Commission Regulation (EC) No 1571/2003 of 5 September 2003 amending the specifications of a name appearing in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (Parmigiano Reggiano)
Date: 2003-09-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, product quality, semi-soft cheese

6.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 224/17

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1571/2003

of 5 September 2003

amending the specifications of a name appearing in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1107/96
(Parmigiano Reggiano)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 of 14
July 1992 on the protection of geographical
indications and
designations of origin for agricultural products and food-
stuffs (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 806/2003 (2),
and in particular Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

the name ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’

In accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No
2081/92, the Italian authorities have requested in respect
of
registered as a
protected designation of origin by Commission Regula-
tion (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registra-
tion of geographical
indications and designations of
origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (3),
last
as
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1204/2003 (4),
the
amendment of the description, method of production,
labelling and rules on feed for cows.

(3)

(4)

In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 9
of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 and since the amend-
ments are not minor, the Article 6 procedure applies
mutatis mutandis.

It has been decided that the amendments in this case
comply with Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92. No state-
ment of objection, within the meaning of Article 7 of
the Regulation, has been sent
to the Commission
following the publication of these amendments in the
Official Journal of the European Union (5).

(5)

Consequently, these amendments must be registered and
published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The amendments set out in the Annex to this Regulation are
hereby registered and published in accordance with Article 6(4)
of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

Article 2

(2)

Following examination of this request for amendment, it
has been decided that the amendments concerned are
not minor.

This Regulation shall enter
into force on the 20th day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 5 September 2003.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 168, 5.7.2003, p. 10.

(5) OJ C 275, 12.11.2002, p. 14 (Parmigiano Reggiano).

L 224/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

6.9.2003

ANNEX

ITALY

Parmigiano Reggiano

— Description:

The mould ranges in height from not less than 20 cm to not more than 26 cm with resulting variations in weight,
the minimum being set at 30 kg.
The oiling of the exterior of the mould, a possibility almost never availed of, has now been discontinued as it proved
to be a drawback when marketing the product.

— Method of production:

The use of raw milk is specified. Heat treatment may not be applied and no additives may be used.
Milking operations, the maximum period for which milking takes place, conservation and the partial skimming of
the milk by removal of the cream that rises to the top in open-air tanks, the adding of natural whey inoculum
produced by spontaneous acidification of the whey residue from the previous day's processing, the coagulation of
the milk, the dripping of the curds and the moulding of the cheese are explained as appropriate in accordance with
local, trustworthy and established practice, as traditionally observed.

— Labelling:

The origin of the cheese is stencilled on the product and a casein nameplate is attached bearing the words ‘Parmi-
giano Reggiano’ together with codes identifying the mould so that the product can be accurately traced.
Selection is marked by the Consorzio di tutela del Parmigiano Reggiano using indelible marks for the selection
classes following verification by the approved inspection agency.

— Other — Rules on feed for cows:

A list of prohibited fodder and by-products is specified, reflecting currently available technical knowledge of animal
nutrition.
Aspects of the rules on feed that have no impact on the link with the territory have been simplified and the rules
themselves have been tightened as regards the use of the ‘unifeed technique’ for administering feed.