EN Official Journal of the European Union C 18/42

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 18/15

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘MOGETTE DE VENDEE’

EC No: FR-PGI-0005-0541-27.03.2006

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Mogette de Vendée’

2. Member State or third country:

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

The ‘Mogette de Vendée’ is a white bean of the species Phaseolus vulgaris, of the ingot type, with a regular, elliptical wide kidney shape, between 1 and 2 cm long, with little or no striation, rectangular and often flat at one end.

Description of the dry bean

— The dry bean is of a consistent white colour and has a delicate skin without obviously pronounced veins.

When dry, the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ has a moisture content of between 10 and 16 %.

— The semi-dry bean has a regular, elliptical wide kidney shape and is slightly thicker than the dry bean. It is white to very light green due to its degree of ripeness and some beans may be green. It has a smooth, shiny skin. It is a fresh product that does not need to be soaked.

— When cooked, ‘Mogette de Vendée’ beans are soft and of consistent size, shape and colour, and the delicate, soft skin melts in the mouth. It has a slightly salty, slightly sweet taste with a delicate flavour of leeks and chestnuts.

Characteristics of the crop

— Dwarf crop,

— green trifoliate leaves,

— one flower, usually white,

— annual growing cycle of around 80 to 120 days between May and September,

— the varieties used in the Vendée are essentially early to intermediate varieties,

— minimum growth temperature is 8 to 10 °C and optimum growth temperature between 16 and 24 °C,

— good disease-resistance,

— consistent flowering.

The seed varieties used are selected on a regular basis by the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ inter-branch organisation from the commercial varieties available in the official varieties catalogue which correspond to the criteria expected for the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ and match up to the traditional product as it is known in the Vendée region. The list of varieties is drawn up every year and distributed to producers.

3.3. Raw materials:

—

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

—

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

‘Mogette de Vendée’ beans must be grown in the geographical area of the PGI.

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

Different forms of presentation and packaging

— ‘Mogette de Vendée’ in dry form: Presented for retail sale: small bags or boxes, nets or other packaging in various weights (500 g, 1 kg, 2 kg, etc.). Bulk packages for processing or further packaging by bulk purchasers who have signed a partnership agreement.

— ‘Mogette de Vendée’ in semi-dry, deep-frozen form: Presented for retail sale: small bags or other packaging in various weights (1 kg, etc.). Bulk packages for processing or further packaging by bulk purchasers who have signed a partnership agreement.

— ‘Mogette de Vendée’ cooked without other ingredients and sterilised: presented in jars for retail sale.

— ‘Mogette de Vendée’ cooked without other ingredients and pasteurised: presented in sealed trays or small bags for retail.

Bulk sales direct to the consumer are not allowed.

In all cases, the product is packaged in homogenous batches which are identified and numbered. All transactions are subject to precise traceability and stock recording arrangements covering the date of packaging, the batch number of the beans used, the delivery number, the batch numbers of the packaged or processed produce and the corresponding quantities.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Produce covered by the PGI are sold with the designation ‘Mogette de Vendée’.

The words ‘Indication géographique protégée’ (‘Protected Geographical Indication’) and/or the Community logo will appear on the packaging.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The ‘Mogette de Vendée’ geographical area consists of the following municipalities:

Department of Loire-Atlantique

Districts partly covered:

Aigrefeuille sur Maine: municipalities of Geneston, Montbert, La Planche, Vieillevigne

Legé: municipalities of Corcoué sur Logne, Legé, Touvois

Machecoul: municipalities of La Marne, Paulx, Saint Etienne de Mer Morte

Saint Philbert de Grandlieu: municipalities of La Limouzinière, Saint Colomban, Saint Philbert de Grandlieu

Department of the Vendée:

Districts completely covered: Chantonnay, La Chataigneraie, Les Essarts, Fontenay Le Comte, Les Herbiers, L’Hermenault, Marueil sur Lay, Montaigu, Mortagne sur Sèvre, La Mothe Achard, Palluau, Le Porié sur Vie, Pouzauges, Rocheservière, La Roche sur Yon, Saint Fulgent, Sainte Hermine, Saint Hilaire des Loges

Districts partly covered:

Challans: municipalities of Challans, Froidfond, La Garnache

Luçon: municipalities of Chasnais, Lairoux, Luçon, Magnils Reigniers, Sainte Gemme la Plaine

Maillezais: municipalities of Benet, Bouillé, Courdault, Doix, Liez, Maillezais, Saint Pierre le Vieux

Moutiers les Mauxfaits: municipalities of La Boissière des Landes, Champ Saint Père, Curzon, Le Givre, Moutiers Les Mauxfaits, Saint Avaugourd des Landes, Saint Cyr en Talmondais, Saint Sornin, Saint Vincent sur Graon

Saint Gilles Croix de Vie: municipality of Coëx

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The Vendée's maritime climate, its latitude and the upland relief of the high bocage vendéen — the vendéen hills (the last foothills of the Armorican Massif range) to the east of the department mean that the crop has both sufficient humidity and plenty of sunlight. The average annual rainfall of over 600 mm is quite well distributed over the year. Temperatures are mild, with fairly high averages in the four months (May to August) during which the product grows. There are more than 2 000 hours of sunlight a year.

