Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2019/C 3/05)

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).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be found on the Commission’s DOOR database.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘MELON DU QUERCY’

EU No: PGI-FR-0086-AM03 — 11.4.2017

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Melon du Quercy’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

Of the Charentais-type variety, a melon with a smooth or netted grey/green to yellow peel and orange flesh and a minimum weight of 450 g.

Whole, healthy, fresh-looking, firm, clean, of good quality; the peduncle of fruit harvested with their peduncle attached must be less than 2 cm.

The melons must have a refractive index of at least 11° Brix.

‘Melon du Quercy’ is put up for sale whole and packaged. For each package, the weight of the biggest melon may not exceed by more than 30 % the weight of the smallest.

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only melons that have reached appreciably the same degree of development and ripeness and are of appreciably the same colour.

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

—

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

‘Melon du Quercy’ is cultivated, approved and sorted in the defined geographical area.

Approval and sorting are carried out in the geographical area, because these stages are essential for successfully selecting melons that qualify for the PGI. These operations are carried out by trained operators capable of judging when the melons are fully ripe on the basis of the colour of the peel and the sugar content as measured by refractometry.

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

The packaging and stickering of individual melons take place in the defined geographical area.

Packaging takes place at the same time as the approval, sorting and stickering of individual melons in order to limit the number of handling operations liable to affect product quality. These operations are carried out very swiftly, so that the melons can be sold within six days of harvesting.

Traceability is assured by labelling individual melons and packaging as ‘Melon du Quercy’, as well as by keeping specific stock accounts.

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

Each item of packaging must bear the name of the protected geographical indication ‘Melon du Quercy’, written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the packaging.

In addition, each melon is identified by a sticker bearing the name of the protected geographical indication ‘Melon du Quercy’, written in characters of a size at least half that of the largest characters appearing on the sticker, excluding those of the European Union PGI logo.

4. Demarcation of the geographical area

The geographical area of the ‘Melon du Quercy’ PGI covers:

Department of Lot:

The communes of: Aujols, Bach, Bagat-en-Quercy, Belfort-du-Quercy, Belmont-Sainte-Foi, Le Boulvé, Cambayrac, Carnac-Rouffiac, Castelnau-Montratier-Sainte-Alauzie, Cézac, Cieurac, Concots, Cremps, Escamps, Fargues, Flaujac-Poujols, Floressas, Fontanes, L’Hospitalet, Labastide-Marnhac, Laburgade, Lacapelle-Cabanac, Lalbenque, Lascabanes, Mauroux, Le Montat, Montcuq-en-Quercy-Blanc, Montdoumerc, Montlauzun, Pern, Saint-Cyprien, Saint-Daunès, Saint-Laurent-Lolmié, Saint-Matré, Saint-Pantaléon, Saint-Paul-Flaugnac, Saux, Sauzet, Sérignac, Vaylats and Villesèque.

Department of Lot-et-Garonne:

The communes of: Anthe, Auradou, Beauville, Blaymont, Bourlens, Castelculier, Cauzac, Cazideroque, Clermont-Soubiran, Courbiac-Dausse, Dondas, Engayrac, Frespech, Grayssas, Hautefage-la-Tour, Lafox, Masquières, Massels, Massoulès, Montayral, Penne-d’Agenais, Puymirol, Saint-Caprais-de-Lerm, Saint-Jean-de-Thurac, Saint-Martin-de-Boville, Saint-Maurin, Saint-Pierre-de-Clairac, Saint-Romain-le-Noble, Saint-Sylvestre-sur-Lot, Saint-Urcisse, Saint-Vite, Tayrac, Thézac, Tournon-d’Agenais, Trémons, Trentels and Saint-Georges.

Department of Tarn-et-Garonne:

The cantons of Aveyron-Lère, Moissac, Pays de Serres – Sud Quercy and Quercy-Aveyron.

The communes of: Boudou, Bourg-de-Visa, Brassac, Bruniquel, Castelsagrat, Cayriech, Corbarieu, Gasques, Genebrières, Goudourville, Labastide-de-Penne, Lapenche, Lavaurette, Léojac, Malause, Monclar-de-Quercy, Montauban, Monteils, Montjoi, Mouillac, Perville, Pommevic, Puygaillard-de-Quercy, Puylaroque, Reyniès, Saint-Cirq, Saint-Clair, Saint-Georges, Saint-Nauphary, Saint-Nazaire-de-Valentane, Saint-Paul-d’Espis, Saint-Vincent-Lespinasse, La Salvetat-Belmontet, Septfonds, Valence, Varennes, Verlhac-Tescou and Villebrumier.

5. Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

It is characterised by a climate with an alternation of ocean (cool and wet) and Mediterranean (hot and dry) influences that produce large temperature ranges. This temperate climate is good for melon growing.

The land used has clay-limestone soil. These types of soil are particularly well suited to melon growing.

Specificity of the product

‘Melon du Quercy’ is of the Charentais-type variety, which has a smooth, netted peel with more or less prominent grooves/furrows.

It has an orange flesh that is juicy and both firm and tender.

The selection of varieties according to agronomic and aromatic criteria (flavour, taste, etc.) linked to the clay-limestone soils, typical climate and harvesting criteria (fully ripe) is a key factor in obtaining fruit that live up to their potential: sweet flavour (11° Brix minimum), well-developed fragrances and tastes, sustained and characteristic aromas.

Causal link

The soil and climatic conditions of the geographical area contribute to the production of aromatic fruit.

On the one hand, the clay-limestone soils with their balanced and well-aerated structure enable steady growth of the plants and an optimal mineral balance for the fruit.

On the other hand, the specific climate of Quercy promotes fruit set, thus maximising the number of fruit per plant. This way each fruit is better nourished. At the same time, the Mediterranean influences (hot and dry), especially during the summer, promote the ripening of the fruit.

The quality of ‘Melon du Quercy’ is also due to the know-how of the operators involved in its production. This is evident in their ability to select varieties specifically adapted to the production area, in the harvesting of fully ripe fruit and in an optimal timetable for preparing the melons after harvesting.

Its reputation became established because operators were quick to identify ‘Melon du Quercy’ back in 1994. The many events surrounding the marketing of the melon contribute to its reputation, for example the festival of Belfort du Quercy, held in mid-August, or the opening of the season in July 1994 at the prefecture of Lot, which received much attention in the local press. In July 1996, La Dépêche du Midi ran an article entitled ‘L’excellence du Melon du Quercy’.

Publication reference of the specification

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

https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/FinPNOCDCIGPMelonDuQuercy2017.pdf

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