minimum duration of the production process for hams of this category is more than 800 days, the words ‘Gran Selección’ may optionally be included on the label in the same visual field as the sales designation. Iberian acorn-fed shoulder ham, from 75 % Iberian pigs. The finished shoulder hams must weigh more than 4 kg and the production process must take at least 365 days. If the minimum duration of the production process for shoulder hams of this category is more than 425 days, the words ‘Gran Selección’ may optionally be included on the label in the same visual field as the sales designation. Class III : Iberian pastured, fodder-fed ham, from pigs with at least 75 % Iberian blood. The finished hams must weigh more than 6,5 kg for 100 % Iberian ham and 7 kg for 75 % Iberian ham and the production process must take at least 730 days. Iberian pastured, fodder-fed shoulder ham, from pigs with at least 75 % Iberian blood. The finished shoulder hams must weigh more than 3,7 kg for 100 % Iberian shoulder ham and 4 kg for 75 % Iberian shoulder ham and the production process must take at least 365 days.

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

The geographical area in which the abovementioned pigs are reared covers the area in which extensive farming of Iberian pigs traditionally took place on the dehesa (oak savannah) ecosystem on dehesa and grassland livestock farms, which is the traditional method of rearing Iberian pigs.

The key factors which determine the quality of the Iberian pigs and thus the subsequent organoleptic quality of the protected hams and shoulder hams and which give PDO ‘Guijuelo’ hams and shoulder hams their distinctive quality and characteristics are the pigs' diet and their management under an extensive farming system during the final fattening stage, making full use of the resources of the dehesa, i.e. acorns, natural pastures and stubble. The geographical area of production is defined, and there are specific conditions for production, such as the need to estimate the quantity of acorns on the holm, cork and gall oak trees available to the pigs on each mountain pasture and to determine the maximum number of pigs that can feed there. Furthermore, checks are carried out to ensure that the specific conditions are complied with; for example, unannounced inspections are carried out to verify that the pigs are feeding on acorns and natural pastures, and that they are managed extensively during the fattening stage.

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

The Iberian pigs must be born, reared and fattened in the geographical area of production. Processing after slaughter and butchery of the animals, which includes the salting, washing, post-salting/resting, curing/maturing and ageing stages, must take place in the geographical area defined in the specification.

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

Cellars may market certified hams and shoulder hams without bone, in portions or in pieces, provided that the appropriate control and labelling system is in place to guarantee the traceability of the product, ham or shoulder ham, and the product class.

To this end, the Regulatory Council is to be notified when this is done.

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

At the slaughterhouse, a numbered seal must be affixed to all forelegs and hind legs to be made into protected hams and shoulder hams.

The seal must prominently display the name and/or logo of the ‘Guijuelo’ PDO, the colours of which must correspond to those laid down for each category in the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin, as shown below:

— Black— 100 % Iberian acorn-fed ham or shoulder ham.

— Red— 75 % Iberian acorn-fed ham or shoulder ham.

— Green— Iberian pastured, fodder-fed ham or shoulder ham.

On completion of the production process, the product is certified by affixing the numbered label specific to the ‘Guijuelo’ PDO, which bears the EU symbol, as well as the ‘Guijuelo’ trademark and/or logo, and indicates the class to which the product belongs, in accordance with the sales designations set out in Section 3.2.

The label must always be accompanied by a commercial label, which must have been notified by the producer to the Regulatory Council.

The PDO ‘Guijuelo’ logo used must always be the legally registered logo, which appears below.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

Production area. The area in which Iberian pigs have traditionally been reared is located in the west and south-west of Spain. It comprises certain agricultural districts in which dehesa and grassland predominate, in the following provinces: Zamora (districts of Duero Bajo and Sayago), Segovia (district of Cuellar), Ávila (districts of Piedrahita-Barco, Arévalo and Ávila), Salamanca (all districts), Cáceres (all districts), Badajoz (all districts), Toledo (districts of Talavera and La Jara), Ciudad Real (districts of Montes Norte and Montes Sur), Sevilla (district of Sierra Norte), Córdoba (districts of Los Pedroches, La Sierra and Campiña Baja) and Huelva (districts of La Sierra, Andévalo Occidental and Andévalo Oriental).

Processing area. This is made up of the following seventy-eight (78) municipalities in the south-eastern part of the province of Salamanca, where the terrain and climate have favoured the emergence of a meat-processing industry specialising in the Iberian pig, the municipalities in question being right in the middle of the Salamancan dehesa, in the south-eastern part of the province of Salamanca, at the point where the Béjar and Francia mountain ranges meet: Alberca (La), Aldeacipreste, Aldeanuela de la Sierra, Aldeavieja de Tormes, Bastida (La), Béjar, Cabaco (El), Cabeza de Béjar (La), Cabezuela de Salvatierra, Campillo de Salvatierra, Calzada de Béjar, Candelario, Cantagallo, Casafranca, Casas del Conde (Las), Cepeda, Cereceda de la Sierra, Cerro (El), Cespedosa, Cilleros de la Bastida, Colmenar de Montemayor, Cristóbal, Endrinal de la Sierra, Escurial de la Sierra, Frades de la Sierra, Fresnedoso, Fuenterroble de Salvatierra, Fuentes de Béjar, Garcibuey, Guijo de Ávila, Guijuelo, Herguijuela de la Sierra, Herguijuela del Campo, Horcajo de Montemayor, Hoya (La), Lagunilla, Ledrada, Linares de Riofrío, Madroñal, Miranda del Castañar, Mogarraz, Molinillo, Monforte de la Sierra, Monleón, Montemayor del Río, Navacarros, Nava de Béjar, Nava de Francia, Navalmoral de Béjar, Navarredonda de la Rinconada, Palacios de Salvatierra, Peñacaballera, Peromingo, Pinedas, Puebla de San Medel, Puerto de Béjar, Rinconada de la Sierra (La), Sanchotello, San Esteban de la Sierra, San Martín de Castañar, San Miguel de Robledo, San Miguel de Valero, Santibáñez de la Sierra, Santos (Los), Sequeros, Sierpe (La), Sorihuela, Sotoserrano, Tamanes, Tejeda y Segoyuela, Tornadizos, Valdefuentes de Sangusín, Valdehijaderos, Valdelacasa, Valdelageve, Valero, Valverde de Valdelacasa and Villanueva del Conde.

