Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2014-06-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Galicia, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, foodstuff, fruit vegetable, product designation




C_2014198EN.01003901.xml










27.6.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 198/39





Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
(2014/C 198/07)
This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006


on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
 (2)


‘PEMENTO DE MOUGÁN’


EC No: ES-PGI-0005-01133 – 26.07.2013


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name


‘Pemento De Mougán’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Pemento de Mougán’ is the fruit of the local ecotype of Capsicum annuum L. known as Pemento de Mougán. It is a semicartilaginous fruit which is green when unripe and red when ripe. The fruit is square (type A4 of Pochard’s classification, 1966), classified in Spanish according to its shape as CMV3L (cuadrado morro de vaca tres lóbulos — square cow nose three lobes). It is harvested when green (early and unripe) and intended for marketing fresh.
The characteristics of the fruit intended for marketing are as follows:
—   Shape: the longitudinal section is square and the cross-section slightly grooved with three or four ridges at the tip.
—   Weight: between 6 and 15 g each.
—   Fruit length: between 3 and 6,5 cm.
—   Width: between 2,5 and 4 cm.
—   Stalk: between 2 and 5 cm, always shorter than the fruit. It is rigid and curved.
—   Skin: dark, glossy green.
—   Thickness of the wall or flesh: thin, 1,5 mm approximately.
—   Tasting: fine-textured juicy flesh, sweet taste, slightly herbaceous and sometimes hot, with a moderately strong aroma.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

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

—
3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

All stages of cultivation must take place within the defined geographical area, which has the ideal natural conditions for the development of this local pepper ecotype.
Only seeds of selected lines may be used, which ensure that the product is of the highest quality.
Preparation of the seedbed and sowing take place between December and January. Following germination, and when the plant has grown to approximately 5 cm, it is pricked and planted out using seedling trays. The traditional method of sowing in the ground and then transplanting is also permitted.
The crop grows either outdoors or under cover. In the former case, planting is carried out between April and June, at a density of three to six plants per square metre. When the crop is grown under cover, planting is in March or April, at a density of two to four plants per square metre.
Harvesting is carried out by hand and as many runs are made as are required to ensure quality fruit. The equipment (tools, boxes or containers, etc.) and human resources necessary to prevent any deterioration of the product are used. The peppers are transported to the packaging premises as quickly as possible, in boxes or other rigid containers to avoid crushing them. Unloading is carried out in such a way as to reduce the risk of the product falling.
The harvesting and marketing period usually runs from 1 June to 15 November and the maximum permitted yield is six kilograms per square metre outdoors and eight kilograms per square metre under cover, although these parameters can be modified each season on the basis of weather conditions.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

The peppers must be packaged for sale within the defined geographical area (Municipality of Guntín), as an effective means of safeguarding the specific characteristics and the quality of ‘Pemento de Mougán’. The reason for this is that as it is a perishable, fragile product that is marketed fresh, it has to be handled, selected for packaging and packaged with extreme care. The peppers are usually packaged within 24 hours of harvesting. The purpose of the selection performed both in the field and at the packaging stage is both to identify the peppers which have the requisite morphological characteristics, and to discard peppers which are more likely to be too hot, a quality that increases with size, irregular shape and stiffness of flesh. These characteristics are recognised almost intuitively by the local farmers on the basis of their experience.
PGI ‘Pemento de Mougán’ peppers are sold in transparent polythene bags holding 200 to 400 grams of product. Other sizes and other packaging materials may be authorised, provided that they are permitted by food legislation.
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The packaging of PGI ‘Pemento de Mougán’ peppers must bear the commercial label of the producer/packer and the specific label of the PGI (secondary label) with an alphanumeric code, used under the supervision of the inspection body, and the official logo of the Protected Geographical Indication, depicted below:



