Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2003/C 246/05)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognised in accordance with Article 12(3) within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO ( ) PGI (x)

National Application No: 87

1. Responsible department in the Member State: Name: Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada - Dirección General de Alimentación - Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación de España

Address: Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid

Tel. (34) 913 47 54 94

Fax (34) 913 47 54 10

2. Applicant group: 2.1.-2.2. Name and address: Asociación Nacional Avileña-Negra Ibérica: Plaza de Sofraga, 1 - E-05001 Avila;

Asociación de Criadores de Charolais de España: Lonja de Extremadura-Avda. Rodríguez de Ledesma, 3 - E-10001 Cáceres;

Asociación Nacional de Carne de Retinto: C/ Murcia, 5-1o A - E-28045 Madrid;

Asociación Extremeña de Limusin: Lonja de Extremadura-Avda. Rodríguez de Ledesma, 3 - E-10001 Cáceres;

Asociación de Productores Agroganaderos de Monfragüe y su Entorno (APAME): Plaza de España, 1 - E-10520 Toril (Cáceres);

Asociación de ganaderos de Berrenda (Berrenda): C/ Adelardo Covarsí, 1 - E-06005 Badajoz;

Matadero Municipal de Badajoz: Polígono Industrial El Nevero, s/n E-06004 Badajoz;

Asociación de Cooperativas de Regantes de Extremadura (Acorex): Avda. Juan Carlos I, 41 - E-06800 Mérida;

Asociación Ganaderos del Reino: C/ Agustina de Aragón, 16 - E-06004 Badajoz;

Fabricantes de Pienso: C/ San José, 68 - E-06200 Almendralejo;

SS. Cooperativa Comercialización "Dehesa de Extremadura": Lonja de Extremadura-Avda. Rodríguez de Ledesma, 3 - E-10001 Cáceres;

Sociedad Cooperativa "Cuatro Lugares": Lonja de Extremadura-Avda. Rodríguez de Ledesma, 3 - E-10001 Cáceres;

Asociación de Mujeres Familiares de Ámbito Rural (Amfar): Lonja de Extremadura-Avda. Rodríguez de Ledesma, 3 - E-10001 Cáceres.

2.3. Composition: Producer/processor (x) other (x).

3. Type of product: Class 1.1. - Fresh bovine meat.

4. Specification (Summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: "Ternera de Extremadura".

4.2. Description: The product to be protected by the PGI is produced exclusively from carcases of extensively raised animals of the indigenous breeds Retinta, Avileña-Negra Ibérica, Morucha, Blanca Cacereña and Berrendas, crosses thereof and crosses between the above-mentioned indigenous breeds and Charolais and Limousin, perfectly adapted to the environment, the first generation being used for breeding and the second for slaughter.

The animals are divided into the following categories depending on their age and how they are fed prior to slaughter:

- TERNERAS (HEIFER CALVES): animals intended for slaughter at between seven months and 12 months less one day. Feed is basically dam's milk, but may be supplemented with feed authorised in advance.

- AÑOJOS (YEARLINGS): animals intended for slaughter at between 12 months and 16 months less one day. Only feed authorised in advance is used.

- NOVILLOS (BULLOCKS): animals intended for slaughter at between 16 and 36 months. Only feed authorised in advance is used.

Meat to be protected by the PGI Ternera de Extremadura has the following characteristics:

I. Ternera: meat from these animals is bright red in colour and slightly moist, with white fat, a firm consistency and a fine texture.

II. Añojo: meat from these animals is between light red and purple and slightly moist, with white fat, a consistency that is firm to the touch and a fine texture.

III. Novillo: meat from these animals is cherry red and slightly moist, with fat of a creamy colour, a consistency that is firm to the touch, a fine texture and moderate amounts of intramuscular fat.

Carcases comply with the following standards:

1. Carcases of Categories A and E as referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) No 1208/81.

2. Conformation: E, U, R, O.

3. Fat cover: 2, 3 and 4.

4. Hygiene: application of Community and national standards.

5. The pH in the Longissimus dorsi muscle at the level of the 5-6th rib 24 hours after slaughter is less than 6.

4.3. Geographical area: The production area of the animals whose meat is eligible for the protected geographical indication Ternera de Extremadura comprises the following districts and their municipalities: Alburquerque, Almendralejo, Azuaga, Badajoz, Brozas, Cáceres, Castuera, Coria, Don Benito, Herrera del Duque, Hervás, Jaraíz de la Vera, Jerez de los Caballeros, Logrosán, Llerena, Mérida, Navalmoral de la Mata, Olivenza, Plasencia, Puebla de Alcocer, Trujillo and Valencia de Alcántara.

