EN Official Journal of the European Union C 135/5

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 135/05)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2)

ΑΜΕΝDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ ΓΙΓΑΝΤΕΣ — ΕΛΕΦΑΝΤΕΣ ΚΑΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ’ (FASOLIA GIGANTES — ELEFANTES KASTORIAS)

EU No: EL-PGI-0105-1001-01.06.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

— ☐ Name of product — ☐ Description of product — ☐ Geographical area — ☐ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☐ National requirements — ☒ Other (‘Packaging’)

2. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendment to Single Document or Summary Sheet — ☐ Amendment to specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the Single Document nor the Summary Sheet has been published — ☐ Amendment to Specification that requires no amendment to the published Single Document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006) — ☐ Temporary amendment to Specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s):

3.1. Amendment (a):

The section headed ‘Processing’ is amended as follows:

The following paragraph is deleted:

‘The packaging line using polypropylene film roll will pack the product in bags holding 0,5 and 1 kg, which are then heat sealed. These bags are then put into larger packaging (boxes) holding 10 to 20 kg. The product stream is automatic and uses electronically controlled measuring equipment. The packaged product is then marketed directly or kept in modern storage facilities at the plant where, in optimal conditions, given the type of product it is, it can keep for a very long time.’

The above is replaced by the following:

‘The product is packaged using food-grade materials in accordance with the legislation in force. Packages may contain any weight up to 30 kg.’

Justification:

The amendment removes certain restrictions, allowing the product to be packaged in other weights in order to meet market requirements, and to be packaged using other food-grade materials. Because of technological development, polypropylene is no longer the only material recommended for packaging pulses. Moreover, the restriction of packaging to 0,5 and 1 kg has led to problems with sales to catering establishments and to third countries, where the law provides for pulses to be sold in smaller weights.

3.2. Amendment (b):

The section headed ‘Processing’ is amended as follows:

The following paragraph is deleted:

‘When it arrives the product will be taken to the disinfestation chamber and treated using Ecogen, the most advanced ecological method, which works by removing the element that harmful organisms need to survive: oxygen (O2). This means:

No toxic gases

No chemical additives

No smells

No risk of explosion

No discolouring’.

It is replaced by the following:

‘When it arrives the product will be taken to the disinfestation chamber and treated using mild methods approved by the national and European Union legislation in force, so that it is not affected by:

— toxic gases

— chemical additives

— smells

— discolouring’.

Justification: The purpose of the amendment is to avoid restrictions on the use of new disinfestation methods in the future.

3.3. Amendment (c):

The section headed ‘Grading/packaging’ under ‘Method of production’ is amended as follows:

The following is deleted:

‘The product, in perfect condition as regards its macroscopic characteristics, will be transported to the state-of-the-art bean sorting/packaging facility of Agrotiki Kastorias A.E. that will be located in the settlement of Lakkomata in the Municipality of Orestida. The facility is located in the wider production area, as shown on the map given in the Annex. Work has already started on the facility, which is covered by Regulation (EEC) No 866/1990. It is therefore crucial that the product, which is closely linked to the agricultural economy of the Prefecture of Kastoria, is recognised at the same time. The sorting facility will process mainly beans. However, it fulfils the specifications for grading all sorts of pulse. The maximum capacity is 4 500 tonnes of product per year working one shift. Given the production of “Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias” in the Prefecture over the last seven years (an average of 2 597 tonnes per year), the facility will clearly be able to deal with any increase in production that might occur in the future.’

It is replaced by the following:

‘The product, in perfect condition as regards its macroscopic characteristics when harvested, will be transported immediately to bean sorting/grading facilities within the defined geographical area of production that fulfil the requirements laid down by Greek and European legislation.’

Justification

The requirement that the product be graded and packaged at the sorting/packaging facility of Agrotiki Kastorias is not in line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Specifically, Article 7(1)(e) of the above Regulation mentions only the defined geographical area, not a specific facility, in connection with packaging restrictions that may be included in the description of the method of production. The amendment removes this restriction, allowing any undertaking within the defined area to process, grade and market ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ in accordance with the relevant requirements, while packaging may be carried out either inside or outside the defined geographical area.

All the above amendments have been incorporated into the Single Document, which was drafted on the basis of the summary set out in Regulation (ΕC) No 1428/2003, with amendments to the wording, deletions and additions in accordance with the text of the approved Specification.

Declaration of legitimate interest of the applicant group

The applicant group ‘I AROSI’ is a non-profit-making association set up by bean growers in 2007 to develop and implement a common management plan for farms. It focuses primarily on adopting best agricultural practices, reducing production costs, restructuring bean growing and ensuring that the renowned ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are available on the market. The applicant group’s registered office is located within the defined geographical area.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (3)

‘ΦΑΣΟΛΙΑ ΓΙΓΑΝΤΕΣ – ΕΛΕΦΑΝΤΕΣ ΚΑΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ’ (FASOLIA GIGANTES — ELEFANTES KASTORIAS)

EU No: EL-PGI-0105-1001-01.06.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Φασόλια Γίγαντες — Ελέφαντες Καστοριάς’ (Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias)

2. Member State or Third Country

Greece

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 product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are beans from a population of the legume species Phaseolus coccineus (synonym multiflorus) grown in the Prefecture of Kastoria.