4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the entire territory of the Municipality of Guntín, located in the district of Lugo in Galicia.
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The defined area forms a homogeneous zone as regards soil and climate. It is an area protected by mountain ranges that surround the valleys where the peppers are grown, creating a distinct microclimate, and where the soil is perfect for this crop. The most common lithological formations are igneous rocks (granites) and metamorphic rocks (slates, schists and some quartzite). Regarding texture, the soil has a high sand content, being predominantly sandy loam with a high organic matter content and a low pH.
It is an area where there is not much rain by Galician standards –around 1 000 mm, as it is protected from westerly winds. This creates a rainshadow, with precipitation of at least 1 mm on around 130 days.
Regarding temperatures, the average temperature in summer is 17,2 °C, in autumn 12,5 °C, in winter 6,7 °C and in spring 10,5 °C. The average maximum temperature in summer is 23,4 °C, in autumn 17,2 °C, in winter 9,9 °C and in spring 15,3 °C. The average minimum temperature in summer is 11,1 °C, in autumn 7,8 °C, in winter 3,5 °C and in spring 5,6 °C.
Another aspect of the area’s specificity is the human factor. The traditional practices of local farmers, who maintain and select the best plants and parcels while adapting production techniques to the local conditions, are crucial to obtaining the product. The selection performed locally, and the care taken to avoid unwanted hybrids, has been a decisive factor in obtaining a homogeneous fruit.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

It is a local ecotype adapted to the conditions prevailing in the area of production. Its specific characteristics include its morphology (it is a small pepper, which is consumed green), its thin flesh and its cooking qualities, which notably include its texture, which is fine and juicy, and its sweet, slightly herbaceous and sometimes hot taste.
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)

‘Pemento de Mougán’ is a local ecotype which has been grown for centuries by the farmers of Guntín. Owing to the fact that production is limited and over the years the product has remained local, it has not been grown outside the defined geographical area, although there are stories of emigrants who took plants to other parts of Spain so they could grow the peppers there, but the results were always disappointing, which testifies to the link between the local ecosystem and the qualities of the product.
‘Mougán’ is a geographical name denoting the parish in the Municipality of Guntín whence the peppers were taken by public transport to the capital for sale in the market. This parish is adjacent to the parish of Mosteiro, where the monastery traditionally linked with the selection and cultivation of these peppers is located.
The defined area has ideal conditions for growing ‘Pemento de Mougán’, which are: high relative humidity, moderate temperatures, no major temperature fluctuations, slightly acid soil and sufficient circulation of air conducive to the movement of pollen between the plants. This damp climate, with mild summers and minimal fluctuations in temperature, is crucial for obtaining the specific characteristics of ‘Pemento de Mougán’, especially as regards the thickness and texture of the flesh. Also very important is the expertise of the local growers, who over the years have selected the plants that were best adapted to these conditions and produced the peppers with the best qualities, resulting in this genuine local ecotype.
The origins of ‘Pemento de Mougán’ go back to the mid-18th century, linked with the Monastery of Ferreira de Pallares, to which the monastery located in the parish of Mosteiro, adjacent to the parish of Mougán, was attached. According to tradition, it was the monks who introduced the pepper seeds to the area.
Traditionally, the peppers were sold at the markets in Lousada, Portomarín and Grolos and especially at the market in Lugo, the provincial capital.
In the Mapas nacionales de abastecimientos del ministerio de industria y comercio de la provincia de Lugo there is a written reference from 1943-1946 to this crop in the Municipality of Guntín It is also mentioned in the 1962 Agricultural Census.
As regards festivals and other events associated with the product, it should be mentioned that since 1997 the ‘Pementada de Mougán’ has been held on the first Friday in August. Since 1999 there has also been a pepper festival on 14 August in the parish of Grolos. In addition, on the last Saturday in August the ‘Festa do Pemento de Mougán’ is held in the municipal capital.
Thus, the grounds for PGI registration are the specific characteristics of the product linked to the geographical area — it is an ecotype adapted to local conditions as a result of selection over the centuries by local growers.

Publication reference of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

Diario Oficial de Galicia (Galician Official Gazette) No 101, 29 May 2013.
http://www.xunta.es/dog/Publicados/2013/20130529/AnuncioG0165-210513-0008_es.pdf


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  See footnote 2.