Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin
Date: 2001-02-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, designation of origin, location of production, originating product, product quality, rice

8.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 42/5

4.9. National requirements

(cid:151) Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970, Estatuto de la Viæa, del Vino y de los Alcoholes (Statute

for Vineyards, Wines and Spirit Drinks);

(cid:151) Decree No 835/1972 of 28 March 1972, Regulation of Law No 25/1970;

(cid:151) Order of 25 January 1994 clarifying the conformity between the Spanish legislation and
Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations
of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs;

(cid:151) Royal Decree No 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 laying down rules on the processing of
applications for entry into the Community Register of Protected Designations of Origin and
Protected Geographical Indications.

EC No: G/E/00138/2000.07.03.

Date of receipt of the full application: 3 July 2000.

Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2001/C 42/03)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned
Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the
Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The
arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the
application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO (x)

PGI (

)

National application No 68

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Name:

Subdirecci(cid:243)n General de Denominaciones de Calidad y Relaciones Interprofesionales y
Contractuales. Direcci(cid:243)n General de Alimentaci(cid:243)n. Subsecretar(cid:237)a General de Agricultura,
Pesca y Alimentaci(cid:243)n. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentaci(cid:243)n

Address: Paseo de La Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid

Tel.

Fax

(34) 913 47 53 94

(34) 913 47 54 10

2. Applicant groups

2.1. Name: Uni(cid:243)n Provincial de Cooperativas del Campo de Valencia

Address: C/ Caballeros, 26, E-46003 Valencia

Composition: Producer/processor (x)

Other (

)

2.2. Name: Asociaci(cid:243)n Profesional de Industriales Arroceros Levantinos

Address: Pasaje La Sangre, 5, 2o, 9a, E-46002 Valencia

Composition: Producer/processor (x)

Other (

)

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Official Journal of the European Communities

8.2.2001

3. Type of product: Rice. Class 1.6. Cereals.

4. Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: (cid:145)Arroz de Valencia(cid:146) or (cid:145)Arr(cid:242)s de ValŁncia(cid:146).

4.2. Description: Rice (Oryza sativa) of

the varieties (cid:145)Senia(cid:146),

(cid:145)Bah(cid:237)a(cid:146) and (cid:145)Bomba(cid:146). To be sold as

wholegrain rice or (cid:145)extra(cid:146) class white rice

The average requirements for the varieties included in the PDO are as follows:

(a) Characteristics of the various varieties of paddy rice produced

Variety

Length
(mm)

Length/width

Whiteness
(%)

Vitrosity
(%)

Pearling rate
(%)

Average grain
size

Bah(cid:237)a

Senia

Bomba

5,6

5,6

5,2

1,8

1,8

1,8

46,3

48,0

45,0

2,49

2,46

2,08

99

99

99

2,3

2,4

2,9

(b) Milling requirements

Variety

Total yield
(%)

Whole
(%)

Broken
(%)

Bah(cid:237)a

Senia

Bomba

72,6

72,1

72,1

63,2

61,9

53,7

9,4

10,2

18,5

(c) Composition requirements

Variety

Amylose
(%)

Proteins
(%)

Bah(cid:237)a

Senia

Bomba

19,1

19,3

24,9

8,4

8,4

9,5

(d) Cooking requirements

Variety

Gel consistency
(mm)

Consistency
(kg/cm2)

Stickiness
(g/cm)

Bah(cid:237)a

Senia

Bomba

70

77

28

0,76

0,71

1,06

5,26

5,31

1,37

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 42/7

4.3. Geographical area

location of crop: Wetlands in Provinces of Alicante, Castell(cid:243)n and Valencia,

in the
Geographical
autonomous community of Valencia, mainly municipalities in the area surrounding the Albufera
Nature Reserve.

Municipalities covered:

Area surrounding Albufera Nature Reserve (Province of Valencia): Albal, Albalat de la Ribera,
Alfafar, Algemes(cid:237), Beniparrell, Catarroja, Cullera, Massanasa, Sedav(cid:237), Silla, Sollana, Sueca and
Valencia.

Other municipalities in the Province of Valencia: Alginet, Almacera, Almusafes, Alquer(cid:237)a de la
Condesa, La Alcudia, Benifay(cid:243), Corbera, Favareta, Fortaleny, Llaur(cid:237), Masamagrell, Oliva, La Pobla de
Farnals, PolinyÆ del Xœquer, Puzol, Riola, Sagunto and Tabernes de Valldigna.

Municipality in the Province of Alicante: Pego.

Municipalities in the Province of Castell(cid:243)n: Almenara, Castell(cid:243)n.

The surface area dedicated to rice-growing is approximately 16 000 hectares.

Processing and packaging is carried out in the area of origin.

