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
Date: 2007-06-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, designation of origin, fruit vegetable, labelling, location of production, product designation, product quality

19.6.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 135/25

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

(2007/C 135/10)

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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘GURKEN VON DER INSEL REICHENAU’

EC No DE/PGI/005/0320/27.10.2003

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1.

Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:

Bundesministerium der Justiz

Address: D-11015 Berlin

Tel:

Fax:

(49-30) 20 25 70

(49-30) 20 25 95 25

e-mail:

poststelle@bmj.bund.de

2.

Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Fax:

Reichenau-Gemüse eG

Marktstraße 1
D-78479 Insel Reichenau

(49-7534) 920 00

(49-7534) 92 0020

e-mail:

info@reichenaugemuese.de

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.

Type of product:

Class 1.6: Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

4.

Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1 Name:

‘Gurken von der Insel Reichenau’

4.2 D e s c r i p t i o n : Snake cucumber — Cucumis sativus; between 300 g and 900 g in weight; the cucum-

bers are long and straight, dark green in colour, and firm.

4.3 G e o g r a p h i c a l a r e a : The island of Reichenau in Lake Constance, Germany.

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

C 135/26

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.6.2007

4.4 P r o o f o f o r i g i n : All packages are labelled with batch numbers as part of the IMS certification for
Reichenau Gemüse e.G. This batch number identifies the production holding. All holdings are located
on the island of Reichenau and only cultivate land on the island. Land management is documented
using the hydrographic chart. This traceability system irrefutably links the product with the geogra-
phical area.

4.5 M e t h o d o f p r o d u c t i o n : Gurken von der Insel Reichenau are produced in accordance with the
Richtlinien für den integrierten und kontrollierten Anbau zur Verwendung des Qualitätszeichens
Baden-Württemberg ‘Gesicherte Qualität mit Herkunftsangabe’ (Guidelines on integrated and controlled
cultivation for the purposes of using the Baden-Württemberg origin and quality label), and exclusively
on organic substrate. Weeds are controlled largely by hoeing, steaming or flaming,
i.e. they are
mechanically controlled. The soil is analysed each year to optimise fertiliser use. Beneficial insects are
used in the glasshouses to combat pests. Cucumbers are harvested year-round on the island of Reich-
enau. The cucumbers are harvested in the early hours of the morning exclusively by hand. Directly
after harvest the cucumbers are packed into crates and transported to the sorting plant located on each
production holding. Harvesting the cucumbers early in the morning and sorting them in shaded
premises means they are almost entirely protected from the heat of the day, thereby considerably
enhancing product quality. Before being sorted, each cucumber is washed individually. They are sorted
by weight: 300-400 g; 400-500 g; 500-600 g; 600-750 g; over 750 g. Cucumbers sorted by weight in
this way comply with the requirements of commercial grade 1. Cucumbers which are too bent to
comply with commercial grade 1 are packed separately as commercial grade 2. The various weight cate-
gories are packed on the production holding in different colour-coded, mainly two-part boxes. The
cucumbers are packed into boxes while still damp. The boxes are, as a rule, completely closed which
further promotes product quality by producing a certain cooling effect.

4.6 L i n k :

Natural link: The island of Reichenau is virtually made for growing vegetables. Positioned as it is in
Lake Constance, the island is distinguished from other vegetable-growing regions by its special geogra-
phical and climatic conditions (humidity, warmth, light). Growing under cover on the island of Reich-
enau meets all the basic conditions for cucumber growth: high temperatures, high air humidity and a
regular water supply. Optimal growing conditions are guaranteed by the lake surrounding the island,
which acts as a light and thermal heat store, the humidity in the glasshouses, which can be precisely
regulated, and a water supply which can be 100 % tailored to the plants' needs. Producers' specialist
knowledge of growing in glasshouses/plastic tunnels also contributes to this. The cucumbers are grown
exclusively on organic substrate.

Reputation: These natural and human influences impact so positively on the quality of Gurken von der
Insel Reichenau that they are renowned even beyond the region. A trade and consumer survey carried
out in 2000 shows that consumers associate the island of Reichenau with horticulture (the island is
also called the ‘Gemüseinsel’ — vegetable island), and have particularly positive opinions of the fresh-
ness, appearance and origins of the products. Gurken von der Insel Reichenau are products of tradi-
tional horticulture going back to the monastery culture on the island of Reichenau. Abbot Walafrid
Strabo launched the island of Reichenau's market-garden tradition in AD 840 with the description of
his garden ‘De cultura hortorum’, known as ‘Hortulus’. Cucumber-growing on the island of Reichenau
is first documented in 1900, and by 1932 it had already increased to over 300 ares (see Glönkler,
‘Vom Weinbau zum Gemüsebau’ (from winegrowing to vegetables), 1991, pp. 61 and 70). Now cucum-
bers are grown under cover on around 32 ha.

4.7 I n s p e c t i o n b o d y :

Name:

Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe, Referat 34

Address: D-76247 Karlsruhe

Tel:

Fax:

(49-721) 926 37 06

(49-721) 37 05 46

e-mail:

abteilung3@rpk.bwl.de

4.8 Labelling: Gurken von der Insel Reichenau g.g.A.