EN Official Journal of the European Union C 314/10

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 314/10

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 from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘FASOLA PIĘKNY JAŚ Z DOLINY DUNAJCA’/‘FASOLA Z DOLINY DUNAJCA’

EC No: PL-PDO-0005-0710-10.07.2008

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘Fasola z Doliny Dunajca’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Poland

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:

Only dry seeds of the bean intended for human consumption can be sold under the name ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’.

Physical characteristics

— The mass of one thousand seeds ranges from 1 100 to 1 500 g, depending on the soil conditions of the plantation and the meteorological conditions during the growing period.

— The seeds are healthy, ripe, smooth, well developed and filled, of a uniform kidney shape, laterally flattened and free from impurities or damage caused by insects. They are characterised by a glossy germ tegument of uniform white colour. They have a characteristic smell of well dried bean seeds, without any mustiness or any other extraneous odours. The moisture content of the beans does not exceed 18 %. They have a delicate, mild and slightly sweet taste which is characteristic of this bean.

The following minimum requirements apply to the beans prior to packing:

— broken beans: up to 0,1 %,

— dried-up beans: up to 0,1 %,

— white beans of other varieties: up to 2 %,

— coloured beans: up to 1 %,

— rotten or mouldy beans: up to 1 %,

— up to 0,3 %: parts of stems, pods, leaves, wood, packaging and non-toxic weed seeds,

— up to 0,2 %: mineral impurities.

Beans not meeting the above requirements must not exceed 1,05 % in total.

Chemical characteristics

— total protein: 20-24 %,

— crude fat: 1,0-2,5 %,

— crude fibre: 3,3-4,8 %,

— ash: 3,8-4,4 %.

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 identified geographical area:

In order to ensure the highest product quality, each step in the production of the ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ must take place in the geographical area defined in (4). This is due, among other things, to the fact that the specific natural conditions prevailing in this area are favourable for bean cultivation. Moreover, the entire production process is based on methods which are traditional for this region and most of the work is executed manually. For this reason, the skills of local producers play a significant part.

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

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The area of cultivation of the ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ encompasses 11 municipalities in the Dunajec river valley: Gródek nad Dunajcem (Nowosądecki County), Zakliczyn, Wojnicz, Wierzchosławice, Radłów, Wietrzychowice, Tarnów, Pleśna, Żabno (Tarnowski County), Czchów (Brzeski County) and Gręboszów (Dąbrowski County) in Małopolskie Voivodship.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The Dunajec Valley was shaped by the River Dunajec. It is characterised by varied topography. The altitude of the land above sea level gradually decreases from Gródek nad Dunajcem to Wietrzychowice, the latter being the lowest municipality in the Dunajec Valley. The main axis of the landscape is a wide terraced valley, running south-west to north-east. The meandering channel of the river Dunajec, between 50 and 150 m wide, is partly regulated and embanked. Stretching along it are belts of rock, above which there is an alluvial terrace which has a clearly defined edge and takes up most of the valley bottom. Arctic air masses pass southward through the valley and warm air masses move northward. A foehn wind also reaches the valley. In spring and autumn, morning mists limit sudden temperature changes between day and night. The characteristic shape of the Dunajec Valley also causes an influx of warm air masses in spring and summer.

The plantations of ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ are located at a relatively low level, which protects the fields from the wind. The alluvial mud soils on which they are situated are very favourable to this species, both with regard to the available mineral content and pH level, as well as the volume and pattern of rainfall during the growing period. The soil of the farms in the Dunajec Valley has a very high magnesium content (12,2-15 mg per 100 g of soil).

The Tarnów area, at the centre of the Dunajec Valley, is one of the warmest in Poland. The dates on which the average diurnal temperature reaches defined thermal thresholds, namely > 0, > 5, > 10 and > 15 °C, are very advantageous in the Dunajec Valley, falling several to over a dozen days earlier than in other regions of Poland. Moreover, the average multiannual air temperature values for Tarnów are 0,8 °C higher than in Kraków, some 90 km away.

The human factor

The skills which are indispensable for the proper cultivation and harvesting of beans with the right qualities have been perfected by the farmers who grow ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ over several generations. The following are particularly important: reproducing seed on a farmer’s own holding, choosing the appropriate time for sowing, thus preventing losses occurring as a result of freezing, preparing the soil for sowing, placing the correct number of seeds (3 to 5) in an individual hole in the soil, selecting the right canes and the method of training the beans on them and choosing the best moment for cutting the plants in order to let the beans dry before the first frost. Only the skilled handling of the whole production process can ensure a good and balanced bean crop with high seed quality. Bean cultivation is mainly based on manual work and requires considerable care, dedication and timely execution of each task depending on the weather conditions in the year in question.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The distinguishing characteristics of ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ are as follows:

— magnesium (Mg) content: on average 80 mg/kg higher than in the case of beans from outside the geographical area defined in (4),

— moisture content: does not exceed 18 %,

— sweet taste: confirmed by a sensory evaluation in the laboratory,

— structure and consistency: delicate, ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture, with a very slight mealiness,

— skin thickness: assessed as thin by a sensory evaluation in the laboratory,

— skin softness: assessed as soft by a sensory evaluation in the laboratory,

— cooking time: 10 minutes less than in the case of beans from outside the geographical area defined in (4).

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):

‘Fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ is a product that has emerged exclusively due to the combination of a specific set of natural factors (i.e. climate and soil) with the skills of local producers. It is this combination alone which ensures the product’s unique quality.

The high magnesium (Mg) content of the soil in the area where ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ is cultivated increases the content of this element in the seeds and, where the seeds are harvested at the appropriate time, helps to give the product its characteristic sweet taste.

The fertile alluvial mud soils and the climate of the Dunajec Valley suit the bean and provide very good conditions for its growth and development. The air temperature range during the growing period and the volume and pattern of rainfall are highly beneficial for the proper development of ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ and a good yield. The inseparable link between these geographical characteristics and the skills involved in choosing the appropriate time for sowing, preparing the soil for sowing, placing the correct number of seeds in individual holes in the soil and choosing the best moment for cutting the plants ensures an abundant crop of large beans. Choosing the right time to cut the plants and leaving them for the right length of time in the fresh air, coupled with the favourable atmospheric conditions in the area, produces seeds which have a lower moisture content and a thinner germ tegument than Phaseolus multiflorus originating outside the Dunajec Valley. Manual seed sorting enables strict quality standards to be maintained for the seeds of ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’.

Drying the seeds naturally without forcing or accelerating this process results in an even reduction in cell-wall spacing without causing cell-wall degradation. This treatment ensures that ‘fasola Piękny Jaś z Doliny Dunajca’/‘fasola z Doliny Dunajca’ has a short cooking time, a delicate structure and consistency and a very soft germ tegument in comparison with Phaseolus multiflorus seeds originating outside the geographical area defined in (4).

Reference to publication of the specification:

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

http://www.minrol.gov.pl/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabOrgId=1620&LangId=0

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