EN Official Journal of the European Union C 415/8

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 415/07)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘JAMÓN DE HUELVA’

EU No: ES-PDO-0105-01372 — 25.9.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Jamón de Huelva’ [Regulatory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’]

Address: Apartado de correos, 1 21290 Jabugo HUELVA ESPAÑA Tel. +34 959127900 Email: info@jamondehuelva.es

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. 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 — ☒ Other [Authorities or bodies verifying compliance with the product specification]

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☐ Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 — ☒ Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

Product name

We hereby request that the name ‘Jamón de Huelva’, which is currently registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) under Commission Regulation (EC) No 195/98 of 26 January 1998, be replaced by the name ‘Jabugo’.

The geographical name ‘Jamón de Huelva’ has been replaced by ‘Jabugo’ throughout the specification for this PDO.

The grounds for this name change are summarised below:

As a result of disagreement and lack of consensus between the interested parties, the name ‘Jabugo’, which should have been the name covered by the Designation of Origin, since it is the one used in common parlance and in the trade to refer to the protected products, could not be used as the name of the Designation of Origin.

Now that more than 15 years have passed since the application was submitted for registration of the name by the European Community, and in view of the fact that most consumers, on both the national and the international markets, still use the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ to refer to the product covered by the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO, the decision taken all those years ago has been reconsidered, and an amendment is being requested in line with the use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ in the marketing of ham and shoulder ham and because the name is more accurate and is linked to the geographical area.

The best way to protect the traditional ham made in La Sierra in the province of Huelva is by amending the PDO name in the specification, thereby avoiding the loss of part of the European Union's living cultural and gastronomic heritage.

On 26 June 2008, the name change was approved at a meeting of the Regulatory Council.

In September 2008, the Regulatory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’ submitted an application to the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs for the name to be changed from ‘Jamón de Huelva’ to ‘Jabugo’.

Three companies submitted a statement of opposition.

In January 2010, the Ministry issued a decision refusing the name change because ‘the amendment application did not provide enough supporting evidence that consumers use the name “Jabugo” to refer to hams made in the municipalities that constitute the processing area for the Designation of Origin “Jamón de Huelva”’ and rejecting the arguments put forward by the objecting parties with regard to their intellectual property rights.

The Regulatory Council appealed against the decision to reject the application. The Municipal Council of Jabugo also appealed against the decision, as did 39 economic operators producing PDO ‘Jamón de Huelva’. In 2012, the Ministry issued a decision declaring the appeal brought by the Regulatory Council to be inadmissible.

Right from the start and throughout the amendment application and appeal process, there has been unanimous political, social and economic support for the initiative. Authorities, organisations, bodies and companies have supported changing the name of the PDO because they believe it to be the most appropriate name and one that will be an integrating and unifying force in the rural district of La Sierra in the province of Huelva. There should be no doubt about the unanimity of the support for changing the name of the PDO to ‘Jabugo’.

The Regulatory Council lodged an administrative appeal before the High Court of Justice of Madrid.

In July 2014, the High Court of Justice of Madrid overturned the two administrative decisions, recognised that the name change was sufficiently justified and substantiated, and ruled that the amendment application should be examined by the European Commission.

The three companies that submitted a statement of opposition withdrew their administrative and legal action after an agreement was reached between the Regulatory Council and the company Sánchez Romero Carvajal Jabugo, S.A.U. on 10 March 2015.

A provisional writ of execution was issued in respect of the court judgment on 23 June 2015. After all parties withdrew their action, the judgment became final.

Below, we have listed the supporting documents that provide evidence of the use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ in the marketing of ham and shoulder ham:

— The book Una Imagen de Calidad: Los productos del cerdo ibérico [A Badge of Quality: Iberian pig products], published by the Directorate-General for Food Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1984, contains numerous accounts linking ‘Jabugo’ ham to Sierra de Aracena.

— The book El jamón de Jabugo y otros manjares del cerdo ibérico [Jabugo ham and other Iberian pig dishes], published by Cesáreo Hernández Monjo in 2005, also refers to ‘Jabugo’ ham.

— The research paper entitled Las industrias cárnicas en Jabugo. De la tradición al desarrollo [The meat industry in Jabugo. From tradition to development], written in 1998 by Dr Francisco Javier García Delgado of the Institute for Local Development at the University of Huelva, contains historical references to ‘Jabugo’ and points out how weak the name of the Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’ is in comparison with ‘Jabugo’.

— The book El cerdo ibérico: crianza, productos y gastronomía [The Iberian pig: breeding, products and gastronomy], published in 1998 by Iniciativas Leader Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, S.A., identifies the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ with the ham produced in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche.

