Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin
Date: 2005-02-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Galicia, designation of origin, honey, product designation, quality standard

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

(2005/C 30/09)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the above-
mentioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in
a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognized in accordance with Article
12(3) 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

‘MIEL DE GALICIA’ or ‘MEL DE GALICIA’

EC No: ES/00278/19.2.2003

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

This summary has been drawn up for information purposes only. For full details, in particular the produ-
cers of products covered by the PDO or PGI concerned, please consult the complete version of the product
specification obtainable at national level or from the European Commission (1).

1.

Responsible department in the Member State

Name:

Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada, Dirección General de Alimen-
tación, Secretaria General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura,
Pesca y Alimentación, España.

Address:

Paseo Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071, Madrid.

Telephone:

(34) 913 475394

Fax:

(34) 913 475410

2.

Group

2.1. Name:

Mieles Anta, SL.

2.2. Address:

C/Ermita, 34 Polígono de A Grela-Bens. A Coruña

2.1. Name:

Sociedad Cooperativa ‘A Quiroga’

2.2. Address:

Vilanova, 43 bajo, Fene. A Coruña

2.3. Compsition: producers/processors (X) other ( )

3.

Type of product:

products of animal origin:

honey

4.

Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. N a me :

‘Miel de Galicia’ or ‘Mel de Galicia’.

(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture, Agricultural product quality policy, B-1049 Brussels.

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4.2. De scr i p ti on: The product covered by the protected geographical indication (PGI) ‘Miel de Galicia’ or
‘Mel de Galicia’ is defined as honey possessing the characteristics defined in this specification and
meeting for the purposes of production, processing and packaging all the requirements set out in the
specification, the quality control manual and the legislation in force. It is produced in hives with
movable panels, by decanting or centrifuging. It is presented in the liquid state, crystallised or creamy,
and the liquid honey may also contain dried fruits. It may also be presented in whole combs or
sections of combs.

Galician honey is classified according to its botanical origin as follows:

— Multi-flower honey,

— Single-flower honey from eucalyptus,

— Single-flower honey from chestnut,

— Multi-flower honey from blackberry,

— Single-flower honey from heather.

In addition to the characteristics defined in the quality standard for honey intended for the domestic
market, the honey covered by the PGI must possess the following characteristics:

Physico-chemical characteristics:

a) Water content: maximum 18.5 %;

b) Diastase activity: minimum 9 on the Gothe scale. Honeys with a low enzyme content, e.g.
minimum 4 on that scale, providing the hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content does not exceed
10 mg/kg;

c) HMF: maximum 28 mg/kg.

Pollen characteristics:

In general, the pollen spectrum considered as a whole must be typical of the Galician honeys.

The pollen combination Helianthus annuus-Olea europaea-Cistus ladanifer may not in any event exceed
5 % of the total pollen spectrum.

Moreover, depending on the floral origin of the various types of honey listed, pollen spectrums must
fulfil the following requirements:

a) Multi-flower honey: the pollen must chiefly belong to: Castanea sativa, Eucalyptus sp., Ericaceae,
Rubus sp., Rosaceae, Cytisus sp-Ulex sp., Trifolium sp., Lotus sp., Campanula, Centaurea, Quercus sp.,
Echium sp., Taraxacum sp. and Brassica sp.

b) Multi-flower honeys:

— ‘Eucalyptus honey’: the minimum percentage of pollen of eucalyptus (Eucaliptus sp.) must be

70 %,

— ‘Chestnut honey’: the minimum percentage of pollen of chestnut (Castanea sp.) must be 70 %,

— ‘Blackberry honey’: the minimum percentage of pollen of blackberry (Rubus sp.) must be 45 %,

— ‘Heather honey’: the minimum percentage of pollen of heather (Erica sp.) must be 45 %.

Organoleptic characteristics:

As a general rule, the honeys must possess organoleptic characteristics that are specific to the relevant
floral origin as far as colour, aroma and flavour are concerned. On the basis of relevant origin, the
most distinctive organoleptic characteristics are as follows:

a) Multi-flower honeys: colour ranging from amber to dark amber, flavour and aroma in line with

the predominant flower in the honey;

b) Single-flower from eucalyptus: amber-coloured, mild flavour and aroma reminiscent of wax;

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c) Single-flower from chestnut: dark honey, intense flavour and penetrating aromas reminiscent of

the blossom;

d) Single-flower from blackberry: dark amber in colour, strong fruity and markedly sweet flavour and

fruity aromas;

e) Single-flower from heather: dark amber in colour or dark with reddish tones, slightly bitter

flavour, persistent floral aromas.

4.3. G e og r a p h i ca la r e a : The production, processing and packaging area of the honeys covered by the
protected geographical indication Miel de Galicia extends across the whole of the Autonomous Com-
munity of Galicia.

4.4. Pr oof of or i g i n : The PGI ‘Miel de Galicia’ may be used only to cover the honey which comes from
the installations listed in the registers of the Regulating Board, is produced in accordance with the
standards laid down in the specification and the quality control manual and meets the criteria
applying to it.