Processing is carried out in the production area.

The geographical area covered by the PGI is essentially given over to the dehesa grazing system, the finest expression of extensive production in the Mediterranean.

In effect, Extremadura's grazing system is one in which agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry have been combined in a way that preserves biological diversity and safeguards natural habitats by making use of the widest possible range of resources available.

In Extremadura grazing land accounts for some 1800000 ha (almost 1000000 of it wooded), i.e. 43 % of the total land area, a clear indication of the importance of this system of production in the Autonomous Community.

4.4. Proof of origin: Meat to be protected by the PGI is produced exclusively from extensively raised animals of the indigenous breeds Retinta, Avileña-Negra Ibérica, Morucha, Blanca Cacereña and Berrendas, crosses thereof and crosses between the above-mentioned indigenous breeds and Charolais and Limousin, perfectly adapted to the environment, the first generation being used for breeding and the second for slaughter.

The quality and origin of the protected product offered to the consumer will be ensured by checks and analyses carried out by the Consejo Regulador (Regulatory Council) on the livestock holdings, fattening farms, slaughterhouses and cutting plants entered in the various registers for the Geographical Indication, in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Manual de Calidad (Quality Manual) and the Manual de Procedimientos (Manual of Procedures).

On completion of all the checks referred to above, the Certification Committee of the Consejo Regulador, on which all the parties concerned are represented, will evaluate the results in order to reach an impartial and objective decision. Where the Certification Committee decides on certification, the Consejo Regulador will issue the corresponding certificate. The product will be placed on the market with a guarantee of origin in the form of the numbered label or secondary label of the Consejo Regulador.

4.5. Method of production: The dams are raised using the traditional techniques, practices and methods of exploiting natural resources characteristic of extensive stockfarming. They live in the open, without lairage, all year round. They are left to graze/forage for food indigenous to the local ecosystem throughout the year, supplemented where necessary with straw, hay, cereals, legumes and fibrous concentrates.

The calves are not weaned until they are at least five months old.

The mating period is selected with a view to ensuring that calving will occur when grazing resources are most plentiful. This means that seasonal pasture grazing resources can be in keeping with stockfarming requirements, viz. increased energy inputs during the period of lactation.

The animals are slaughtered and the carcases cut up in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura exclusively in those slaughterhouses and cutting plants previously authorised and registered by the Consejo Regulador.

4.6. Link: The dehesa ecosystem, the product of centuries of human tending of Mediterranean woodlands, accounts for large areas of Extremadura. By tradition the emphasis has been on extensive livestock farming, with a perennial balance between the breeds concerned (wild as well as domestic), the environment and human intervention.

Extensification involves the exploitation of large areas of land using a livestock grazing system that, because of its simplicity, is perfectly suited to the environment. The harsh climate and the poor quality soil have tended to favour the development of livestock farming.

A feature of the dehesa system is that the animals make use of the grazing resources available, with grasses providing much of their energy requirements. Pastures - featuring a wide variety of flora, including many spontaneous annuals - add to the system's energy resources.

Woodlands are an important part of the system in that they add to the diversity of resources available to the farmer.

The typically southern brown topsoil - resting on a layer of slate or granite - is thin, acid and erodes easily.

In essence the woodland component of the dehesa is made up of two species: holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork-oak (Quercus suber), plus a few less prevalent species such as gall-oak (Quercus lusitanica), Spanish chestnut (Castanea sativa) and the common oak (Quercus robur). The trees provide a variety of resources, such as acorns, browse and litter generally, on which the livestock feeds when grass is scarce.

The most representative components of the thicket are the common rockrose (Cistus ladaniferus), Scotch broom (Sarothamnus scoparius), the black rockrose (Cistus monspeliense) and gorse (Genista sp.).