— Various official website (Municipal Council of Jabugo, University of Córdoba, etc.) refer to Jabugo as the area of production.

On 29 March 1976, the Provincial Office of the Ministry of Agriculture invited the ham sector of La Sierra to draft a Provisional Regulation concerning the Designation of Origin ‘Jabugo’ and its Regulatory Council.

The market surveys carried out by three impartial organisations show the link between ‘Jabugo’ and the PDO concept:

— According to the strategic communication plan drawn up in 2003 at the request of the Andalusian Conference for Designations of Origin and Quality Designations, the ‘Jabugo’ Designation of Origin is the second best known Designation of Origin in Andalusia and is in seventh place at national level.

— Brand awareness testing carried out in 2008 by the Government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia showed that ‘Jabugo’ was the best known quality mark/Designation of Origin in Andalusia.

— In a perception survey on Iberian ham carried out in 2009 by the Interbranch Association for the Iberian Pig, 92,6 % of those asked identified ‘Jabugo’ as an Iberian ham PDO.

The following information and documents showing the use of the name ‘Jabugo’ to refer to the ham produced in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche should also be mentioned:

— Catalogue promoted by the EEC as part of the Euroterroirs project. When referring to ‘Jamón de Huelva’, the Inventario Español de Productos Tradicionales [Spanish Inventory of Traditional Products], published by the Ministry, gives ‘Jamón de Jabugo’ as an alternative name and identifies it with ‘the mountainous area of the province of Huelva, at altitudes of over 600 m, and in particular the villages of Cortegana, Jabugo, Castaño del Robledo, Cumbres Mayores and Aracena’.

— The statements made by the chairman of the first Regulatory Council in response to the statements of the chairman of one of the objecting parties, in which he stated that ‘Jabugo’ had been the original idea for the name of the Designation of Origin in 1995 and referred to the processing area as the Jabugo area and not just the municipality.

— ‘El Jabugo’ was endorsed by the 5th World Ham Congress, held in Aracena in 2009, when it was chosen as the title of the official publication, because the organisers believed it to be the name that best represented the ham produced in the villages of La Sierra in the province of Huelva to Spain and the rest of the world.

— Strategic Plan for the Iberian Pig Sector, drawn up by ASICI (the Interbranch Association for the Iberian Pig). When it refers to the Designations of Origin, it uses the name ‘Jabugo’, and even the details of the pigs slaughtered correspond to those for PDO ‘Jamón de Huelva’.

— The magazine Siete Leguas, which is marketed by the newspaper El Mundo, published a report entitled ‘La Ruta del Jabugo’ [The Jabugo Route], which gave an account of a journey through various villages in La Sierra de Huelva on the trail of mast-fed Iberian ham.

— E-mail forwarded by AICE (the Spanish Meat Industry Association). The Spanish Economic and Trade Office in Beijing sent an email to the Spanish Institute for Overseas Trade calling for immediate protection of Designations of Origin from the EU in general and Spain in particular and specifically mentioned Cava, Jerez, Jabugo, etc.

— In 2011, the Spanish Embassy concluded that the Regulatory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’ was best placed to defend the interests of the name ‘Jabugo’ against the trademark applications submitted in China for ‘Jabugo’ and ‘Hameng Jabugo’ and forwarded all the information to us to enable us to raise the appropriate objections, the costs being borne exclusively by the livestock farmers and producers whose products are protected by the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO. The Chinese Administrative Office for Trade and Commerce ruled that ‘Jabugo’ is a Designation of Origin for the world-famous Spanish Iberian ham, and trademark applications including that name can only refer to that Designation of Origin. Furthermore, it stated that a trademark that is identical to or contains the name ‘Jabugo’ and relates to hams in Class 29 could easily cause consumers to become confused as to the origin of the products concerned.

— Case study by the prestigious business school the San Telmo International Institute, entitled El jamón ibérico, ¿una cuestión de marca? DOP Jamón de Huelva o Jabugo [Iberian ham, a trademark question? PDO Jamón de Huelva or Jabugo], which examines different points of view about ‘Jabugo’ as a trademark and a PDO.

— Setting up of a Committee of Honour, in which the Regulatory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’ was involved, to obtain recognition of ‘Jamón de Jabugo’ as intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco.

— The ‘Ruta del Jabugo’ [Jabugo Route] was the name chosen by the regional committee of the ‘Ruta del Jamón Ibérico’ [Iberian Ham Route] tourist trail for the section of the route that lies in the geographical area covered by the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO, as designed by Turespaña in 2009.