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are large, white, kidney-shaped beans with thin skin that cook very easily. Their nutritional value is very high, as they are an excellent source of protein, starch, iron, etc. but have a low fat content.

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are graded according to their shape, weight per thousand beans or the percentage that passes through a sieve of a specific gauge for each type and grade as follows:

(Α) Fasolia Elefantes: weight per thousand beans at least 1 800 g or 90 % of beans do not pass through a sieve with round holes 13 mm in diameter.

(B) Fasolia Gigantes: weight per thousand beans between 1 200 g and 1 800 g or 90 % of beans do not pass through a sieve with round holes 12 mm in diameter.

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ must meet the following requirements:

— the beans should be whole, ripe, of a natural colour, not shrivelled, without holes caused by insects, free of insects, free of dangerous diseases, not showing any deterioration or high temperature,

— they must be cleaned by sieving or hand-sorted,

— they may not include other types of bean,

— they must be practically free of foreign matter,

— their macroscopic and organoleptic characteristics must be characteristic of each kind and must comply with the requirements for healthy keeping and handling in general, as laid down in the Food Code,

— they may not have a moisture content of more than 14 %.

The following tolerances apply:

(a) broken beans: less than half the whole bean in size: up to 2 %;

(b) shrivelled or discoloured beans: up to 0,5 %;

(c) foreign matter: up to 0,05 % (including maximum earth: 0,02 %).

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 defined geographical area

All the stages of cultivation and the processing (cleaning, drying, sorting and disinfestation) take place within the defined geographical area.

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

The product will be packaged automatically using food-grade materials in accordance with the legislation in force, either inside or outside the defined geographical area. Packages may contain any weight up to 30 kg.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The area comprises:

(A) Part of the Municipality of Kastoria (as defined in Law No 3852/2010 — Kallikratis Programme), and specifically: i. all of the municipal unit of Agia Triada; ii. all of the municipal unit of Makednoi; iii. all of the municipal unit of Agioi Anargyroi; iv. all of the municipal unit of Korestia; v. all of the municipal unit of Kastoria; vi. all of the municipal unit of Vitsi; vii. all of the municipal unit of Mesopotamia; viii. part of the municipal unit of Kastraki (the local community of Dendrochori only).

(B) Part of the Municipality of Orestida (as defined in Law No 3852/2010 — Kallikratis Programme), and specifically: i. all of the municipal unit of Ion Dagoumis; ii. part of the municipal unit of Argos Orestiko (the municipal unit of Argos Orestiko and the local communities of Ammoudara, Asprokklisia, Dialekto, Kastanofito, Lakkomata, Melanthio and Spilaia only).

(C) Part of the Municipality of Nestorio (as defined in Law No 3852/2010 — Kallikratis Programme) (the local community of Ptelea in the municipal unit of Nestorio only).

The areas where ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are grown are adjacent to one another.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

Given the nature of the crop it soon started to be grown in mountainous areas, where it became established. One of these was the Prefecture of Kastoria, which proved to be ideal. Ideal soil, an ideal climate and optimal cultivation methods combine to create varieties and a product that sells very well on the market.

The Prefecture of Kastoria has an ideal ecosystem with optimal soil and climatic conditions for the production of high quality beans.

In the Prefecture of Kastoria the beans are grown in areas situated along the river Aliakmonas and its tributaries, and in areas where land has been redistributed and there are organised irrigation networks, which ensure that the crop has the abundant water supply it needs. It is also grown, to a lesser extent, in the area around Lake Orestiada (Kastoria).

Today ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are grown on around 9 000stremmata (900 hectares) of land within the defined geographical area. The crop is grown at an altitude of 630 to 900 metres. The soils are alluvial, light, free draining and on the whole slightly acid, with a high phosphorus content. This is a factor which favours the production of excellent quality beans and contributes to the development of a root system that meets the plant’s needs.

The area has a continental climate with cool summers owing to the altitude and its proximity to the waters of Lake Orestiada (Kastoria) and the river Aliakmonas. The presence of the lake is also one of the factors that makes for mild springs. The average annual rainfall of around 600 mm ensures that the needs of the water-loving beans are met.

The ‘specific’ climate that helps produce a top-quality product is however in large measure due to the area’s exceptional situation. The whole area is an extensive plateau protected by Mount Vitsi and the Grammos mountain range. It is a basin where even the wind, when there is any, is always light.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are the only dried beans in Greece with a 1 000-bean weight of more than 1 200 grams. They are famous not only throughout Greece but also abroad for their quality characteristics. Their size, appearance, thin skin, cooking properties, flavour and high biological value set them apart from beans from all other areas.

