EN Official Journal of the European Union C 225/11

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

(2016/C 225/08)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘ŠTAJERSKO PREKMURSKO BUČNO OLJE’

EU No: SI-PGI-0105-01361 — 2.9.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

GOLICA GIZ (association of pumpkin growers, agricultural cooperatives, agricultural businesses and plants producing pumpkin seed oil) Trg svobode 3 SI-2310 Slovenska Bistrica SLOVENIJA

The group filing this application has also filed the application for the protection of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’, so it has a legitimate legal interest.

2. Member State or Third Country

Slovenia

3. Headings in the specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☐ Geographical area — ☐ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

1. Description of product

The stearic fatty acid content range (C18:0) under the heading Predstavitev izdelka (Product presentation) must be corrected. The content range for stearic fatty acid listed in the approved specification, as required by the national regulations, is incorrectly stated as ‘3-15’ and must be corrected to ‘3-16’.

The heading Upravičenost do označbe geografska označba (Eligibility for a geographical indication) contains information on areas sown with oil pumpkins and on the varieties sown. The size of the areas sown with oil pumpkins and varieties thereof varies from year to year. There is therefore no need to refer to this information in the specification.

2. Method of production

In the diagram showing the product’s stages of production, reference to the specific pressure value at the pressing stage, which is set at 300 bar, is deleted. The pressure depends primarily on the type of press used, and, given that producers have different types of press, reference to the specific pressure values is of no relevance. Each producer’s objective is to ensure the maximum yield of oil from the roasted mass.

In order to adapt to the needs and demands of the market, the indication of specified packaging volumes — namely 0,25 l, 0,5 l, 0,75 l and 1,0 l — is removed entirely from the specification. Pumpkin seed oil may be bottled in packaging of various volumes.

As regards checks on the physico-chemical parameters of pumpkin seeds, the rules for analysing the different parameters are deleted. What matters is that the analysis of the different physico-chemical parameters complies with the relevant rules in force.

The current specification sets moisture content of pumpkin seeds at the point of delivery to 6-9 %, and after potential drying (if exceeding 9 %) to 6-7 %. The moisture content of pumpkin seeds at the point of delivery and after drying, where applicable, should be harmonised and set at no more than 9 %. At the same time, the lower limit of the moisture content of pumpkin seeds (6 %) is deleted as it is of no relevance: even if the moisture content is below 6 %, this has no impact on the final quality of pumpkin seed oil.

Regarding the setting of the roasting time at 30-60 minutes, the lower limit (30 minutes) is deleted and the upper limit is retained (around 60 minutes). There is no need to set a lower limit because the time needed for roasting depends on the quality of the ingredients. Regardless of these amendments, each processor must obtain a brown-green roasted mass with a nutty aroma by means of roasting.

Point 4.5 of the summary details the method of production of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’. The text could be simplified by listing, under point 3.4 of the Single Document, only the basic stages in the production of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ that must take place in the defined geographical area, without any details as to each individual stage. Since pumpkin seeds may be produced outside the defined geographical area, this stage is not considered to be one of the stages that must take place within the geographical area. Hence, this stage no longer figures under point 3.4 of the Single Document.

3. Labelling

New labelling rules for ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ are proposed. It would be reasonable to provide for simplified and uniform labelling of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ packaged both within and outside the defined geographical area.

The current point 4.8 of the summary lays down different rules for packaging ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ within and outside the defined geographical area. The difference is that ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ packaged within the defined geographical area may bear the national quality label, whereas ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ packaged outside the defined geographical area must be traceable to the source.

Given that ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ must be traceable regardless of where it is packaged, this provision must apply to packaging both within and outside the geographical area.

The uniform labelling of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is also necessary to ensure compliance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 901/2012 of 2 October 2012 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ (PGI)) (2). The Implementing Regulation requires with regard to labelling rules that the country of origin (Slovenia) is indicated in the same visual field as the protected name, and in characters of the same size.

In order to further emphasise the product’s origin, the current logo for ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is replaced by a new one featuring the inscription Proizvedeno v Sloveniji (Made in Slovenia).

4. Other

As the legislation under the heading Zakonodaja (Legislation) is no longer in force, general reference is made to the legislation in force in both Slovenia and the EU.