— On 24 October 2015, the newspaper Viva La Sierra reported on the launch of the website www.rutadeljabugo.travel, stating that ‘the “Ruta del Jabugo” experience involves touring the sites relating to the “Jabugo” Designation of Origin in Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche’.

To conclude, the abovementioned documents provide evidence of the use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ and often give PDO ‘Jamón de Huelva’ the status of a synonym of ‘Jabugo’, the term popularly used on the market.

The following information has been provided to support the assertion that the term ‘Jabugo’ is sufficiently precise and is linked to the defined geographical area:

The municipality of Jabugo is practically at the heart of La Sierra in the province of Huelva in Andalusia (Spain), the area in which the PDO is processed, which comprises a further 30 villages that share a common history, microclimate and distinctive ‘ham culture’.

Huelva

Huelva is one of the eight provinces in the region of Andalusia. It comprises 79 municipalities, of which 31 municipalities in the district of La Sierra in the province of Huelva constitute the processing area for the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Jamón de Huelva’.

It is the capital of the province of Huelva. It is located outside the processing area for the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO, to the south of the southernmost boundary.

Jabugo

Jabugo is a municipality in the province of Huelva. It comprises the following four towns: Jabugo, El Repilado, Los Romeros and El Quejigo. It is located at the geographical heart of the processing area for the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO.

The shortest distances (in km) by road from Huelva and Jabugo to the four municipalities at the cardinal points of the processing area for the PDO are as follows:

HUELVA JABUGO Encinasola (north) 136 36 Rosal de la Frontera (west) 104 53 Santa Olalla del Cala (east) 119 62 Campofrío (south) 80 51

Map coordinates of Huelva, Jabugo and the four municipalities that lie at the cardinal points of the processing area for the PDO:

Encinasola (north) 38° 08′ N 7° 12′ W Rosal de la Frontera (west) 37° 58′ N 7° 12′ W Jabugo 37° 55′ N 6° 43′ W Santa Olalla del Cala (east) 37° 54′ N 6°12′ W Campofrío (south) 37° 46′ N 6° 34′ W Huelva 37° 15′ N 6° 57′ W

Province of Huelva (outlined below), Huelva (in black in the south of the province), PDO processing area (shaded beige) and Jabugo (in black at the centre of the processing area):

Distribution of producers who voluntarily comply with the specification for PDO ‘Jamón de Huelva’ across the processing area, by municipality:

Municipality Number of enterprises Percentage Aracena 3 6,97 % Aroche 1 2,33 % Castaño del Robledo 2 4,65 % Corteconcepción 2 4,65 % Cortegana 3 6,97 % Cortelazor 1 2,33 % Cumbres Mayores 11 25,58 % Almonaster La Real 1 2,33 % Jabugo 17 39,53 % Galaroza 1 2,33 % Santa Olalla del Cala 1 3,33 % Total 43 100,00 %

At the moment, the geographical name ‘Jabugo’ is often used to confuse or mislead consumers, as it can be used by anybody, anywhere in the world, for any type of ham, as related in the fairy tale La orden de los caballeros de la autenticidad y el hada calidad [The Order of the Knights of Authenticity and the Quality Fairy], published by the Office of the European Parliament in Spain in 2011.

Description of product

Amendments have been made to this section to bring it into line with the entry into force of Royal Decree 4/2014 of 10 January 2014 approving the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin, with which Iberian pig products produced in Spain must comply.

Accordingly, the following amendments have had to be made:

— The term ‘pure-bred Iberian’ has been replaced by ‘100 % Iberian’.

— The breed ‘Duroc-Jersey’ has been amended to read ‘duroc’.

— The pigs' weights at the start of mast-feeding on the dehesa have been changed from ‘between 85 kg and 115 kg’ to ‘between 92 kg and 115 kg’; the weight to be gained by them has been changed from ‘a minimum of 50 % or 65 %, depending on their breed’ to ‘a minimum of 46 kg over 60 days’; the words ‘the minimum age at slaughter is 14 months’ have been added; and the words ‘the maximum permitted weight at the end of mast-feeding is 180 kg’ have been replaced by the words ‘individual carcasses must weigh at least 115 kg, or at least 108 kg for 100 % Iberian pigs’.

— The category of ‘pigs fed or finished on a mixed diet’ has been deleted.

— The category of ‘fodder-fattened’ has been replaced by ‘pastured, fodder-fattened’, as PDO ‘Jabugo’ pigs are managed under an extensive farming system which corresponds to that category.

