EN Official Journal of the European Union C 275/15

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

2013/C 275/06

This publication confers the right to oppose the 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)

AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9

‘MELON DU HAUT-POITOU’

EC No: FR-PGI-0105-0029-13.10.2011

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Heading in the Specification affected by the amendment

—  Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☒ Geographical area —  Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production —  Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ National requirements —  Other (to be specified)

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)

The applicant group wishes, now that the PGI has been in existence for more than 13 years (Regulation (EC) No 2784/98 of 22 December 1998), to both update its Specification and align it with national texts, and to accentuate the link with the area to which the PGI relates, in particular by rewriting certain key points, including those relating to the geographical area, recording and monitoring varieties, manual conditions for planting and harvesting and the conditions for packaging the product.

3.1. Description of product

The maximum weight of the ‘Melon du Haut Poitou’ has been increased from 1 200 g to 1 350 g due to changes in the table of sizes drawn up by the inter-branch organisation for fresh fruit and vegetable growers in France; taking into account a slightly larger size does not have any particular effect on the characteristics of the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ which was already aligned with the previous table at 1 200 g.

The colour of the skin of the melon has also been specified in order to better describe the state of maturity of the harvested melon.

The initial tolerance of a certain percentage of vitrescence of the flesh has been removed, any melon with any kind of vitrescence may no longer be covered by the PGI.

A new point has been added consisting of an organoleptic description of the PGI product which is the result of regular tastings carried out for more than 10 years by the applicant group.

The methods of packaging are specified: the melons are sold whole and packaged on flat single-layer honeycombed trays or in individual packages to preserve their quality.

The concept of the uniformity of the batches of melons has also been added: ‘The batch of packaged melons is uniform in terms of quality, shape and appearance with the melons noticeably in the same stage of development, maturity and colouring’.

3.2. Geographical area

The initial presentation of the area by cantons has been abandoned in favour of a more detailed unequivocal list of the communes concerned; details of the operations taking place in the area are also mentioned.

The request includes an extension restricted mainly to the North and North-East of the current PGI area in the departement of Maine-et-Loire (for the communes of Dénezé-sous-Doué, Louresse-Rochemenier, Les Verchers-sur-Layon) and the department of Indre-et-Loire (for the communes of Assay, Braslou, Chaveignes, Courcoué, La Tour-Saint-Gélin, Léméré, Luzé, Marigny-Marmande, Razines, Verneuil-le-Château, Antogny-le-Tillac, Marcilly-sur-Vienne, Pussigny, Anché, Brizay, Chezelles, Rilly-sur-Vienne, Sazilly, Tavant, and Theneuil) respectively.

The request also includes a reduction to the East and South of the current PGI area, in particular in the departement of la Vienne (Port-de-Piles, Buxeuil, Saint-Remy-sur-Creuse, Leugny, Oyré, Saint-Sauveur, Senillé, Saint-Cyr, Dissay, Saint-Georges-les-Baillargeaux, Montamisé, Buxerolles, Biard, Poitiers et Mignaloux-Beauvoir), and some physical corrections regarding the area registered in 1995 (oversight/addition of the communes of Assay and Beaumont in the scope of the area).

This request has already been studied to ensure that the factors involved in the link to the origin as defined by this PGI are respected. All of the communes which have been added are on the borders or an extension of the current area. They all have clay-limestone soils as requested in the Specification.

Rewriting the link to the origin has enabled the natural limits to the East of the geographical area for ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ to be better specified, by substituting the mention of the Thouet, Vienne and Clain valleys with the more specific names of the rivers: the Loire for the part of the area in Anjou, and the Vienne for the part in Touraine instead of referring more generally to the aforementioned valleys. Moreover, still to the East and the South of the current area, some areas have been considered to clearly differ from the classic land on which the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is grown: and are for the most part filled with hillocks with an altitude of approximately 100-130 metres, which dominate very open plains with prairies or more often wooded areas dominated by poplar trees in the lowest areas. A request for the reduction of the area has been approved in order to exclude these areas. It should be noted that a certain number of the communes located in these areas have not had any proven melon production since the PGI was acknowledged.

