EN Official Journal of the European Union C 321/18

Publication of an amendment 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 321/09

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.

AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

AMENDMENT APPLICATION UNDER ARTICLE 9

‘PIMIENTO ASADO DEL BIERZO’

EC No: ES-PGI-0105-0262-30.06.2009

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 have 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 phyto-sanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

3. Amendment(s):

3.1. Geographical area:

According to the original specification, and the published summary, the peppers must be processed/roasted in the geographical area where they are grown. The area comprises 17 municipalities in the El Bierzo district. The proposed amendment removes the geographical restriction on the area where the peppers are processed, so that they can be roasted in any area. The reason for this change is that the geographical environment does not have any influence on the roasting process.

3.2. Labelling:

Additional specifications have been introduced regarding geographical indication usage on processed products, so that they may be subject to inspection.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘PIMIENTO ASADO DEL BIERZO’

EC No: ES-PGI-0105-0262-30.06.2009

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Pimiento Asado del Bierzo’

2. Member State or third country:

Spain

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 product to be protected is the fruit of the pepper plant (Capsicum annuum L.) of the Bierzo ecotype. The product, intended for human consumption, is put up for sale roasted and packaged in a container.

The pepper belongs to the Bierzo ecotype, which is a set of individuals that, whilst having genetic characteristics that are identical to those of the variety to which they belong, are adapted to the conditions of the Bierzo district and present morphological and physiological differences linked to their environment. This is why they are called ‘pimientos del Bierzo’.

1. The fresh peppers must have the following physical and morphological characteristics: — Surface: smooth surfaces with barely any fissures or marks. The stem should not be fissured. The skin which should be smooth and shiny, free of wrinkles and soft patches, ranging from pale to deep red in colour. Peppers with green patches are rejected. — Number of lobes: 3-4 — Shape and size: triangular and elongated in shape, longer than 10 cm and wider than 6 cm. — Apex: with rounded edges. — Pericarp: firm flesh which is not damaged when subjected to manual pressure. The average thickness of the flesh of the pepper is less than 8 mm. — Unit weight: over 160 grams.

2. The fresh peppers must have the following minimum quality characteristics: — They must be whole peppers with stalks, well-developed, clean and free of external moisture, visible foreign matter and foreign odours. — If the peppers have any superficial defect due to climatological or health reasons, the total area affected must not exceed 1 cm2 on each pepper. — The peppers must keep their shape and consistency; any mal- or deformed fruits are considered defective.

3. The roasted peppers must have the following physical/chemical and organoleptic characteristics: — Colour: from pale to deep red. — Aroma: typical roasted pepper smell, a smoky smell. — Flavour: their predominant flavour is slightly bitter with a mild, smoky, slightly spicy after-taste. — Surface: slightly fissured. — Charred remains: less than 1,5 cm2 per 100 grams of peppers. — Presence of seeds: up to 10 seeds per 100 grams of peppers. — Juice: a liquid which is fairly thin in consistency. — Texture: tender or soft, with low to medium cohesiveness. — Uniformity: the packaged content must be uniform as regards colour, shape, size and consistence. — Carbohydrates: less than 5 %. This gives the product its typical slightly bitter flavour. — Dietary fibre: less than 3 %. This gives the product its typical tenderness. The preserved roasted peppers can be put up for sale whole or in chunks. In accordance with the Spanish quality standard in force for processed vegetables, which applies to preserved peppers, when the peppers are put up for sale whole they must come under the ‘Extra’ or ‘Primera’ (first) category. When the product is put up for sale in chunks it must come under ‘Primera’.

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:

Pepper production must take place in the defined geographical area of agricultural production, situated in the centre of the Bierzo district.

The plots must have soil with a loamy texture, pH values between 5,0 and 7,0 and be planted with peppers of the Bierzo ecotype. Only band or targeted irrigation, which prevents the base of the stalk coming into contact with the water, is permitted. Harvesting is done by hand, in various stages. At each stage the peppers presenting characteristics closest to those described in the specification are selected.