— For the category of ‘pastured, fodder-fattened’ pigs, the words ‘the minimum fattening time on the dehesa prior to slaughter is 60 days’ have been added; the words ‘the minimum age at slaughter is 12 months’ have been added; the words ‘the maximum permitted average weight per consignment at the end of that time is 180 kg’ have been replaced by the words ‘individual carcasses must weigh at least 115 kg, or at least 108 kg for 100 % Iberian pigs’. and the words ‘the stocking density must be no more than 15 pigs per hectare’ have been added.

— The requirements with regard to breed are ‘100 % Iberian’ and ‘Iberian’, the latter having at least 75 % Iberian blood. The requirements with regard to diet are ‘acorn-fed’ or ‘pastured, fodder-fattened’.

— The production process must take at least 600 days for hams of less than 7,00 kg, 730 days for hams of 7,00 kg or more and 365 days for shoulder hams.

— As regards physical characteristics, the minimum weights are 5,75 kg for 100 % Iberian hams, 7,00 kg for Iberian hams, 3,70 kg for 100 % Iberian shoulder hams and 4 kg for Iberian shoulder hams.

Amendments have also been made because the previous specification did not specify product classes. The Regulatory Council therefore decided that the new specification should lay down product classes, which, moreover, should have their own specific characteristics to enable consumers to distinguish products covered by this PDO.

When the Designation of Origin ‘Jamón de Huelva’ was registered in 1995, the Iberian ham and shoulder ham sector was not regulated by a specific standard. However, it has been regulated by cross-sectoral standards since 2001 and is now regulated by Royal Decree 4/2014 of 10 January 2014 approving the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin.

First of all, it should be pointed out that the Iberian (Ibérico) Quality Standard is a minimum standard for Iberian ham and shoulder ham and is therefore mandatory for all producers that opt to use the designations governed by the standard, namely ‘Bellota’ (acorn-fed), ‘Cebo de campo’ (pastured, fodder-fattened), ‘Cebo’ (fodder-fattened) ‘100 % Ibérico’ (100 % Iberian) and ‘Ibérico’ (Iberian). That is to say, the standard establishes a product classification, so that sales designations will be recognisable to consumers.

Secondly, it should be pointed out that the specification for PDO ‘Jabugo’ relates only to a specific area and specific quality levels for ham and shoulder ham produced in the villages of La Sierra and is therefore mandatory only for producers that voluntarily opt to comply. That is to say, the specification establishes an additional classification under which products are granted a special quality designation to distinguish them and give them added value, without prejudice to and independent of the labelling requirements to which producers are subject under the Iberian (Ibérico) Quality Standard.

Consequently, the following three classes will be specific to the specification for PDO ‘Jabugo’: ‘Summum’, ‘Excellens’ and ‘Selección’. All of these classes are associated with the dehesa (oak savannah), free-range fattening of pigs and a minimum of 75 % Iberian blood.

Class I: hams and shoulder hams are classified as ‘Summum’ if they are produced from 100 % Iberian pigs which have fed exclusively on acorns and natural herbage during the mast-feeding stage.

Class II: hams and shoulder hams are classified as ‘Excellens’ if they are produced from pigs with 75 % Iberian blood which have fed exclusively on acorns and natural herbage during the mast-feeding stage.

Class III: hams and shoulder hams are classified as ‘Selección’ if they are produced from pigs with at least 75 % Iberian blood which have fed under an extensive system of farming on the dehesa.

In short, the figures that must be complied with under the national legislation in force have been included in this section, and product classes have been introduced.

Consequently, the amendments do not involve any changes to the product, as all products covered by the previous specification are still covered by the new specification.

Proof of origin

Only the subsection headed ‘Checks and certification’ has been amended.

Again, various amendments have been made to bring the text into line with the entry into force of Royal Decree 4/2014 of 10 January 2014 approving the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin, with which Iberian pig products produced in Spain must comply:

— The term ‘pure-bred Iberian’ has been replaced by ‘100 % Iberian’.

— The breed ‘Duroc-Jersey’ has been amended to read ‘duroc’.

— It was necessary to state that the ear tag is specific to the PDO and to state when it should be fitted, so as to differentiate it from that provided for in the national legislation in force.

— It was necessary to state that the seal is specific to the PDO, so as to differentiate it from that provided for in the national legislation in force, and to state when it should be affixed, so as to bring it into line with the legislation in force.

— It was necessary to state that the final marking affixed to the product is to be a badge rather than a seal, in order to avoid confusion with the seal already affixed in the slaughterhouse.

Furthermore, a paragraph has been added to ensure that operators processing the product for sale without trotter, boned and cut into pieces, portions or slices are entered in a register in order to ensure traceability.

The amendments do not therefore involve any changes to the proof of origin.

Method of production

Amendments have been made to this section to bring it into line with the entry into force of Royal Decree 4/2014 of 10 January 2014 approving the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin, with which Iberian pig products produced in Spain must comply.