3.3. Method of production

— Choice of varieties

The procedure and criteria for choice of the new varieties of melons for the PGI ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ are specified:

— these criteria are both technical criteria (in particular regarding production potential, precociousness, duration of the cycle, ease of picking, resistance/tolerance to diseases) but also criteria relating to the intrinsic quality of the product (in particular the sugar content (IR), the firmness, checks on vitrescence and colour of the flesh),

— the process of choosing the varieties is carried out in two stages: 1/verification of the technical criteria during two seasons of trials on clay-limestone soils in the geographical area, the results of these trials are submitted for an opinion from the applicant group; 2/regular monitoring of the product with tastings during the season by a committee of tasters made up of consumers, persons having worked in agriculture and restaurateurs, excluding any PGI operator. On the basis of the final opinion of this committee at the end of the season, the applicant group takes the decision to introduce a new variety into the list of varieties for the PGI.

From now on this procedure will aim to monitor and possibly exclude some of the authorised varieties:

— the committee of tasters provided for above may in effect at the end of the season, and further to carrying out tastings, issue an unfavourable opinion on the varieties currently produced for the PGI which may no longer correspond to the characteristics sought and to the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ type of melon,

— on the basis of this opinion, the applicant group will then take its decision to exclude the said variety from the list of varieties for the PGI.

— sowing — soil preparation:

Consolidation of this part allows the different methods of sowing and planting periods for the melons to be defined: either by direct sowing, or provisionally by sowing in a greenhouse before planting (in blocks, mini-blocks or plugs). Furthermore, the minimum or maximum period for putting the seeds in greenhouses has been slightly adjusted (five days less in each case) with regard to the practices observed for several years.

— planting:

It is reiterated that planting is done manually.

The deadlines for removing the tarpaulins or protective tunnels covering the young plants have been adjusted on the basis of the climatic conditions observed in recent years (taking into account years with poor climatic conditions: late frost, previously unheard of, is now possible, longer period of cold observed sometimes in spring, etc.). The deadline for positioning the tunnels or tarpaulins (15 and 20 May) has been removed for the same reasons.

— conditions for picking and selecting fruits:

Regarding the specific picking conditions, the opening date for picking melons covered by the PGI has been brought forward to 1 July, given the climatic conditions often observed over several years.

It is reiterated that the harvest is carried out by hand over several successive passages onto the plots, and the first passage may not be used in the production of melons covered by the PGI. As the ban regarding the two last passages was not deemed to be adequate from a control point of view, this has therefore been removed in favour of the specific observation of these last batches at the time of packing (C.f. following point).

The daily provisions regarding a maximum temperature at a target time have been removed as it was not deemed to be satisfactory from a control point of view. The selected varieties ‘Charentais melon’, Cantaloupe type having been renewed, they are today of the ‘netted’ types with a thick skin, more resistant to heat, cold and impacts, which means that such daily control measures are no longer justified.

The harvesting methods are specified in terms of the maximum sizes of the harvesting crates or pallet boxes as is the ban on using trailers instead of crates or pallet boxes. The aim of these methods is to restrict the piling up of the fruits and preserve their quality.

Concerning the selection of fruits on the plant at the time of picking, this point has been rewritten in order to specify the criteria which have been observed and monitored by the producers in order to determine the optimal state of maturity of the melons to be picked for the PGI. Consequently picking commences on a plot when, on the basis of the variety concerned (precocious, semi-precocious, in season), the producer actually observes the presence of at least one of the maturity criteria defined in the Specification (skin turns yellow, leaves turn yellow or stem detaches).

The maximum average yield per farm provided for in the Specification is specified to target only those plots suitable for PGI which have been planted with varieties suitable for PGI. It has also been adjusted (increasing from 10t/ha to 12 t/ha) in order to take into account both the yields actually observed over recent years, particularly during the best seasons, and the progress made on the new varieties of melons.

— Receipt/Sorting/Sizing and putting onto trays and packaging of fruits:

Concerning the receipt of fruit, the melons are no longer systematically washed. Washing is only useful when the fruits are dirty, whether they are intended to be covered by the PGI or not. This non-specific provision has therefore been removed from the Specification.

The conditions for sorting and calibrating the melons are specified and linked explicitly with the physical characteristics for the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ (part 4 of the product description).

The conditions for packaging the fruit are also specified by linking them explicitly with the other characteristics of the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ in part 4 Description of the product: variety, physical characteristic (absence of vitrescence), chemical characteristic (sugar content), uniform packaging.

