Publication of an amendment 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: 2012-09-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Aragon, Spain, designation of origin, foodstuff, fresh meat, product designation








C_2012294EN.01002301.xml










29.9.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 294/23





Publication of an amendment 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 294/11
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.
AMENDMENT APPLICATION

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


AMENDMENT APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 9


‘TERNASCO DE ARAGÓN’


EC No: ES-PGI-0217-0096-17.03.2010


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment:










Name of product







Description of product




☒


Geographical area







Proof of origin




☒


Method of production







Link




☒


Labelling




☒


National requirements







Other ( )




2.   Type of amendment(s):







☒


Amendment to Single Document or Summary Sheet







Amendment to Specification of registered PDO or PGI for which neither the Single Document nor the Summary has been published







Amendment to Specification that requires no amendment to the published Single Document (Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)







Temporary amendment to Specification resulting from imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by public authorities (Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)




3.   Amendments:

3.1.   Geographical area:

The new text is as follows:






 


The production of the lambs is limited to the Autonomous Community of Aragon.










 


The wording ‘as is the slaughtering and dressing of the carcass.’ has been deleted from this section because the meat is fresh and does not undergo any subsequent processing before it is marketed; consequently slaughtering/dressing should be considered separately from the product, as they do not endow it with any distinguishing characteristics, and therefore deleted from the Specification.










 


Similarly, the application of a restriction that does not enhance the product’s characteristics is considered to be an obstacle to marketing, among other determining factors, because it shortens the shelf life of the product as it requires an additional transfer of the product from the point of slaughter to the end point, and it is more difficult to meet the individual needs of the clients in each zone.




3.2.   Product description:







1.


Amendment of the following section:
‘Carcasses are left on the drip line until the internal muscle temperature is suitable for their storage and transport.
For periods of less than 24 hours carcasses must be stored in chambers with a temperature between 3 °C and 4 °C and between 1 °C and 3 °C for longer periods.’
It is replaced by:
‘Carcasses are left on the drip line until the internal muscle temperature is suitable for their storage and transport. The maximum temperature of the meat must be 7 °C.’
This amendment reflects the updating of the controls on temperatures in current legislation, which refers to the temperature of the meat and not that of the storage chamber. The temperatures of the chamber that are provided for only guarantee suitable carcass temperatures if the storage periods are respected. In any event we take the view that regulating the carcass temperature rather than the chamber temperature is more appropriate with respect to guaranteeing the quality of the product.










2.


Deletion of the following section:
‘The Regulatory Board, through the assessment committee for carcasses, will determine the quality of the carcasses covered by the protected geographical indication and issue a seal bearing the words “Ternasco de Aragón”, followed by an identification number in indelible ink to be stamped on the legs, shoulders and ribs.’
The section was deleted because it does not reflect common practice or the spirit of standard EN 45011.
The certification body checks, through the product inspections carried out by its staff, that the carcasses bear the appropriate markings. At no time does the body mark the carcasses or ascertain in advance which products meet the requirements and which do not.
Moreover, it is considered that it would be more appropriate to describe marking in the quality and procedures manual rather than in the Specification.










3.


Deletion of the following section:
‘The distribution of “Ternasco de Aragón” carcasses to meat retailers, its storage and sale must comply with the legislation in force.’
This section was deleted because it is regulated by the health authorities and compliance with the provisions in this area are mandatory, meaning that competence in relation thereto would be duplicated.




3.3.   Labelling:

The PGI logo has been included in the Specification.
We have removed the need for prior approval by the Regulatory Body in order to be able to use the individual labels of each registered commercial undertaking.
We have also deleted all the references to the Regulatory Board.
3.4.   National requirements:

Amendments to the legislation:
References to national legislation published subsequent to the initial approval of the Specification have been updated.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


‘TERNASCO DE ARAGÓN’


EC No: ES-PGI-0217-0096-17.03.2010


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Designation:

‘Ternasco de Aragón’
2.   Member State or Third Country:

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:







Class 1.1.


