Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2019/C 371/10)

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) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CEREJA DO FUNDÃO’

EU No: PGI-PT-02478 - 22.11.2018

PDO () PGI (x)

1. Name(s)

‘Cereja do Fundão’

2. Member State or Third Country

Portugal

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

‘Cereja do Fundão’ is the fruit of the sweet cherry tree (Prunus avium L.) intended to be consumed fresh. It has the following main characteristics:

— a size of at least 24 mm;

— a firmness of at least 60 units on the Durofel index;

— a colour of between 2 and 6 on the CTIFL (Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Legumes) colour chart;

— a soluble solids content of at least 12 °Brix.

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

—

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

All the stages of production (growing and harvest).

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

—

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

On the ‘Cereja do Fundão’ label, the product name must be followed by the words ‘Indicação Geográfica Protegida’ [Protected Geographical Indication] or the abbreviation ‘IGP’ [PGI].

The label must include the ‘Cereja do Fundão’ logo, which is shown below.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area for production of ‘Cereja do Fundão’ is restricted to the municipality of Fundão, the parishes of Louriçal do Campo and Lardosa (municipality of Castelo Branco) and the parishes of Ferro and Peraboa (municipality of Covilhã).

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Cereja do Fundão’ and the geographical area derives from its reputation.

Thanks to its characteristics, ‘Cereja do Fundão’ enjoys great fame and renown in Portugal and abroad, and has taken on such agricultural, economic and gastronomic importance that it has become one of the region’s main hallmarks.

Fundão cherries, ‘delicious — sweet and succulent with a tangy ripe flavour’ (The Guardian, 14.8.2007), ‘clothed in bright red, plump and extravagantly sweet’, are ‘unmistakeable’ and are considered by chef Vítor Sobral to be ‘a product of national excellence’ (Epicur, 8.5.2017). Although cherries are grown pretty much all over the country, ‘the most famous are perhaps the ones from Fundão’ (Broteria — popular science series, 1915), and there are some who regard Fundão as Portugal’s ‘cherry capital’ (Paulo Moreira, Pão e Vinho [Bread and Wine], 2014).

The distinction in which ‘Cereja do Fundão’ is held by the Portuguese consumer is shown by the fact that, back in 1941, the Bulletin of the Junta Nacional das Frutas [National Fruit Board] individually listed the price of ‘Cereja do Fundão’ cherries at the Lisbon market (where they were sold for an average price of 3 escudos per kilogram), contrasting it with the price of other cherries sold at the market.

In 2018, ‘Cereja do Fundão’ won the ‘Portugal Cinco Estrelas’ prize in the natural products category. When the prize was awarded, on the basis of an evaluation of consumer satisfaction carried out by means of market surveys, it was stated that ‘between the Estrela and Gardunha mountain ranges is where one of the most tasty national delicacies is to be found, namely ‘Cereja do Fundão’. Its sweet, fresh flavour has been enjoyed not only as a dessert fruit but also in the form of compotes, chocolate and cherry sweets, pastries and liqueurs.’

‘These cherries are famous, attract crowds of people and generate millions of euros for the local economy’ (Dinheiro Vivo, 4.6.2017). ‘Cereja do Fundão’ has ‘gained a high profile, particularly since it became associated with the Portuguese football team’s participation in the European Championship that took place in Portugal in 2004’. In the space of a decade, ‘the local economy built around the cherry has doubled in size and is now worth around EUR 20 million per year, based on 2 000 ha of cherry trees producing 7 000 tonnes of cherries, which corresponds to more than 60 % of national production and provides 7 000 jobs’. The name ‘Cereja do Fundão’‘adds value to the product, which is why it is able to fetch a higher price despite the increase in the quantities produced. This explains why the average price has also doubled and is now around EUR 3 per kilogram’ (Pedro Manuel Saraiva, Empreendedorismo: do conceito à aplicação, da ideia ao negócio, da tecnologia ao valor [Entrepreneurship: from theory to practice, from idea to business, from technology to value], Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 3rd edition, 2015).

Owing to the characteristics of the geographical area of production, ‘the first cherries of the season are earlier than in other areas and can easily be sold for EUR 30 to EUR 50 per kilogram, especially in export markets, which account for 10 % of sales’ (Pedro Manuel Saraiva, op. cit.). ‘When the cherry season starts’, Fundão is one ‘of the first places in the world to have cherries’, which is why the price to the consumer is so high ‘when they first appear and start being exported’. At the end of April 2014, ‘Cereja do Fundão’ was being sold on the market in Helsinki for EUR 62 per kilogram (Vida Rural, 26.5.2015).

‘Cereja do Fundão’ can be enjoyed fresh or as an ingredient in pastries and cooking, where it is used in various dishes and recipes. ‘Cereja do Fundão’ is one of Portugal’s most versatile culinary products and lets you give free rein to your imagination’, as it is used to make products such as ‘Cereja do Fundão’ tart and artisanal ‘Cereja do Fundão’ ice cream (Público, 14.6.2013). ‘Cereja do Fundão’ is also praised by various chefs, as shown by the interview with Michelin-starred chef José Avillez (Jornal de Negócios, 20.2.2018) and by the book Prato do Dia [Dish of the day], published in 2017, which is a collection of recipes presented by the chef Filipa Gomes on her cooking programme on the 24Kitchen channel.

‘Cereja do Fundão’ forms the basis for numerous gastronomic events. At regional level, ‘Cereja do Fundão’‘attracts around 135 000 tourists a year’ (Expresso, 19.2.2018), notably for events such as the ‘Festa da Cereja do Fundão’ (‘Cereja do Fundão’ festival], which offers the chance to try not only ‘Cereja do Fundão’ but also numerous products made from it and to take part in cultural and touristic events linked to its production (helping to pick the cherries, walks through the cherry orchards, adopting a cherry tree, etc.), and the food festival ‘Fundão, Aqui Come-se Bem — Sabores da Cereja’ [Good Food in Fundão — Flavours of Cherry], which has been held annually since 2004. There are also national events, such as the ‘Rota Gastronómica da Cereja do Fundão’ (‘Cereja do Fundão’ Gastronomic Route], which has been held annually in Lisbon and Porto since 2013 and involves chefs making various proposals for dishes using ‘Cereja do Fundão’ as an ingredient.

Reference to publication of the product specification

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

https://tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt/pt/cat/frutos-frescos/978-cereja-do-fundao-igp

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