EN Official Journal of the European Union C 93/20

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2010/C 93/11

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘AGNEAU DE LAIT DES PYRÉNÉES’

EC No: FR-PGI-0005-0665-10.12.2007

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’

2. Member State or third country:

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.1 Fresh meat (and offal)

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

The PGI covers the fresh meat of dairy-breed lambs up to the age of 45 days, with a carcass weight between 4,5 kg and 11 kg and fat-cover class of 2 or 3 in the EUROP grid.

The lambs are produced from hardy and local dairy breeds of sheep (Manech red head, Manech black head or Basque-Béarnaise). Because the lamb is fed exclusively on its mother's milk, its flesh is succulent and slightly fattier than the flesh of a lamb for slaughter. The milk diet and the young age also influence the colour of the raw meat, which is white or barely pink. The meat is tender and has a low-grain texture. ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ is also known for its taste that is less pronounced than in lambs for slaughter. In particular, it does not have the more or less pronounced taste of ‘wool’ found in lambs for slaughter.

It is a seasonal product because the lambs are slaughtered from 15 October to 15 June.

The meat is sold as whole carcasses, half-carcasses, ready-to-cut portions (Prêt A Découper, PAD) or consumer sales units (Unité de Vente Consommateur).

3.3. Raw materials:

Not applicable

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Feeding of lambs

The lambs are fed exclusively on sheep milk through suckling by the dam.

Feeding of sheep

In spring, summer and autumn, the feeding of hardy-breed milk sheep is based on pasture. The sheep are fed on pasture for at least eight months a year.

In winter, grazing depends on weather conditions, but grassland continues to be the main source of fodder. The winter dietary supplement is based on preserved fodder, grain cereals (corn, barley, triticale, oats, etc.), straw and compound feedingstuffs. The compound feedingstuffs are distributed to complement the fodder for the sheep, as needed.

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

‘Agneaux de lait des Pyrénées’ are born and reared in the defined geographical area.

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

None

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

The PGI must be indicated on the labelling by the PGI logo and the words ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The PGI area covers all the municipalities in the Department of Pyrénées Atlantiques that are located south of the Gave de Pau and its tributary the Ousse or crossed by these watercourses, as well as the 10 adjacent municipalities in the Department of Hautes Pyrénées.

It corresponds to the historical and current area in which the flocks are found. The production area of the lambs covers the following cantons and municipalities:

Department of Pyrénées Atlantiques:

Cantons: Accous, Aramits, Arudy, Bayonne-Est, Bayonne-Nord, Biarritz-Est, Bidache, Espelette, Hasparren, Iholdy, La Bastide-Clairance, Lagor, Laruns, Lasseube, Mauléon-Licharre, Monein, Navarrenx, Nay-Est, Nay-Ouest, Oloron Sainte Marie-Est, Oloron Sainte Marie-Ouest, Pau-Centre, Pontacq, Saint Etienne de Baïgorry, Saint Jean de Luz, Saint Jean Pied de Port, Saint Palais, Salies de Béarn, Sauveterre de Béarn, Tardets-Sorholus, Ustaritz, Anglet-Nord, Bayonne-Ouest, Biarritz-Ouest, Hendaye, Jurançon, Pau-Sud, Pau-Ouest, Pau-Nord, Anglet-Sud, Saint Pierre d’Irube.

Municipalities: Arbus, Artigueloutan, Artiguelouve, Castétis, Denguin, Labastide-Cézéracq, Lacq, Lanneplaà, Lée, Lescar, Lons, Nousty, Orthez, Salles-Mongiscard, Siros.

Department of Hautes Pyrénées: Canton of Aucun.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The area in which the lambs are raised is located at the western edge of the Pyrenean chain and its foothills.

The terrain is varied:

— The mountain areas include the Béarnaise and Basque mountains; the latter is at a lower altitude than the Béarn mountain area, decreasing from east to west. What the two areas have in common is the shape of the valleys, which are narrow and deep, and the rugged terrain of the high-lying mountain area, with its beech and fir forests and pastures grazed mainly by sheep in summer.

— The hills, which differ in terms of their terrain. The slopes between the mountain streams of Pau, Oloron and Aspe are cut by deep valleys, while the hills of the Basque country have smoother terrain.

— The mountain stream valleys of Oloron and Pau and a small part of that of Adour. They are made of alluvial deposits and have widths ranging from 1 to around 10 km. Holdings are located in the valleys, on the hillsides or in low mountain areas. Starting in late summer and until October, the sheep go back down from the summer pastures back to the holding. They give birth on the holding and spend the winter there, together with their lambs. The valleys are used particularly for winter grazing. They are also used for fodder storage and to grow cereals for feeding the sheep.

The steep terrain is not very favourable for arable crops (except at the bottom of the valleys where it is possible to grow corn), but it is well-suited to permanent grassland and rearing transhumant animals such as sheep.

In terms of grain size, most of the soil is rich in clay and silt (between 30 % and 50 %). It is most often acidic, which suggests a low rate of base saturation. It is generally rich in organic matter, due to the combined effects of grassland, acidity and altitude; however, the organic matter is underdeveloped.

In most of this acid soil, biological activity is much reduced and this slows down the decomposition of plant debris and the nitrification process. The unprocessed organic matter has little influence on nutrient retention.