Finally, a specific point was added relating to ending the picking of the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’, instead of the rule which has been removed banning the last two passages (Cf preceding point). Where the harvest is brought forward and producer-shippers determine the picking is ending for a plot for the PGI, where they observe during the packaging of the batches one of the following criteria: the appearance of fruits uniform in shape, colour and/or internal quality, or the presence of fruits which are less representative of the variety in question.

— Packaging and storage of the melons:

Packaging of the ‘Melons du Haut-Poitou’, that is the adequate preparation of the product according to the specific sorting, calibrating and packaging rules, with restricted packaging specified hereinafter and the requirement to affix an individual sticker to each melon, is carried out immediately after the harvest directly by the producer-shippers or by the latter at the request of producers who are not shippers. It must take place in the geographical area in order to preserve the qualitative characteristics of the fruit such as optimum maturity, appearance, integrity and uniformity of the products and their freshness, and to avoid being further handled or the risks of deterioration during transport, whilst also guaranteeing the necessary traceability in the various aisles where the melons are sold.

This heading also specifies the methods of packaging as defined in the description part of the product: the melons are packaged by size category on solely mono-layer trays or in individual packages; the maximum number of melons per tray has been adjusted (15 instead of 16), as the size 16 no longer exists.

The maximum period between picking and packaging (six hours) has been removed in order to reduce the overall period to be respected between the time of picking and that of shipping (48 hours from now on instead of hours previously).

3.4. Labelling

This chapter is specified regarding the additional wordings that must feature on the PGI product (individual sticker on each melon and sticker with the applicant group's logo).

3.5. National requirements

In the light of changes to national legislation and rules, the ‘National requirements’ heading now contains a table indicating the main items to be checked, their reference values and the assessment methods to be used.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (3)

‘MELON DU HAUT-POITOU’

EC No: FR-PGI-0105-0029-13.10.2011

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’

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 product to which the name in (1) applies

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is a yellow Charentais type of melon. The fruit is spherical in shape with well-defined segments and a skin which is generally covered in fairly thick netting according to the variety. It has the following characteristics:

— Appearance: whole, clean, without any external moisture or trace of treatment product, healthy, i.e. free of insect attack or diseases and without any serious defects affecting its edibility or appearance: deformity, blows, spots of colour,

— Weight: Between a minimum of 550 g and a maximum of 1 350 g,

— Colour of skin: green, starting to turn slightly yellow to completely yellow,

— No vitrescence of the flesh,

— Sugar content measured by refractive index (RI) equal to or greater than 12° Brix.

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is characterised by a sweet flavour together with intensive aromas. It is firm and yet very juicy and melting to taste. It is a fairly pronounced orange in colour.

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 of the production operations are carried out within the geographical area.

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

Packaging of the ‘Melons du Haut-Poitou’, that is the adequate preparation of the product according to the specific sorting, calibrating and packaging rules, with restricted packaging specified hereinafter and the requirement to stick an individual sticker on each melon, is carried out immediately after the harvest directly by the producer-shippers or by the latter at the request of producers who are not shippers. It must take place in the geographical area in order to preserve the qualitative characteristics of the fruit such as optimum maturity, appearance, integrity and uniformity of the products and their freshness, and to avoid being further handled or the risks of deterioration during transport, whilst also guaranteeing the necessary traceability in the various aisles where the melons are sold.

Furthermore, the melons are packaged by size category on solely mono-layer trays or in individual packages; the maximum number of melons per tray is 15.

The total time to be observed between picking and shipping is 48h.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

The label of the PGI product ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ includes the following indications:

— product name: ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’,

— the wording ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ and the PGI logo of the European Union,

— an individual sticker bearing the logo of ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ on each fruit.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area for the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is located between natural boundaries which are, to the North, the area where the Paris basin meets the foothills of the Armorican Massif range, to the South, the Auxances river, to the West and to the East the Thouet and Vienne rivers.