Accordingly, the following amendments have had to be made:

— The minimum blood weights of the fore and hind legs have been deleted, as they are not taken into account in the national legislation in force, which refers instead to the minimum weight of the cut on leaving the plant, which varies depending on the type of cut (ham or shoulder ham), and the weights of the hams and shoulder hams themselves.

— The classification of cuts by blood weight has been deleted, as it is a criterion that varies from producer to producer and is therefore not taken into account in the national legislation in force.

— The minimum duration of the production process as a whole has been set at 600 days for hams weighing less than 7 kg, 730 days for hams weighing 7 kg or more and 365 days for shoulder hams weighing 3,70 kg or more.

The following specific figure laid down in the technical health legislation on slaughterhouses has also been deleted, as it is contrary to the EU guidelines on animal welfare:

— The words ‘the pigs must arrive at the slaughterhouse at least 12 hours before slaughter’ have been replaced by the words ‘the pigs must arrive at the slaughterhouse with some time at least to rest before slaughter’.

Adjustments have also been made to the relative humidity range at the salting stage and the ranges for temperature, relative humidity and duration at the resting stage, as climate change is leading to higher temperatures at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, which is why the product needs to be given more time to adjust gradually.

A paragraph has also been included to make it possible to create and maintain uniform conditions throughout the natural drying chamber so that ventilation will be uniform for the whole product, regardless of where in the drying chamber it is placed.

Lastly, a paragraph has been added to ensure that operators processing the product for sale without trotter, boned and cut into pieces, portions or slices have an appropriate self-monitoring system in place and that it can be verified to guarantee the traceability and origin of the finished product.

The amendments do not therefore involve any changes to the method of production.

Link

The following amendments have been made to the ‘Link’ section to bring it into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012:

— A new subsection headed ‘Know-how of local producers’ has been added to comply with the abovementioned Regulation. It consists of three (3) paragraphs.

— Two new paragraphs have been added to explain the specificity of the product to comply with the abovementioned Regulation.

— Two new paragraphs have been added to describe the causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product to comply with the abovementioned Regulation.

— The text from subsection (a) ‘Historic’ has been moved and is now included among the historical events that support the use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’, the accuracy of the name and its link to the defined geographical area.

— The list of historical events that support the use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’, the accuracy of the name and its link to the defined geographical area has been expanded.

— Subsection (c) ‘Production and processing systems’ has been deleted because it merely repeated information already given elsewhere in the specification.

The amendments do not therefore involve any changes to the link, as regards either the natural and human environment or the specificity of the product or the causal link between those two factors.

Labelling

The following amendments have been made:

— The system of approval of labels has been replaced by a system in which labels are notified by operators before products bearing them are placed on the market in order to ensure that the PDO name is being used correctly.

Amendments have been made to this section to bring it into line with the entry into force of Royal Decree 4/2014 of 10 January 2014 approving the Quality Standard for Iberian (Ibérico) meat, ham, shoulder ham and cured loin.

Accordingly, the following amendments have been made:

— It was necessary to specify that a numbered seal is to be affixed to the cuts in the slaughterhouse.

— It was necessary to specify that a numbered badge is to be affixed to the hams and shoulder hams when they leave the maturing cellar.

Authorities or bodies verifying compliance with the product specification

Verification of compliance with the conditions set out in the specification for the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Jabugo’ is the responsibility of the Directorate-General for the Food Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment.

Grounds for the change:

Under Article 22 of Law No 6/2015 of 12 May 2015 on protected geographical indications and designations of origin at supra-Autonomous-Community level, official monitoring of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications at supra-Autonomous-Community level, including the ‘Jamón de Huelva’ PDO, is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Under Royal Decree 401/2012 of 17 February 2012 establishing the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, official monitoring of protected designations of origin, protected geographical indications and traditional specialities guaranteed prior to marketing is the responsibility of the Directorate-General for the Food Industry.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘JABUGO’

EU No: ES-PDO-0105-01372 — 25.9.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Jabugo’

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 the product to which the name in 1 applies

PDO ‘Jabugo’ hams and shoulder hams have the following basic characteristics:

Physical

External appearance: elongated, stylised, profile typical of the traditional serrano ‘V’ cut. The ‘half-moon’ cut is also permitted for shoulder hams. In both cases, the trotter is left on.

Weight: at least 5,75 kg for 100 % Iberian hams, 7 kg for Iberian hams, 3,7 kg for 100 % Iberian shoulder hams and 4 kg for Iberian shoulder hams.