Overall, the soil is very poor in phosphoric acid and potassium. This soil is good for growing fodder crops, which are used in part for animal rearing.

The area has a specific oceanic climate with a stronger mountain influence in the Béarn mountain areas and a stronger oceanic influence (depending on altitude) in the Basque mountain areas. Rainfall is significant: everywhere it is more than 1 300 mm and on most Basque peaks it is more than 2 000 mm above the altitude of 1 000 m. The rainfall facilitates the growth and renewal of the grassland for most of the year.

Thus, most of the Pyrenean vegetation belongs to the oceanic class.

Rearing of local hardy breeds of sheep is spread throughout the valley areas of the hills of the Basque country, with greater density in areas closer to the mountain. In the areas of Pau and Oloron, sheep are reared in the valleys that are close to the mountain area. The summer mountain pastures are exploited by the flocks during their transhumance.

The terrain is particularly appropriate for sheep production because it is used seasonally.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ is produced from three local dairy breeds. The mother sheep are pure-bred Basque-Béarnaise, Manech black head or Manech red head. Due to their physiology and morphology, these hardy breeds are adapted to mountain areas and especially to transhumance, which is a specific feature of the production area. The management system is based on a spring mating season (May, June) and lambing that starts in autumn after an ascent to the mountain pastures. The production of the milk lamb is inseparable from the production of sheep milk.

The management systems for these hardy-breed flocks enable the production of milk lambs for only eight months of the year. The duration of the transhumance, the first mating strategy and the use of fodder areas make ‘Agneaux de lait de Pyrénées’ available from 15 October to 15 June and result in highly seasonal production (45 % of the lambs are sold between 20 November and 31 December).

The lambs are young and fed exclusively on their mother’s milk through suckling by the dam. They are slaughtered when they are no older than 45 days and have a live weight of at least 9 kg up to a maximum of 16 kg. The lamb’s minimum weight determines the meat yield of the carcasses.

Due to its production specifics, the meat of the milk lamb is characterised by its succulent and light flesh that is fattier than in the case of lambs for slaughter. It is tender and has a low-grain texture. The colour of the meat is white or barely pink and the taste is less pronounced, in contrast to lambs for slaughter.

The carcasses are ‘dressed’ in the caul (the peritoneum). This is the traditional presentation method.

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):

Since the second half of the 20th century, the economics of sheep production previously based on the three products of cheese, meat, and wool and skin has changed. The numerous local markets have disappeared and the cheese and meat trade has definitively overtaken the wool and skin trade. Sheep farmers have become milk and milk-lamb producers. The main source of a holding's income is the milk, used especially for the PDO ‘Ossau-Iraty’. Nevertheless, meat represents a significant part of the sheep turnover: the milk lamb represents between 25 % and 30 % of sheep production, depending on the management system in use.

‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ is produced by methods and know-how that are linked to the territory:

— Sheep rearing (milk and meat) is adapted to the specific terrain and weather conditions of the geographical area.

— The meat comes exclusively from traditional local breeds. They are adapted to the conditions of the production area, especially in terms of management systems. The Basque-Béarnaise is adapted to transhumance in the high mountain areas, while the Manech red head and the Manech black head are adapted to lower-altitude mountain areas. Thanks to the thickness of their wool, the sheep can live outdoors for a large part of the year. They are bred by natural service, but the Basque-Béarnaise mates earlier in the year than the two Manech and this allows for a lambing season starting as early as September.

— The feedstuffs for the mothers originate mainly in the geographical area (at least eight months of grazing). The mothers are fed primarily on fodder, high- and medium-altitude natural grassland in summer and preserved fodder in winter. The grassland is made of diverse species that give the milk the specific features reflected in the cheese produced from it. The dairy qualities of the three local breeds allow the lambs to feed exclusively on their mother’s milk during the first weeks of their lives. The two main factors contributing to the specificity of the meat of ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ are the exclusive milk feeding of the animals and their very young slaughter age.

— This system results in the production of distinctive lambs with certain characteristics in terms of conformation and meat tenderness. Because of its very young slaughter age, the carcass is very light, up to a maximum of 11 kg. The young slaughter age and the dairy origin of the sheep breeds mean the carcasses have a conformation unusual in animals for slaughter and are in fat-cover class of 2 or 3. The colour of the meat is light pink over the whole carcass.

— ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ is renowned in cities and in the finest restaurants.

The consumer of ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ sees it as a traditional festive product, in the same way as seafood, game and rich poultry (turkey, capon). This lamb is consumed mainly at Christmas and Easter.

Today as in the past, in France and abroad, the fame of ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ remains closely associated with a distinctive taste linked to a specific rearing method embedded in its territory. ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ can be found on the finest menus. Its seasonality makes it a sought-after product that is particularly well exploited.

‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ has been recognised as a jewel of French gastronomy for years and this is reflected in the confidence which top chefs show in it. ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ is featured in many French cookbooks and gastronomy magazines. Certain qualities of ‘Agneau de lait des Pyrénées’ are particularly highly acknowledged. Its tenderness and the delicacy of the meat, for example, are often highlighted.

Reference to the publication of the specification:

Will be made available online on http://www.inao.gouv.fr

http://www.inao.gouv.fr/repository/editeur/pdf/CDCIGP/CDCAgneauDeLaitDesPyrenees.pdf

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.