Depending on the soil concerned, the grazing land may be classified as follows:

- On a granite base

Loose sandy soil: poor quality and not very productive. Rapidly dries out once the spring rains have ended. Slow-growing annual grasses (Vulpia periballia) and low-energy legumes (T. Angustifolium and stellatum) tend to predominate.

Sandy soil: more fertile, resulting in better and more productive grazing land which dries out more slowly. Features taller grasses with a greater capacity for tillering (Agrostis, Poa, etc.), and annual legumes of major interest in terms of grazing (Ornithopus, T. Cherleri, T. Arvense, T. Campestre, etc.);

- On a slaty base

Thin slaty soils: production very limited and of poor quality; consist of very frugal grasses and a small proportion of legumes. Referred to as thin pasture.

Slaty soils of average depth: account for a large part of the area of production. Annual grasses (Dactylis and Phalaris) and leguminous plants of high value in terms of grazing (T. Resupinatum, T. Subterraneum, Ornithopus Biserrula, etc.) predominate. Adequate yields and quality. Retain some water and dry out more slowly than does loose sandy soil grazing land.

Slaty soils of good depth, i.e. grazing land more than 20 cm deep. They too cover a large area. Rich in grasses and legumes, they serve to improve the grazing land referred to above;

- Pastures on Tertiary and Quaternary sediment

Poor quality pastureland with few legumes and grasses. Juncus and Asphodelus (gamones) abound owing to poor winter drainage. Dries out rapidly after the rains have ended;

- Majadales pastures

Early pastures that dry out slowly; feature excellent yields and quality. Account for only a small area. Found on all types of soil, they result from repeated majadeo (folding) and an increase in organic matter. Feature such species as Poa bulbosa and T. Subterraneum, combined with Trifolium, Scorpiurus, trefoil and Biserrula, which have a high nutritional value;

- Other pastures in special enclaves: mountain pastures

The cattle have fully adapted to the conditions, using every type of pasture - the output of which varies in terms both of quality and quantity (includes some very poor grazing land).

It should be noted that in addition to providing grazing land, the dehesa ecosystem produces acorns, feed cereals (wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale) grain legumes (chickpeas, beans, etc), cork, firewood, charcoal, etc. There is accordingly no doubt that, in a predominantly agrarian Community such as Extremadura, the dehesa constitutes a major economic factor, accounting as it does for 45 % of final agricultural production.

Because of the herbaceous crops available, the cattlefarming sector has concentrated almost exclusively on meat production, and only in the irrigated areas are there a few small dairy herds.

Currently, along with the extensification of stockfarming systems, there is a need to conserve and promote indigenous genotypes.

Various studies (Espejo Díaz, M; García Torres, S, Características específicas y diferenciadoras de las carnes de ganado bovino de las dehesas españolas ("Specific and Distinguishing Characteristics of Meat of Cattle raised on Spanish Pasturelands") have shown that the qualities principally sought by the consumer are significantly improved in animals raised on pastureland.

4.7. Inspection body Name: Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida "Ternera de Extremadura"

Address: Avda. Ruta de la Plata, 4 - E-10001 Cáceres

Tel. (34) 927 62 91 46

Fax (34) 927 62 91 47

The Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida "Ternera de Extremadura" complies with standard UNE-EN 45.011.

4.8. Labelling: The person designated by the Consejo Regulador will mark the carcases whose cuts are to be protected by the PGI to identify them and guarantee their origin.

Marks will be made on the outside of each half of the carcase in such a way that the two half-carcases can be easily identified after separation.

The Consejo Regulador will issue the relevant numbered secondary labels that are to accompany the cuts intended for sale. These will clearly show both the PGI logo and the words "Ternera de Extremadura", as well as any other information the Consejo Regulador considers appropriate to guarantee the traceability of the protected product, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

4.9. National requirements - Law 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on vineyards, wine and alcohol and its rules of application laid down by Decree 835/1972 of 23 March 1972.

- Order of 25 January 1994 laying down the correspondence between Spanish legislation and Regulation (EEC) No 2081/1992 as regards geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs.

- Royal Decree 1643/99 of 22 October 1999 laying down the procedure for processing applications for entry in the Community Register of Protected Designations of Origin.

EC No: ES/00220/02.01.10.

Date of receipt of the full application: 29 July 2003.