Organoleptic

External appearance: characteristic and clean external appearance, the prominent colouring being the white or dark bluish-grey colour of its mycotic flora.

Colour and appearance when cut: characteristic colour ranging from pink to purplish-red, with a shiny appearance when cut, and streaks of fatty tissue and marbling.

Flavour and aroma: the flavour of the meat is delicate, sweet and not very salty. The aroma is characteristic and pleasant.

Consistency and texture: the muscle is firm in consistency, while the fatty tissue is slightly greasy and yields to pressure. It is not very fibrous but very crumbly in texture.

Fat: greasy and dense, shiny, yellowish-white in colour, aromatic and with a pleasant flavour. Its consistency varies according to the proportion of acorns in the diet.

Classes

The raw material comes from pure-bred Iberian pigs or duroc crosses with at least 75 % Iberian blood.

Depending on the animals' breed and diet, hams and shoulder hams are classified as follows:

Class I — ‘Summum’: produced from 100 % Iberian pigs raised in the traditional way and fed exclusively on acorns and other natural resources of the dehesa (oak savannah) during the mast-feeding period, before being slaughtered at an age of at least 14 months and cured naturally in the unique microclimate of La Sierra in the province of Huelva.

Class II — ‘Excellens’: produced from Iberian pigs with 75 % Iberian blood raised in the traditional way and fed exclusively on acorns and other natural resources of the dehesa during the mast-feeding period, before being slaughtered at an age of at least 14 months and cured naturally in the unique microclimate of La Sierra in the province of Huelva.

Class III — ‘Selección’: produced from Iberian pigs with at least 75 % Iberian blood allowed to range freely on the dehesa and fattened on a diet consisting of the resources of the dehesa and feed made up primarily of grains and legumes, before being slaughtered at an age of at least 12 months and cured naturally in the unique microclimate of La Sierra in the province of Huelva.

The production process must take at least 600 days for hams of less than 7 kg, 730 days for hams of 7 kg or more and 365 days for shoulder hams.

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

Feed

The production area, in which the Iberian pigs that provide the raw material for the protected products are reared, consists of the extensive dehesa — an agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem which constitutes the traditional habitat for rearing Iberian pigs — of the vast regions of Extremadura and Andalusia. 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 ‘Jabugo’ hams and shoulder hams their distinctive quality and characteristics are the pigs' diet and the physical exercise that they get because they are allowed to range freely, making full use of all the resources of the dehesa, i.e. acorns, natural herbage, grass and stubble, throughout their lives.

The geographical production area is defined, and compliance with the specific conditions is ensured by means of the following control measures: estimating the quantity of acorns on the holm, cork and gall oak trees available to the pigs on each mountain pasture; determining the maximum number of pigs and checking their identity from their ear tag when they enter the mountain pasture; and monitoring by means of unannounced inspections to verify that the pigs are feeding on acorns and natural herbage and that they are managed extensively during the fattening stage.

The fore and hind legs used to make PDO ‘Jabugo’ hams and shoulder hams must come from:

(a) Acorn-fed or mast-finished pigs: these pigs are intended for slaughter immediately after mast-feeding on acorns and grasses on the holm, cork and gall oak dehesas. The average weight of the consignment at the start of mast-feeding must be between 92 kg and 115 kg. The pigs must gain a minimum of 46 kg during mast-feeding over more than 60 days. Individual carcasses must weigh at least 115 kg, or at least 108 kg for 100 % Iberian pigs.

(b) Pastured, fodder-fattened pigs: these pigs are fattened under an extensive system of farming, with no more than 15 pigs per hectare, on a diet consisting of the resources of the dehesa and feed made up primarily of grains and legumes. The pigs must spend a minimum of 60 days on the dehesa fattening prior to slaughter. Individual carcasses must weigh 115 kg, or 108 kg for 100 % Iberian pigs.

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

The pigs must be reared and fattened in the production area. Processing (slaughter, butchery, salting, washing, resting, drying and maturing) must take place in the processing area.

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

Certified hams and shoulder hams may be sold boned, in portions or in pieces, provided that a suitable system of self-monitoring, packaging and labelling is in place and provided that the verification protocol developed by the management body to guarantee the traceability and origin of the finished product has been accepted and is complied with.

To this end, the management body must be notified of this practice.