The change under the heading Tehnika ocenjevanja bučnega olja (Testing techniques for pumpkin seed oil) concerns the joining of the organoleptic categories of ‘odour’ (burnt odour and extraneous odours) and ‘aroma’ (rancid, burnt aroma, aftertastes). Hence, as part of organoleptic testing, odour is examined for rancidity, burnt and extraneous odours, whereas flavour is examined for rancidity, burnt flavours and aftertastes. This will make it easier to understand how the organoleptic properties of pumpkin seed oil are assessed in terms of odour and aroma.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘ŠTAJERSKO PREKMURSKO BUČNO OLJE’

EU No: SI-PGI-0105-01361 — 2.9.2015

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name

‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’

2. Member State or Third Country

Slovenia

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.5: Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oils, etc.)

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

‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is an unrefined, edible vegetable oil produced by pressing roasted top-quality pumpkin seeds obtained from oil pumpkins.

‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is dark green to red in colour and has a characteristic aromatic odour and taste. It has a good fatty acids composition: it contains around 20 % saturated fatty acids, around 35 % monounsaturated fatty acids and around 45 % polyunsaturated fatty acids. ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is also a rich source of tocopherols, since it contains around 50 mg of vitamin E per 100 g of oil. The oil also contains other vitamins, microelements, carotenoids, rare amino acids and natural colouring (chlorophyll).

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

The varieties of pumpkin seeds for producing ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ are not laid down. Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo) are used. Pumpkin seeds must be healthy, ripe, dark green and free of any foreign taste or odour that would indicate harmful changes. The following physico-chemical parameters are used for checking the pumpkin seeds to be turned into ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’:

— presence of impurities, which must not exceed 1 %,

— moisture content, which must not exceed 9 %,

— minimum oil content: 40 %,

— maximum proportion of damaged seeds (worn, broken): 15 %.

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

All of the stages of processing pumpkin seeds — receipt, storage, cleaning, drying, milling, rolling, roasting, pressing, sedimentation and quality control (physico-chemical analysis and organoleptic analysis) — must take place inside the geographical area.

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

‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ must be traceable. Each producer is entitled to use their own packaging and label. However, the protected name ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ must appear on the label or elsewhere on the packaging, along with the country of origin (Slovenia) written in characters of the same size and in the same visual field as the protected name, the coloured logo of the product and the symbol of the Union, (whereas displaying the national quality label is voluntary).

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The region in which ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is made from pumpkin seeds is delimited by a line that runs from Dravograd to Slovenj Gradec, Mislinja and Velenje (where the main road forms the boundary), Šoštanj, Mozirje, Nazarje, Vransko, Prebold, Zabukovica and Laško. From there the boundary runs along the Savinja and Sava rivers past Radeče, Sevnica, Krško and Brežice to Obrežje, and then runs along the national border with Croatia to the national border with Hungary, and along the national border with Hungary to the national border with Austria, and then along the national border with Austria (along the Karavanke range) back to Dravograd.

5. Link with the geographical area

‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is a culinary speciality of the geographical area set out in point 4. The production of pumpkin seed oil in Štajerska and Prekmurje is a tradition, as testified by written records of the founding of the first pumpkin seed oil press in Fram as early as 1750. The large-scale production of pumpkin seeds in the region led to the setting-up of several factories to process pumpkin seeds into oil by artisanal methods (Slovenska Bistrica, Središče ob Dravi, Selo pri Pragerskem, etc.). In 1904 Albert Stigar founded a factory in Slovenska Bistrica for processing pumpkin seeds into pumpkin seed oil by artisanal methods. There are no large processing plants in Prekmurje, only small plants belonging to farmers. One such farmer is Feri Vučak in Vadarci in Goričko. His mill/processing plant is still standing after 130 years and is now operated by the fourth generation of his family.

The reputation of ‘Štajersko prekmursko bučno olje’ is spreading beyond Slovenia to other European countries, the USA, Australia, Russia, etc., as demonstrated, inter alia, by the award that it won for the most innovative product at the IFE07 competition (the International food & drink event) in London in 2007.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

http://www.mkgp.gov.si/fileadmin/mkgp.gov.si/pageuploads/podrocja/Kmetijstvo/zascita_kmetijskih_pridelkov_zivil/SPBO_Z_spr_24_8_15.pdf

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

(2) OJ L 268, 3.10.2012, p. 3.