Fresh meat.




3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies:

Lamb meat from the following breeds: Rasa Aragonesa, Ojinegra de Teruel and Roya Bilbilitana. ‘Ternasco de Aragón’ must come from lambs of an age at slaughter of between 70 and 90 days, no distinction being made between genders. Lambs must be fed in stables on their mothers’ milk supplemented, if desired, with white straw and concentrates permitted under current legislation. There is a minimum suckling period of 50 days.
The carcass weight ranges from 8,0 kg to 12,5 kg. Rectilinear profile with subconvex tendency and rounded contours. External fat which is white in colour and firm in consistency. Body cavity fat which is white in colour and covers half, but never all, of each kidney. Meat tender, juicy, soft in texture, with traces of intramuscular fat infiltration and pale pink.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only):

Not applicable.
3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Not applicable.
3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area:

The ternasco category of lamb has organoleptic characteristics related to its natural environment and the production system, which is why lambs are produced and reared in the geographical area.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

Labels must bear the PGI logo, including the reference ‘Ternasco de Aragón’.
The marketed product must bear numbered labels and seals, which will be affixed in registered undertakings in such a way that they cannot be reused.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production of the lambs is limited to the Autonomous Community of Aragon.
5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

Aragon enjoys a continental Mediterranean climate with a dry, temperate wind in the central depression, which becomes colder and more humid in the Pyrenees and Iberian mountain ranges. Average annual temperatures in the central depression range from 14 °C to 15 °C. In the foothills of the mountains (above 500 metres) the temperature drops by a couple of degrees.
Aragon’s agricultural and climatic characteristics have contributed to the development of an ovine subsector because it is the only species capable of adapting to the sparse and seasonal growth of grass.
5.2.   Specificity of the product:

The Rasa Aragonesa produces lambs that are perfectly developed in terms of the tissue composition of the carcass, attaining 25 % fat in average males and females against a weight of 10,74 kg. This precocious growth is also typical of another authentically Aragonese breed, Roya Bilbilitana, which also produces lambs with similarly precocious growth that present 26,6 % fat in both sexes for a carcass weight of 10,6 kg. The Ojinegra de Teruel has been confirmed to have adipose tissue percentages similar to the two foregoing breeds.
Precocious growth has been verified and implies a genuine distinguishing factor with respect to other breeds. Consequently, the quality of ‘Ternasco de Aragón’ produced from these three breeds stands out from and is superior to other breeds.
The lamb’s fodder together with the mother’s milk enable the completion of the finishing of the carcass in the ternasco category (tissue composition, distribution, colour, fat consistency, tenderness, colour and smell of the meat) at the weights and ages indicated based on the aforementioned Aragonese breeds.
5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

From time immemorial in Aragon the ternasco designation has been known and widely used in reference to the most commonly slaughtered lamb typical of the region. Similarly, outside the area ternasco was recognised for its origin and high quality, a direct consequence of the ovine breeds that produce it, the grass consumed and the weight and age at slaughter of the lambs reared.
This expression of quality has led to the term ternasco and by extension ternasca as meaning young and tender in Aragonese cultural parlance, and although this may seem out of place it is quite simply a further confirmation of the undeniable quality of the final product.
The continental climatic conditions of this sparsely vegetated area (low rainfall, strong winds and major temperature variations) promote the development of three native breeds whose principal characteristic is their precocious growth. Since they attain an optimum degree of fat cover at an early age, they produce an exquisite meat which is appreciated for its quality.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
http://www.aragon.es/estaticos/GobiernoAragon/Departamentos/AgriculturaGanaderiaMedioAmbiente/AgriculturaGanaderia/Areas/08_Calidad_Agroalimentaria/02_Alimentos_calidad_diferenciada/I.G.P.TernascodeAragon.pdf


(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.