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

Hams and shoulder hams must bear a seal affixed at the slaughterhouse and a badge affixed when they leave the maturing cellar, both of which are specific to the ‘Jabugo’ PDO and must be numbered and prominently display the name of the Designation of Origin. The badge must also show the product class.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area comprises the following districts with holm, cork and gall oak dehesas in the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz in Extremadura and the provinces of Seville, Córdoba, Huelva, Cádiz and Málaga in Andalusia:

— Cáceres: the districts of Cáceres, Trujillo, Brozas, Valencia de Alcántara, Logrosán, Navalmoral de la Mata, Jaraiz de la Vera, Plasencia, Hervás and Coria,

— Badajoz: the districts of Alburquerque, Mérida, Don Benito, Puebla de Alcocer, Herrera del Duque, Badajoz, Almendralejo, Castuera, Olivenza, Jerez de los Caballeros, Llerena and Azuaya,

— Seville: the district of Sierra Norte,

— Córdoba: the districts of Los Pedroches, La Sierra and Campiña Baja,

— Huelva: the districts of La Sierra, Andévalo Occidental, Andévalo Oriental and Condado Campiña,

— Cádiz: La Sierra, La Janda, Campo de Gibraltar and Campiña,

— Málaga: Serranía de Ronda.

The area in which the hams and shoulder hams are processed comprises the following 31 municipalities in the district of La Sierra in the province of Huelva: Alájar, Almonaster la Real, Aracena, Aroche, Arroyomolinos de León, Cala, Campofrío, Cañaveral de León, Castaño de Robledo, Corteconcepción, Cotegana, Cortelazor, Cumbres de Enmedio, Cumbres de San Bartolomé, Cumbres Mayores, Encinasola, Fuenteheridos, Galaroza, La Granada de Río Tinto, Higuera de la Sierra, Hinojales, Jabugo, Linares de la Sierra, Los Marines, La Nava, Puerto Moral, Rosal de la Frontera, Santa Ana la Real, Santa Olalla del Cala, Valdelarco and Zufre.

5. Link with the geographical area

The production area coincides with the tree-covered dehesas of Extremadura and Andalusia. It is the processing area for PDO ‘Jabugo’ that is important when it comes to distinguishing it from the other areas that produce Iberian ham in Spain. It is restricted to La Sierra de Huelva and has the following characteristics:

Relief

La Sierra de Huelva is the northernmost district in the province of Huelva and is in the last (westernmost) foothills of the Sierra Morena. Its thirty-one (31) municipalities form a homogeneous area within the province of Huelva.

The terrain is quite rugged, but the mountains do not rank as more than medium-altitude, because the action of the network of rivers has led to the formation of a large number of alternating mountain ridges and valleys. Altitudes are lowest in the outermost areas of the district and increase gradually toward its centre, culminating in a ‘central triangle’ known as the Serranía de Aracena. Altitudes range between 500 m and 1 042 m (Cumbre del Castaño), the average being around 700 m.

Climate

The area's climate is basically determined by its latitude, which is between 37° 04′ and 38° N. It therefore lies where the subtropical high-pressure belt and the subpolar low-pressure belt meet, the climate being dominated by first one and then the other, depending on the season.

The area's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has a very significant influence on its climate, as the moist, temperate winds blow in from the west without hindrance, affecting both its temperatures and its rainfall. The district intercepts all the Atlantic air masses moving across Andalusia, as its central peaks are the first barrier they encounter. The 1 000 mm isohyet coincides almost exactly with the ‘central triangle’. In general, the district as a whole has quite a high level of rainfall, as the entire district falls within the 700 mm isohyet. The highest rainfall is in winter. Rainfall in spring and autumn is almost the same, but the summer is a time of drought, which is almost total in July and August.

The average temperature ranges from 14,8 °C in Aracena to 18,4 °C in La Garnacha. The hottest month is July, with average temperatures ranging from 25 °C in Aracena to 27,7 °C in La Garnacha. The coldest month is always January, except in La Garnacha, where it is December, with temperatures ranging from 6,2 °C to 10,7 °C.

Hydrography

The district of La Sierra forms the watershed for the Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Odiel river basins and has an abundance of watercourses and rain-dependent seasonal streams which flow into the area's rivers and reservoirs.

Vegetation

La Sierra de Huelva has a surface area of 307 952 ha, of which more than 73 % (227 023 ha) is wooded. This area includes more than 120 000 ha of holm and cork oak dehesas.

The area's flora includes Trifolium subterraneum and Periballia laevis on sandy and decomposed granite soils, Trifolium subterraneum (very abundant), Poa bulbosa and Periballia minuta on holm oak pastures, and Rumex bucephalophorus, Trifolium subterraneum and Periballia laevis on the calcifugous soils of the cork oak dehesas, along with Cistaceae and Genisteae.

Know-how of local producers

The know-how of the local producers and processors is passed on from one generation to the next, from father to son. The finished product is the result of the customary know-how of the livestock farmers linked to the dehesa and the Iberian pig and of the ham and shoulder ham producers linked to La Sierra in the province of Huelva.