The soil in the production area is brown silt. High (> 35 %) in silt but low (< 35 %) in clay content, brown and quite deep, it dries out slowly and retains a good deal of moisture.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The organoleptic characteristics of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ (after cooking) are as follows:

— melt-in-the-mouth texture, not firm or particularly grainy,

— soft skin, not at all resistant to the bite,

— regular size, shape and colour,

— light colour,

— slightly salty, slightly sweet taste,

— delicate flavour of chestnuts and leeks.

Deep-freezing, pasteurising and sterilising the product mean that its characteristics can be preserved at the same time as making it easy to use. Also, because there is now a complete range of ways in which the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ is marketed, the consumer has many options from which to choose while remaining confident of the quality of the product.

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 link with the geographical origin of the product resides in its quality, its long-established reputation and the local know-how of the producers.

Link between quality and production area

The quality of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ (its succulence and homogeneity) is closely linked to the area's soil and weather conditions.

To grow well, the beans need water, sun and warmth. The Vendée's maritime climate, its latitude and the upland relief of the high bocage vendéen — the vendéen hills — to the east of the department mean that the crop has both sufficient humidity (250 to 300 mm between April and September), plenty of sunlight (2 000 hours a year) and temperatures approaching the ideal for growing the product (16 to 24 °C).

If temperatures are too low when the seeds are sown or in the growth period, the crop will rehydrate without germinating or produce an underdeveloped plant. The particular conditions in the Vendée mean that this ideal temperature can be reached and maintained long enough for the plants to complete their growth cycle. The mild May temperatures in the area mean that the ground warms up sufficiently for rapid and regular growth of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’, thus ensuring the homogeneity at harvest time that is essential to the product's quality.

The soil type in the area, slow-drying and retaining a good deal of moisture, naturally limits the water stress on the plants and makes for the regular nutrition and growth that are associated with the bean's succulence and homogeneity.

This soil type can also be well prepared in the spring.

The lack of heavy rainfall in the PGI area at harvest time combines with the low clay content of the soil to enable a gradual, natural drying process whereby the product is neither affected by rain nor gathers dirt from the damp ground. Natural drying in the ground reduces differences between stages of growth and thus makes for homogeneity.

In conclusion, the quality of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ (succulent, homogeneous, tender and regular) is closely linked to the soil and weather conditions in the PGI area:

— ideal soil with a good clay/silt balance, not too sandy and sufficiently deep,

— an ideal climate with moderate water-deficiency (average PET and controlled irrigation) and good exposure to sunlight.

Reputation of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’

The ‘Mogette’ has been known in the Vendée since the 16th century and has been grown without interruption to the present day. For a long time, it remained a staple of the vendéen diet. Its reputation has survived into the present — it is sought after by consumers and sold in France and even beyond.

From the end of the 17th century, doctors wrote of peas and beans being grown in the Vendée, especially in the marshes to the south; as early as 1804, Cavoleau refers to the white bean as ‘the heritage of the poor sharecropper’ in the eastern part of the plain. Between 1814 and 1825, an average of 3 000 ha were sown each year; from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century, the average area increased to 7 000 ha. Production levels were still high at the start of the 20th century, with an average output of 6 000 tonnes before the First World War. Writing in 1930 about market-garden crops grown in the Vendée, T Sarrazin, head of the agriculture department, said that ‘the most important of all is the bean, which is grown on almost 9 000 ha and of which a local variety, the “Mogette”, forms the basis of the vendéen peasants’ diet. It is to be found throughout the department. In years in which the harvest is not too badly affected by drought, significant quantities are exported’. The dry bean changed under the influence of new techniques and found its final home a century later, in the bocage, where nowadays most of the crop is grown — around 900 tonnes a year of known organised production.

Local expertise

Over time, the producers of the ‘Mogette de Vendée’ have developed a knowledge of the crop and a high level of expertise enabling them to ensure its quality. This quality is maintained after harvest by other operators further downstream, but essentially it is at harvest time itself that the local know-how really counts. For the dry bean, this consists of three phases: grubbing-up, drying on the ground and threshing. The challenge for producers is deciding the best times for grubbing-up and threshing. Early grubbing-up enables them to leave the beans to dry gradually and obtain a consistent degree of tenderness. Drying the beans on the ground allows for threshing without the presence of green leaves, which could leave marks. The producers of the dry beans have found over the years that, if harvested too early, the beans still have a raw, leguminous taste. If harvesting takes place too late, on the other hand, the beans will lose their full range of flavour and taste bland. For semi-dry beans, the crop is harvested directly — there is no drying phase as the aim is freshness. Using their know-how, the producers start the harvest when most of the pods have reached a stage where they are yellow and semi-dry and the beans are white to light green.

Publication reference of the specification:

http://www.inao.gouv.fr/repository/editeur/pdf/CDCAOP/CDCMogetteDeVendee.pdf