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are rich in pure protein and their very low fat content, in combination with a satisfactory level of iron, makes them more nutritious than beans from other areas. In addition, low calcium together with sufficient phosphorus ensures that they cook easily and above all gives them their unique flavour.

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

Factors which contribute to this link are the genetic material, the light, fertile soils, the favourable pH, the absence of pathogens, the area’s abundant water resources and the cool summers with the right amount of sunshine. The medium-textured, slightly acid soils with excellent drainage combine harmoniously with the area’s Mediterranean-continental climate to produce the beans. It is a crop that the local people have been growing for 400 years and it has become an integral part of their life. The cultivation methods are traditional and are handed down from one generation to the next. And this is because producing a top quality product is not a question of means, but rather the result of the producer’s long years of practical experience growing the crop.

‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ are produced from healthy seed obtained from local propagation material of the species Phaseolus coccineus (synonym multiflorus). The most important factor is that genetic purity is assured because the producers strictly adhere to this tradition and this is one of the main reasons why they produce beans of consistently high quality. Robust, healthy plants are identified and the seed selected and graded according to stringent criteria and always under the personal responsibility of the most experienced growers. Seeds which do not have the standard characteristics of the variety are discarded, so that the local varieties maintain their uniformity as regards quality and market value.

All these factors contribute to the product’s quality characteristics. More specifically:

— The weight and number of seeds/kg depends on the size and specific weight of the product. The factors that influence these two parameters are: (a) the prevailing low temperatures during the pollination period, which favour an increase in gibberellins in relation to auxins, leading directly to an increase in cells and hence in seeds; (b) the Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias grown are ‘populations’. They have a phenotype that is stabilised in the environment and in time. There is no genetic factor differentiating their macroscopic characteristics. These optimal natural conditions (climate, soil) are the main factors determining these characteristics.

— Total N2 and nitrates are low since only low levels of nitrogenous fertiliser are applied, because as legumes the beans are left to grow in balance with the natural environment and the supply of nitrogen is assured by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

— The high pure protein and low fat content is due to the abundance of phosphorus in the soil in which the beans are grown. Phosphorus is a basic element in the formation of protein substances.

— The product contains satisfactory levels of phosphorus because, as stated above, this is found in abundance in the soil of the Prefecture of Kastoria, owing to the igneous parent rock in Mount Vitsi and the Grammos mountain range.

— The low calcium content is also due to the parent rock and the antagonistic action of the phosphorus. Potassium levels are satisfactory, because soils that come from igneous rock are rich in this element, which then acts antagonistically against calcium and takes its place. Finally, magnesium, iron and manganese, as trace elements, are products of these soil conditions.

— The product’s appearance depends mainly on two factors: (A) the balanced use of fertiliser and gentle cultivation methods; and (B) gradual harvesting of the beans in stages, which ensures that they ripen naturally on the plant, before they are picked.

— The thin skin is due to the soil’s low calcium content. This prevents the formation of calcium complexes, which would give the beans a hard, thick skin.

— Easy cooking is assured, as low calcium prevents the formation of calcium in pectins during cooking, which would make the beans hard.

— The flavour is due to the presence of phosphorus in the soil, but mainly potassium, which is required for carbohydrate synthesis. These substances give ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ their characteristic sweet taste. Acting antagonistically, it ‘protects’ the beans from the adverse effects of the action of calcium.

However it is the human factor which ensures that all the natural factors are exploited in the best possible way. The long tradition of bean-growing in the area, the valuable experience of the farmers in the defined geographical area and their persistent use of the traditional methods has enabled this method of production to survive until today, consisting of work done by hand, gentle methods, minimal use of plant protection products and chemical fertilisers, scrupulous selection of the seed and rigorous protection of the purity of the local varieties. The continuation of this tradition has been assured for decades because whole families are involved in the work, from elderly family members to small children. This is because on the one hand it is labour intensive and on the other there are jobs for people of all ages during the various stages of the production cycle.

The annual bean fairs and festivals are one of the area’s special traditions. At harvest time these events underline the historical link, as the product is promoted through customs and folklore. On the anniversary of the death of the hero Pavlos Melas, which is of special importance, events close with a special bean dish being served to VIPs and other guests. A bean fair is held every year in Lakkomata, which is always a great success.

At a time when there was no advertising, communications were rudimentary and trade in agricultural products was in its infancy, ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ were recognised by consumers as a choice product and gained pre-eminence on the market. One example of this is a video made in 1966 which eloquently describes the product’s reputation but was not made for any commercial promotion purposes. By 1966 Athenian consumers had already discerned the quality of ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’ and they had become a choice staple food.

The product’s link with the geographical area is also evident from the numerous articles in local newspapers and on the internet mentioning ‘Fasolia Gigantes — Elefantes Kastorias’.

Publication reference of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (ΕC) No 510/2006 (4))

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/prod_gigantes_kastorias_160715.pdf

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

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3) See footnote 2.

(4) See footnote 2.