5. Link with the geographical area

A distinction must be made between the geographical area in which the Iberian pigs are reared, which is referred to as the production area, and the geographical area in which the hams and shoulder hams are processed, which is referred to as the processing area.

The indigenous nature of the breed, the climate of the processing area, which is well suited to the production of slow-cured meat products, and its centuries-old tradition of meat processing all combine to give the products their distinctive character.

The climate and terrain of the production area are those of the dehesa ecosystem, which is characterised by vast expanses of wooded pastures and meadows, in which livestock farming has traditionally been an important activity firmly rooted in the land.

The pastures are made up of natural herbaceous communities which are adapted to the area's climate and soil conditions. In some cases, these are typical of mountain regions, although peneplain species predominate, together with grasses and legumes.

The main tree species that populate the dehesa are Quercus spp. It is the fruit of those species, the acorn, that is used to fatten the highest-quality pigs.

The area in which the hams and shoulder hams are processed lies on the Salamancan plateau, at an average altitude of 975 m. It has a continental climate, with long, cold winters, prolonged frosts and low relative humidity, conditions which have led to the presence in the area of a meat-processing industry using traditional production methods for at least 200 years.

Owing to its location between the Béjar mountain range and the peak of La Peña de Francia, the prevailing winds are very strong and dry, which promotes the drying and subsequent preservation of the product.

The factors that distinguish the raw material used to produce the protected hams and shoulder hams are the specific characteristics of the Iberian pigs, the traditional livestock rearing system, the pigs' diet and the fact that they are older at slaughter. In combination with the specific conditions in the processing area and the slow-curing process, this gives the product characteristics that distinguish it from all other meat products, as it has specific organoleptic qualities. Of particular note are its mild taste, which is the result of its low salt content, in contrast to other Spanish meat products, the pink colour of the meat, which is the result of the mild ambient temperatures during the drying process, its greasy texture, which is the result of the animals' diet, and its highly marbled appearance with streaks of intramuscular fat, which is the result of the animals' breed and the system of rearing the pigs on the dehesas and grasslands.

The quality of ‘Guijuelo’ hams and shoulder hams is linked to the geographical area in two ways: firstly, through the rearing of Iberian pigs on the dehesas of the production area and, secondly, through the processing of hams and shoulder hams in a processing area that is much more restricted than the production area and in which tradition and the specific climatic conditions (low rainfall, mild ambient temperatures and strong winds due to its location on a peneplain between two mountain ranges, etc.) have led to the presence of a pig-meat processing industry that is highly specialised in Iberian pig products.

The production stage takes place in specified districts in south-western Spain in which farms are located on the dehesa, a silvopastoral ecosystem characterised by the presence of trees of the genus Quercus, whose fruit, the acorn, when eaten by the pigs, results in the highest-quality products. The pigs are managed under an extensive farming system known as montanera (mast-feeding), where they are allowed to feed during the final fattening stage, which is a crucial factor in the distinctive quality of the final product. This means that the know-how of the livestock farmers in working with the pigs ensures good animal welfare and health and the use of the natural resources afforded by the dehesa.

It is the various stages in the processing of the hams and shoulder hams carried out in the geographical area defined as the processing area that give the products' their distinctive organoleptic characteristics. The production process is complex because many factors influence the final quality of the product, which is why the know-how passed down from one generation to the next is something that makes the product distinctive and gives the master ham-maker the skills needed to judge the time needed, depending on the climatic conditions, to allow the product to mature gradually and develop the necessary organoleptic qualities with a minimum amount of salt, and to guarantee food safety with reference to the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, ventilation) at each of the stages of production subsequent to salting, taking into account that the process takes place in natural dryers.

After slaughter and butchery of the carcass, the raw material undergoes the following processes in turn:

— Salting. This consists of applying salt to the surface of the meat.

— Washing. After salting, the salt adhering to the surface is washed off with drinking water and the meat is brushed.

— Post-salting/resting. During this stage, the duration of which varies, the salt penetrates evenly to the core of the ham or shoulder ham.

— Curing/maturing. This involves the gradual loss of moisture from the ham or shoulder ham.

— Ageing. During this stage, biochemical reactions take place which generate the compounds responsible for the flavour and aroma characteristic of the product.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/pliego2017-02-13_tcm7-448957.pdf

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

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