The Regulating Board keeps the following registers:

— register of holdings, in which are listed those holdings situated in the Autonomous Community of
Galicia which intend to use their production to obtain honey covered by the protected geogra-
phical indication ‘Miel de Galicia’. They must have at least ten hives with movable panels, whether
vertical or horizontal, and be multi-storeyed;

— register of extraction, storage and/or packaging installations in which are listed those installations
situated in the Autonomous Community of Galicia which carry out some of the activities for
processing the honey which may be protected by the geographical indication.

All individual or legal persons holding assets listed in the registers, as well as holdings, installations
and products are subjected to checks carried out by the Regulating Board for the purpose of verifying
that the products bearing the protected geographical indication ‘Miel de Galicia’ fulfil the requirements
set out in the Regulation and the specification.

Each marketing year, the quantities of honey certified by the geographical
indication which have
been placed on the market by each firm listed in the register of packaging installations are checked
by the Regulating Board in order to verify that they tally with the quantities of honey produced by
the beekeepers listed in the register of producers or purchased from them or from other firms listed
in the register.

The checks take the form of inspections of the holdings and installations, scrutiny of the documents
and an analysis of the raw material and the finished product.

The certification process relates to homogenous lots or batches and involves analytical and organo-
leptic examinations leading to the approval, rejection or temporary storage of the lots or batches of
checked honey. Matters to be resolved are referred to the full Regulating Board or, where appropriate,
the certification panel, on the basis of the technical reports provided by the approval committee.

Where any degradation is observed impairing quality or where the Regulation on the geographical
indication or any other relevant legislation is not complied with as regards production, processing
and packaging, the honeys are not certified by the Regulating Board and hence lose entitlement to
the use of the protected geographical indication.

4.5. M e th od of p r odu ct i on: Hive management practices seek to produce the highest quality honeys
covered by the geographical
the hives are not subjected to any
indication. During harvesting,
chemical treatment and the bees are given no food whatsoever.

Traditional methods are used to remove the bees from the combs, preference being given to a bee
escape or blower; the smoker is used with moderation and chemical repellents are never used.

The honey is extracted by centrifuging or decanting, never by pressing.

The work involving the extraction of the honey is undertaken with the greatest care and under strict
conditions of hygiene in a closed area that is clean and set aside for that purpose, the air in it being
dried a week in advance until a relative humidity of less than 60 % is attained, with dehumidifiers or
ventilation.

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The techniques used for uncapping the combs may in no event affect the quality characteristics of the
honeys. The uncapping knives must be clean and dry and may not exceed 40 °C.

Once the honey has been extracted and poured through a double filter it undergoes a decanting
process, and scumming is undertaken before it is stored and packed.

Homogenisation of the honey may be undertaken using a manual or mechanical instrument with
reduced rotating action so as not to alter the characteristics of the product.

Collection and transport must take place under hygienic conditions, using containers for food use
authorised in the quality control manual and the legislation in force and guaranteeing product
quality.

Packaging takes place at the installations listed in the Regulating Board's relevant register.

As indicated above, both production and the subsequent operations of extraction, storage and packa-
ging must be carried out in the defined geographical area.

Miel de Galicia is packaged in the area, and this has traditionally been the case, so as to preserve its
special characteristics and its quality, since this allows the Regulating Board to carry out more effec-
tive checks and prevents the honey been damaged by inadequate transport, storage and packaging
conditions.

In addition, the honey may only be packed in the containers specified in this specification in plants
that only pack honey from holdings listed in the registers of the protected geographical indication.
The labels and back labels are also affixed in those plants under the supervision of the Regulating
Board, all of which is intended to preserve the quality and ensure the traceability of the product.

Containers intended for direct consumption of the honeys generally hold 500 g or 1 000 g.

Containers must close hermetically to prevent the loss of natural aromas and the absorption of
odours, environmental humidity, etc. liable to affect the product.

4.6. L i nk:

Background

Beekeeping reached its climax in Galicia before the introduction of sugar, honey being highly prized
as a sweetener and for its special medicinal properties. According to the Catastro de Ensenada of 1752-
1753, Galicia had a total of 366 339 traditional beehives, also known as trobos or cortizos, some of
which still exist in a number of places. This fact clearly illustrates the importance of apiculture in
Galicia going back to antiquity and is reflected in Galician place names.

By cortín, albar, abellariza, albiza or albariza are meant rural roofless constructions, oval, circular or
sometimes rectangular in shape, consisting of high walls to protect the hives and prevent the intru-
sion of animals (mainly bears). They are vestiges of an age and are still standing, and in many moun-
tain areas, particularly in the eastern sierras of Ancares and Caurel and the sierra del Suido, some of
them can still be used today.

The product was traded only at local festivities, which took place in the autumn, the honey being a
seasonal product and collected only once a year.