It is the fact that the peppers are of the El Bierzo ecotype and grown in the Bierzo district, that gives the final product its specific characteristics, wherever the roasting is done.

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

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Manufacturing and packaging undertakings that have received a certificate from the Regulatory Board will have to include the words ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida Pimiento Asado del Bierzo’ (‘Protected Geographical Indication Pimiento Asado del Bierzo’), accompanied by the Regulatory Board's logo, on the labelling.

All packaging in which the protected roasted peppers is released for consumption must bear a numbered label that is issued by the Regulatory Board and affixed at the registered packing plant.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The defined geographical area where the peppers are grown is situated in the centre of the Bierzo district, in the extreme north-western part of the province of Leon, which forms part of the Autonomous Community of Castile-Leon and comprises the following municipalities:

Arganza, Bembimbre, Borrenes, Cabañas Raras, Cacabelos, Camponaraya, Carracedelo, Carucedo, Castropodame, Congosto, Cubillos del Sil, Molinaseca, Ponferrada, Priaranza, Sobrado, Villadecanes-Toral de los Vados and Villafranca del Bierzo.

There is no geographical restriction on the area in which the peppers are roasted.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The defined production area consists of a rift valley surrounded by a mountainous area made up of hills and mountain ranges. The valley of the river Sil is the only easy passage out of the area. The average altitude of the pepper-producing municipalities is around 550 metres above sea level.

The soils given over to pepper cultivation have a loamy texture, are deep, light, porous and fairly well drained. They are poor in organic matter, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium and have a carbon/nitrogen ratio of between 8 and 10. Their pH values are slightly acid, ranging between 5,5 and 7,0.

The Bierzo district enjoys a Mediterranean climate (‘índice de mediterraneidad’ of 5,28) as it is an area that has many hours of sunshine, an average annual temperature of 12,5 °C and an average annual rainfall of 800 mm.

The average period of frost is long, from 11 November to 4 April, which means that most years the peppers can be planted at the beginning of May and harvested from the end of August to the beginning of November.

There is a direct link between the number of hours of sunshine, the solar radiation and the temperature and the low levels of carbohydrates produced by the photosynthesis activity of the plant (less than 5 %); this gives the peppers a slightly bitter flavour, which is one of their organoleptic characteristics.

The dietary fibre content — mainly cellulose —, which also depends on photosynthesis activity, is low (less than 3 %) and thus the pepper has tender flesh, an organoleptic characteristic that is easily identified.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The specificity of the product stems from the geographical area where it is produced, giving the Bierzo ecotype peppers low levels of carbohydrates and dietary fibre, which makes the roasted peppers tender and gives them a slightly bitter flavour.

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):

There is a direct link between the number of hours of sunshine, the solar radiation and the temperature and the low levels of carbohydrates produced by the photosynthesis activity of the plant.

The dietary fibre content — mainly cellulose —, which also depends on photosynthesis activity, is also low.

Historical and literary references attest to the product's reputation, which derives from the area's pepper-growing tradition and the specific characteristics of the roasted, preserved product.

The roasting is done in the traditional way using a metal grill plate or oven, heated with firewood or gas, since they do not adversely affect the quality of the product. This process gives the peppers a smoky flavour and after-taste, which is not altered as only a small quantity of olive oil, salt and lemon juice or citric acid is added.

The whole process of roasting, and the removal of the stalks, membranes and skin, is carried out by hand. No chemical solutions are used and the peppers are not even washed with water. For this reason, the roasted peppers contain some charred fragments and seeds, which show that the processing has been done by hand.

Since this roasting process can be carried out in any other area in the same way, it has been decided not to restrict the area in which the peppers may be processed.

Publication reference of the specification:

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

http://www.itacyl.es/opencms_wf/opencms/system/modules/es.jcyl.ita.extranet/elements/galleries/galeria_downloads/calidad/pliegos_IGP/IGP_Pimiento_Asado_Bierzo.pdf

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