The know-how of the livestock farmers enables them to maintain the delicate balance of the dehesa ecosystem through the traditional farming of Iberian pigs while respecting animal welfare. When the pigs are being fattened under an extensive system of farming, the herds are taken to the steepest and least accessible plots of land first and the flattest and most accessible plots of land last.

The master ham-maker determines exactly when to salt the fore and hind legs; when the hams and shoulder hams should be hung in the natural drying chambers; when the windows should be opened and closed in the drying chambers to take advantage of the microclimate; when the hams and shoulder hams should be taken down to the natural maturing cellars to start the slow process of maturing; and when the hams and shoulder hams are fully cured, when their organoleptic qualities have reached their peak.

The features of the geographical environment affect both the raw material and the finished product, as the specific characteristics of PDO ‘Jabugo’ hams and shoulder hams are the result of the following factors: production in a sustainable ecosystem, the dehesa, in which Iberian pigs are fattened under an extensive system of farming using the resources it affords; and processing in the microclimate of La Sierra in the province of Huelva.

First the hams and shoulder hams are salted. Then, they are washed, after which they are rested to allow an even distribution of salt to be achieved between the surface and the core. The hams and shoulder hams are then hung in the natural drying chambers to allow them to ‘sweat’, taking advantage of the microclimate. Finally, the hams and shoulder hams are moved to the natural maturing cellars to mature slowly, developing their own external mycotic flora as a result of the virtual stability of the temperature and humidity conditions throughout the process.

The organoleptic characteristics of the hams and shoulder hams are the result of the physical, chemical and biological reactions undergone by the nutritional components of the acorns — in particular their lipid content — and natural herbage when they are metabolised by the Iberian pig and, subsequently, during the slow and gradual curing of the ham or shoulder ham, a process which involves a combination of the following factors: the geographical location is the most southerly spot in the European Union in which ham is produced, which means that it has hot summer days, it is in the mountains, which means that it has cool summer nights and cold winters, and it is the first mountain range on which storms coming in from the Atlantic Ocean shed their rain, which means that it has high levels of humidity throughout the year.

The marbling, the colour of the lean meat and the shiny appearance of the slices are the result of the breed of pig, the fact that they are free to roam and the nutritional components of the dehesa. The smooth, velvety feel of the slices to the touch and in the mouth is the result of the fluidity of the fat, because the higher the quantity of acorns in the pig's diet, the lower the melting point. The aroma is attributable to the pig's nut and plant-based diet of acorns and natural herbage and the long, slow curing process. The flavour maintains a subtle balance between the saltiness resulting from the salting process and the sweetness resulting from the salting schedule determined by the master ham-maker and the components derived from prolonged metabolisation. Lastly, it has an intense and particularly persistent aftertaste, which is the result of the large fluctuations between daytime and night-time temperatures in the summer during the natural drying process and of the slow natural maturing process which takes place throughout the year. Furthermore, the pigs' diet during mast-feeding and the physical exercise engaged in by the pigs mean that the hams and shoulder hams are succulent, but also have a firmer muscle texture and more marbled appearance.

The use and renown of the geographical name ‘Jabugo’, the accuracy of the name and its link to the geographical area are supported by the historical events outlined below:

Furthermore, historically, the municipal charter of Montánchez, which dates from 1236, already contains references to dehesas dedicated exclusively to producing acorns to feed pigs and lays down laws for their protection.

Historical evidence of the production of pigs and acorns is also provided by Lope de Vega in his famous Epistle to Gaspar de Barrionuevo, from the 1604 publication Rimas [Rhymes]:

‘… Ham presumed to come from a Spanish pig, from the famous mountains of Aracena, where Arias Montano fled from the world …’

Many centuries ago, with the development of commerce, ham started to be produced in La Sierra by small artisanal producers, one of which was registered in Jabugo in 1895 and, by 1905, had built up a commercial network which included Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa María, San Fernando and Cádiz as distribution hubs for its products. In 1883-1884, 400 pigs were slaughtered in the municipality of Jabugo.

Jabugo is the municipality in La Sierra with the most Iberian ham processors.

An internet search for the term ‘Jabugo’ currently results in almost half a million national and international hits, of which the great majority refer to ham.

The municipality of Jabugo is practically at the heart of La Sierra in the province of Huelva in Andalusia (Spain), the area in which PDO ‘Jabugo’ is processed, which comprises a further 30 villages that share a common history, microclimate and distinctive ‘ham culture’.

Reference to publication of the product specification

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

http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/160224pliegocondicionesdopjabugo1erexamencomisioneuropea_tcm7-390953.pdf

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