In 1880 the parish priest of Argozón (Chantada, Lugo), Don Benigno Ledo, set up the first movable
hive and several years later constructed the first hive designed for breeding by division and for the
breeding of queens and called it a nursery hive. Testifying to the importance of this man for
beekeeping not just in Galicia but also in Spain is a book by Roma Fábrega which states that the first
Spaniard to have movable hives was Don Benigno Ledo, the Galician ‘priest of the bees’.

The first work to be published in Galicia on beekeeping is probably the Manual de Apiculturab y Don
Ramón Pimentel Méndez (1893) written specifically for Galician beekeepers.

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The rapid expansion of modern beekeeping did not start until 1975, the year in which, thanks to the
work of the producer associations, the first real changes took place influencing the know-how of
beekeepers and the traditional methods of hive management. The major change to affect beekeeping
generally was the changeover from fixed hives to movable hives, mainly multi-storeyed hives.

At present, honey and wax are the products of beekeeping that are commercially viable in Galicia.
The Galician consumer has appreciated honey since ancient times, a factor that has enhanced its
market value.

Natural conditions

Owing to its geographical position in the north-western corner of the Iberian Peninsula, at the cross-
roads of two types of climate – Atlantic and ‘meseta’ – Galicia has various weather patterns, which,
together with its geological features and soils, its past, its relief and the intervention of man, deter-
mine the characteristics of the flora and hence of the honey produced.

Galician honeys are, on account of their biogeographical environment, very different from those
produced elsewhere in Spain. They stand out by not being made up of Mediterranean type plants or
cultivation elements frequently found in other parts of Spain, such as Helianthus annus or Olea euro-
paea. The fact, therefore, that they do not contain any or only small quantities of pollen well repre-
sented in other Spanish honeys means that it is easy to differentiate them.

Galicia is fairly homogenous as regards the plants providing nectar for the production of honey, the
most important differences in the characteristics of its honey being due to the relative abundance of
the various species of plant.

Towards the coast, high proportions of Eucalyptus are more common. The whole of the Galician
coast, both its Atlantic and its Cantabrian stretches, is now intensely planted with E. globulus, which is
the principal source of nectar for honey in the region, unlike in other parts of Spain, where the main
source is E. camaldulensis.

In inland areas, honey production is influenced by an abundance of three plant species: Castanea
sativa, Erica and Rubus.

Castanea sativa is found all over Galicia, as single trees on the edge of meadows or cropland, in single-
species woodland, known as ‘soutos’ or in mixed deciduous woodland.

Erica is very common in the region, since it is one of the trees used for repopulating degraded forests.
The most important species for honey production are E. umbellata, E. arborea, E. australis and E.
cinerea.

Another excellent plant for honey production in Galicia is Rubus. This is very common in under-
growth and along roadsides, cropland and abandoned arable land. It often grows in ruderal areas.
Plants of this type produce large amounts of nectar that influence the organoleptic properties of
many Galician honeys.

Since Rubus is the last plant to flower before beekeepers harvest their honey, it is prominent in pollen
spectrums, diluting the presence of other, earlier-blooming species. These honeys are dark in colour,
sweet and more acidic. The presence of Rubus in the honeys of Galicia, Spain's main producer of this
type of honey, gives them their special physico-chemical characteristics.

As has already been mentioned, there are two distinct production areas within the region (on the
coast and inland). Between the two lies a transition zone, varying in extent, in which honey exhibits
mixed characteristics. Most of the honey produced in this zone is multi-flower honey, with a balanced
mix of Castanea sativa and Eucalyptus globulus, a phenomenon almost exclusive to Galicia.

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Attention should be drawn to the low nectar and pollen content of Galician honeys.

The low numbers of pollen grains per gram of honey come mainly from those species that are
strongly represented in the region (Castanea sativa and Eucalyptus). This is related to the types of hive
and the extraction method (centrifugation) used by beekeepers.

4.7.

Insp e c ti on b ody: Name: Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida ‘Miel de
Galicia’.

Address: Pazo de Quián s/n, Sergude. 15881-Boqueixón. A Coruña.

Tel. (34) 981 511913, Fax (34) 981 511913.

The Regulating Board fulfils the requirements laid down in European standard EN 45011, in accord-
ance with Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

4.8. L a b e lli n g : The honeys marketed under the protected geographical indication ‘Miel de Galicia’ must,
after being certified, bear the label corresponding to the trade mark specific to each packer, used
solely for protected honeys, as well as a back label with alphanumeric code numbered in sequence,
approved and issued by the Regulating Board with the official logo of the geographical indication.
The words Indicación Geográfica Protegida ‘Miel de Galicia’ or ‘Mel de Galicia’ must appear on the labels
and back labels.

4.9. N a ti ona l r e q u i r e me nt s:

— Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits,

— Decree No 835/1972 of 23 March 1972 on detailed rules for the implementation of Law No

25/1970,

— Order of the MAPA of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish law and
Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 as regards designations of origin and geographical indications for
agricultural products and foodstuffs,

— Royal Decree No 1643/1999 22 October 1999 on the procedure governing applications for entry
into the Community register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indi-
cations.