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: 2012-02-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, agricultural product, designation of origin, foodstuff, freshwater fish, product designation








C_2012030EN.01001001.xml










3.2.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 30/10





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
2012/C 30/06
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.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


‘FRÄNKISCHER KARPFEN’/‘FRANKENKARPFEN’/‘KARPFEN AUS FRANKEN’


EC No: DE-PGI-0005-0688-19.03.2008


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name:

‘Fränkischer Karpfen’/‘Frankenkarpfen’/‘Karpfen aus Franken’
2.   Member State or third country:

Germany
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:







Class 1.7 —


Fresh fish and products derived therefrom




3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies:
‘Fränkischer Karpfen’/‘Frankenkarpfen’/‘Karpfen aus Franken’ (‘Frankenkarpfen’ in the following) is mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) sold for consumption alive or slaughtered.
The back of ‘Frankenkarpfen’ is dark green, grey or greyish blue, its sides are yellowish green to golden, and its belly is yellowish white. Its dorsal and tail fins are grey, its tail fins and anal fins have a reddish hue and its pectoral and pelvic fins are yellowish or reddish.
The live weight of a carp for consumption is between 1 000 g and 1 700 g for a three-year-old fish. What makes ‘Frankenkarpfen’ stand out is its firm, white palatable flesh and low fat content of practically no more than 10 %. The fat content is kept low by limiting the stocking density (a maximum of 800 carp per hectare at the K2 stage).
3.3.   Raw materials:

—
3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Most feeding takes place on a natural basis (bottom-feeding, zooplankton and the like); for the purposes of rearing fish for consumption (i.e. K2-K3, or carp in their second or third summer), extra feed is added in the form of pulses and cereals (with the exception of corn). In addition, mixed feed authorised under the Bavarian countryside programme is permitted. The mixed feed must consist of arable crops only and may not contain any ingredients of animal origin. It may not contain more than 16 % of raw proteins and the total phosphorus content must not be more than 0,6 %. The greenmeal content must be at least 10 %.
3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

Since carp grow during the warm summer months, their age is counted in summers. Generally speaking, in the Franconia region, carp for consumption are reared in a three-summer cycle. In the first year, so-called K1 carp are reared from the eggs. After wintering, the fish grow into K2 carp. They reach their desired weight in their third summer (K3).
‘Frankenkarpfen’ must spend at least one production period during rearing (starting from April in the year in question) from K2 (fry) to K3 (fish for consumption) in the geographical area.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

—
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area in question covers all carp ponds in Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia.
5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

‘Frankenkarpfen’ has been produced in the region for some 900 years. Carp production has close historic links to the Franconian monasteries.
The fish ponds in Franconia form what is mostly a wide band through the geological Rednitz basin and the upper Altmühl, Aisch and Wörnitz valleys. They are located in the middle or Bunter Keuper, the sandstone Keuper, and in particular in the light sandy soils of the Burgsandstein. The alternation between sandstone layers and clay layers, which act as water barriers, is a characteristic particular to the soils of the Bunter Keuper and has proven to be extremely conducive to the construction of ponds.
Everywhere in Franconia, ponds can be found almost only in the geographical formation that is the Keuper. As has already been mentioned, this formation has impermeable soils with only a minimum loss of water through seepage. This means that only a minimum inflow or natural precipitation are enough to maintain the water level for the whole summer.
Compared to the rest of Germany, Franconia has very little precipitation. Average annual rainfall is between 600 mm and 650 mm, and the average temperature is 7-9 °C. In other words, the climate is a warm, dry, continental climate with little precipitation. Water resources are what distinguishes carp ponds in Franconia from those in the neighbouring Upper Palatinate region. Because the climate is warmer than in the Upper Palatinate, the ponds in Franconia are more fertile and more productive.
Carp farming has influenced not only the landscape, but also cultural life in Franconia. For example, books of anecdotes about carp ponds have been penned, songs have been written about carp and (art) exhibitions have been organised which look at all aspects of carp.
‘Frankenkarpfen’ is served as a traditional meal in many hostelries throughout Franconia, many of them enjoying a tradition that goes back hundreds of years — like ‘Frankenkarpfen’ itself. Many of the landlords of these hostelries who have a long family tradition of serving carp also have holding tanks, so that the carp they offer is always fresh.
As a meal, ‘Frankenkarpfen’ is held in high regard in the entire region and there are typical Franconian ways of preparing it (e.g. fried carp halves).
5.2.   Specificity of the product:

What makes ‘Frankenkarpfen’ stand out is its firm, white flesh, which has a typical taste. It may be described as pleasantly palatable and not earthy (or musty), reminiscent of good, freshly boiled potatoes. As a result of the prescribed stocking density, ‘Frankenkarpfen’ has a low fat content of practically no more than 10 %.
5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product:

‘Frankenkarpfen’ is well known within the region as well as nationally, and is held in high regard by consumers. Thanks to the high-quality, clean water in the area in which the fish are reared, and due to the impact of natural and geographical conditions on the rearing of the carp, as well as the influence of Franconia’s very specific subsoil and in particular due to the mostly natural feed (fish food organisms) in the water in the area in question, its taste is characteristic and typical. It may be described as pleasantly palatable and not earthy (or musty), reminiscent of good, freshly boiled potatoes. The feed and low stocking density (which may not exceed 800 K2 carp per hectare) ensure that the carp’s flesh is of outstanding quality.

Reputation

‘Frankenkarpfen’ is held in such high regard because of its quality and the great significance and centuries-long tradition enjoyed by carp ponds in Franconia.
The fact that carp is firmly rooted in the cultural life of the geographical area and that, as a meal, it is held in high regard and is a permanent, traditional element of Franconian food culture, have made ‘Frankenkarpfen’ a regional speciality with a reputation within the region and beyond.
A consumer survey carried out in Nuremberg in 2002 showed that 31 % of consumers prefer ‘Frankenkarpfen’. ‘Frankenkarpfen’ has also been included in the database of traditional Bavarian specialities (http://www.food-from-bavaria.de). Only products with a reputation among the people of Bavaria may be included in the database, which is operated by the Bavarian State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Reference to publication of the specification:

Trade Mark Journal No 35 of 31 August 2007, Part 7a-aa, p. 16130
http://www.register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/70


(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.