In accordance with these natural boundaries, this geographical area extends for each department concerned across the following cantons:

— Maine-et-Loire (49): Saumur South, Montreuil- Bellay, Doué-la-Fontaine,

— Indre-et-Loire (37): Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, Richelieu, L’Ile-Bouchard, Chinon,

— Deux-Sèvres (79): Airvault, Argenton-les-Vallées, Thouars 1st canton, Thouars 2nd canton, St-Varent,

— Vienne (86): Châtellerault-North, Châtellerault-South, Châtellerault-West, Dangé-Saint-Romain, Saint-Gervais-les-trois-clochers, Lencloître, Mirebeau, Trois-Moutiers, Poitiers 1st canton, Poitiers 7th canton, Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, Loudun, Neuville-de-Poitou, Saint-Georges-lès-Baillargeaux, Moncontour, Monts-sur-Guesnes, Vouillé.

The communes contained within these cantons and making up the geographical area for ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ are listed in the Specification.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The geographical area for the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ extends across the territory of the communes of the departments of Vienne, to the North-East and Deux-Sèvres, to the South both Maine-et-Loire and Indre-et-Loire.

The production of melons in these sectors is carried out exclusively on clay-limestone soils. These well-ventilated soils are uniform and healthy, with a good natural supply of fertilising elements and good reserves of water accumulated in winter. They are perfectly suited to melon growing.

‘Haut-Poitou’ is generally reputed, in terms of climate, to be a hot and dry region, a particularity which is reinforced by the characteristics of the soils, which are often dry. The average annual temperature is fairly high (hot in summer, mild in the winter) and is relatively regular throughout the whole of the year. Although the rainfall is irregular, the soils ability to store rainwater makes up for these irregularities.

The geographical area for ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is an ancient melon production region.

The significant development in production has enabled growing techniques to evolve and also to increasingly better monitor the quantitative and qualitative developments in the types of melons produced, using trials in the field and regular tasting of products each season. The accumulation of technical and sensory data has also enabled the development of the quality varieties that we now know in ‘Haut-Poitou’.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is a yellow Charentais type of melon. The fruit is spherical in shape with well-defined segments and a skin which yellows upon maturity and is generally covered in fairly thick netting according to the variety. Its weight is between a minimum of 550 g and a maximum of 1 350 g, its sugar content is equal to or greater than 12° Brix. The flesh does not have any vitrescence.

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ is defined as a very sweet melon with intense aromas. It is firm and yet very juicy and melting to taste. It is a fairly pronounced orange in colour.

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ was well-known in olden days as attested to in an article in ‘La vie Loudunaise’: as of 1896, during the traditional Pitié market, the master reserved free places at the foot of the basilica for the market gardeners from Guesnes: ‘The pilgrims ate melon on the grass, which they enjoyed very much!’

The French people are today still very attached to the Canteloupe type Charentais melon from ‘Haut-Poitou’. The great quality of the products also means that the ‘Melons du Haut-Poitou’ are also sent to prestigious markets such as the deluxe grocers Fauchon et Hediard, and great restaurateurs such as Robuchon or other famous establishments in Paris such as the Ritz or Georges V.

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)

The ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ found, in the ‘Haut-Poitou’ basin, a very favourable production area appropriate for its late maturity and nutritional requirements.

The balanced structure and ventilation of the clay-limestone soils enable the organic matter to be transformed into nutritional elements which are necessary for the correct nutrition of the plant and the mineral requirements of the melon.

The active limestone, easily absorbed by the plant, favours, by accumulating in the cellular tissues, the rigidity of the tissues and gives the melon a firmness and a resistance to impacts to the skin and to the phenomenon of vitrescence.

The progressive heating of the soils as a result of their good clay content and the useful water reserves accumulated during the winter offer the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ all the conditions necessary for regular growth of the plant without hydraulic stress and a late harvest of the melons at optimal maturity.

Due to the exceptional micro-climate (average temperature quite high and regular throughout the year) and the clay-limestone soils, it is very quickly observed that quality melons are obtained which are very sweet with an intense aroma and with recognised qualities, which are both firm in the mouth and very juicy and melting.

This specific quality has been found during the organoleptic monitoring of the melons that has taken place since 1995 which, in addition to the search for new varieties, has enabled varieties to be selected in accordance with the characteristics which are inherent in the product and to also verify that they are indeed of the type ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’.

The particular nature of the soils, the influence of the climate, the constant efforts of the producers have also allowed the ‘Melon du Haut-Poitou’ to acquire a certain reputation with consumers and different professionals in the industry (restaurateurs, deluxe grocers, but also large-scale distributors), also reflecting the economic importance of this production at a local level.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCIGPMelonDuHautPoitouV2.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) Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(4) See footnote 3.