4.4. Proof of origin: Only rice grown on plots of land entered in inspection registers and processed by

firms entered in these in plot registers may be sold with a designation of origin.

The rice comes exclusively from plots registered in the Land Plot Register, after having been
checked twice during growing. Growers recorded in the register submit a harvest declaration
and a sale of harvest declaration, stating the particulars of and signed by the undertaking
purchasing the rice. These undertakings must be recorded in the corresponding Register of Rice-
handling Undertakings, and must submit monthly reports on movements of the protected rice.
These undertakings are inspected three times per year through documentary checks on the origin
and quantities of rice handled, and sample-taking to check the quality of the rice. After undergoing
these checks, the product is given a numbered label specifying the designation of origin and
inspection body.

4.5. Method of production: The vast majority of rice gowers in the autonomous community of Valencia
use the direct sowing method, either by hand or from light aircraft. The water level varies in
accordance with climatic conditions and crop development. During the growing season, the crop
undergoes one or two (cid:145)eixugons(cid:146) (where it is dried out), which consist in leaving it without water
for several days to inhibit algae growth.

Summary of the process:

(cid:151) sowing: with centrifugal broadcasters or from a light aircraft. From end of April to mid May,

(cid:151) harvesting: with mechanised combine-harvesters. From beginning of September to beginning of

October,

(cid:151) drying: on the ground in (cid:145)sequers(cid:146) or forced through hot-air dryers, either once or twice.

September and October,

(cid:151) cleaning, milling and packing: entirely mechanised. Throughout the year.

4.6. Links

Historical: Documents provide proof that rice was grown in the former Kingdom of Valencia before
it was conquered by Jaime I, in 1238. The (cid:145)libre dels repartiments(cid:146), that divided up the land of the
newly conquered kingdom, refers to rice fields.

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King Fernando VI’s regulation of 1753 demarcates the rice-growing fields in the area. Other
documents that describe the history of rice-growing in the autonomous community of Valencia
are:
(A
compendium of rice) (1952) JosØ Ma Carrasco Garc(cid:237)a.

(1939) Rafael Font de Mora y Llorens, and (cid:145)Compendio arrocero(cid:146)

(cid:145)El arroz(cid:146)

(Rice)

Rice-growing has continued uninterrupted until the present day, with rice constituting an essential
ingredient in the cuisine of this region, and one that has international renown, as it forms the basis
of Valencian paella.

Natural: The autonomous community of Valencia has several natural wetlands (the largest being
Albufera) that have the right soil and floodability conditions for the crop, as well as having
climatic characteristics suited to rice-growing. Summary of the conditions:

Soil: On both banks of the river Jœcar, and in the areas bordering the Albufera, soil is limy in
nature (30 to 50 % carbonates), clayey, poor in organic solids and alkaline (pH 8-8,3). The earth is
hard and only slightly permeable: optimal physical conditions for rice-growing.

Climate: Temperature, light and humidity conditions in the area of production correspond broadly
to those established as (cid:145)optimal(cid:146) for rice-growing in agronomic studies carried out.

4.7. Inspection body

Name:

Instituto de Calidad Alimentaria de la Comunidad Valenciana

Address: plaza Polo de BernabØ, 8, bajo, E-46020 Valencia

Tel.

Fax

(34) 96 38 41 24

(34) 96 38 41 79

E-mail:

instituto.calidad@agricultura.m400.gva.es

The production control tasks are to be provisionally assumed by the Instituto de Calidad Agroali-
mentaria, as a competent authority in designations of quality for the autonomous community of
Valencia, until
the PDO (cid:145)Arroz de Valencia(cid:146) complies with standard
EN-45011.

the Regulating Body of

4.8. Labelling: The protected rice is to be sold only in packaging supplied with a label, numbered,
issued and inspected by the regulating body. It is compulsory for these labels to bear the indi-
cation,
in Valenciano,
(cid:145)Denominaci(cid:243) d’Orige (cid:147)Arr(cid:242)s de ValŁncia(cid:148)(cid:146). The commercial
labels used must be approved by
the regulating body.

(cid:145)Denominaci(cid:243)n de Origen (cid:147)Arroz de Valencia(cid:148)(cid:146) or

the equivalent

4.9. National Requirements:

(cid:151) Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 (Statute of vineyards, wine and spirit drinks),

(cid:151) Decree No 835/1972 of 28 March 1972, regulation of Law No 25/1970,

(cid:151) Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish legislation and Regu-
lation (EEC) No 2081/92 on designations of origin and geographical indications for agricultural
and food products,

(cid:151) Royal Decree No 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 regulating the process for the handling of
applications for registration in the Community register of protected designation of origins and
protected geographical indications.

EC No: G/E/00151/2000.09.04.

Date of receipt of the full application: 4 September 2000.