Publication of a registration 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: 2015-06-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, Saxony, consumer information, designation of origin, fish, fresh product, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_2015212EN.01000901.xml










27.6.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 212/9





Publication of a registration 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
(2015/C 212/07)
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)


‘OBERLAUSITZER BIOKARPFEN’


EC No: DE-PGI-0005-01070 — 13.12.2012


PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name


‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’

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, molluscs and crustaceans and products derived therefrom
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ (Upper Lusatian organic carp) is sold as a table carp (Cyprinus carpio), either alive, slaughtered or processed (into cuts, smoked fish or fillets, either loose or prepacked).
‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is a mirror carp, with a dark green, grey or greyish blue back, yellow-green to gold sides and a somewhat yellowy white belly. Its dorsal and caudal fins are grey, the caudal and anal fins have a reddish tone and the pectoral and belly fins are yellowish or reddish in colour. It is distinguished as a mirror carp on account of its uniform scales. In addition to the uniform rows of scales on its back, there are individual mirror scales at the base of the fins and behind the gill cover. The length of this carp variety’s head is very short compared to other varieties (body-length to height ratio of less than 3,0). On account of its small head, a considerable neck formation is visible.
The live weight of this table carp is between 1 300 and 2 500 g, attained in the third or fourth summer. Its flesh is light to soft-pink in colour, robust/firm, tender and low in fat, with a species-specific, pure, characteristically mild nutty taste and aromatic odour.
The chemical composition of the flesh is as follows:








1.


:


water


:


75 – 85 %




2.


:


fat


:


0,5 – 4,0 %




3.


:


protein


:


15 – 19 %




4.


:


crude ash


:


0 – 1,5 %




The use of controlled organic feed supplements (cereals, legumes) ensures that the flesh is free from residue and damage.
3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

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

At least 50 % of the feed (by weight) must originate from natural sources (bed nutrients, zooplankton, or similar). Feeding must take place using only organically produced cereals and legumes (particularly lupins and/or peas) from the geographical area, in accordance with the certification regulations (Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (3) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 (4)), constituting up to at most 50 % of the fish’s diet.
3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ must be bred only in accordance with the applicable legislation (Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 710/2009 (5)) and the definition of aquaculture within the meaning of Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 (6) and must be monitored and certified by a state-approved inspection body each year.
The carp grow over the warm summer months, so their age is calculated in summers. Table carp in the Oberlausitz (Upper Lusatia) area generally reach maturity in the space of three summers. From eggs, within the geographical area, in the first year so-called K1 are produced. Once the K1 have lived through a winter, the fish become K2. The K2 must then live through another winter and in the third or fourth summer they reach the desired weight.
The spawning carp must originate from reproduction within the geographical area. In exceptional cases, spawning carp from other regions may be used to freshen the blood stock. However, such carp must have spent at least 6 months in the geographical area before they first spawn.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

—
3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The following pictured quality seal must be used on the visible upper surface of the packaging:



Proof of origin must be provided by the applicant issuing producer-specific inspection numbers and the depicted quality seal. Each product labelled with the quality seal can therefore be traced to an individual producer.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covers all carp ponds in the rural districts of Bautzen and Görlitz (after the Act of 29 January 2008 on the reorganisation of the areas of Saxony’s rural districts, which entered into force on 1 August 2008).
5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Upper Lusatia is the most easterly carp area in Germany and characterised by a continental climate. However, high evaporation rates in the large pond areas create a localised ‘pseudo-Atlantic’ climate. Pond-focused economic activity has existed as a specific, traditional agricultural sector in Upper Lusatia for over 750 years without interruption. In the aforementioned geographical area, the carp ponds form part of a centuries-old man-made landscape.
Today, Upper Lusatia contains 2 050 ha of utilised pond area. Around the mid-thirteenth Century, when river fishing yields proved insufficient to meet fish demand, ponds started being constructed in Upper Lusatia for fish breeding. The natural conditions were particularly favourable in the region as the gradient of the land to the north of the Upper Lusatian mountains was highly suitable for larger ponds to be built.
Substantial areas, particularly in northern Upper Lusatia, could barely be used for agriculture on account of their poor sandy soils and high groundwater levels. It is not by chance that the name Lusatia (German: Lausitz) derives from the Sorbian ‘Luciza’ (Łužica), meaning something like ‘swampland’. On account of the low gradient of the land, particularly in northern Upper Lusatia, high groundwater levels, poor sandy soils, or low-moor soils, and large areas of land being owned by the nobility, pond aquaculture was able to develop throughout almost all the territory in Upper Lusatia, which in large parts still shapes the landscape to this day. The ponds were constructed on low-moor soils.
The process of drying out in winter and the accompanying mineralisation and release of nutrients, combined with often nutrient-rich feeder water, makes most ponds eutrophic. Ponds with a mineral-rich base fed by water low in nutrients have mesotrophic properties. The pond groups are primarily fed by the following large watercourses: the Spree, the Kleine Spree, the Löbauer Wasser and the Schwarzer Schöps.
The Upper Lusatian pond region is especially characterised by the limited variation between near-natural habitats and those altered by land usage. In the geographical area, the traditionally damp habitats resulting from utilisation are particularly significant: pond soil meadows as well as species that float and have leaves beneath the water are common in the ponds and their siltation zones. This is also the case for source meadows, watercourses and ditches with near-natural vegetation, swampy and marshy forests, old-growth forests with numerous tree holes, damp coppices, swampland, banks and siltation zones in the area around the ponds and on numerous pond islands.
The establishment of fish ponds was particularly boosted by a rise in population density and the conversion to Christianity between 1100 and 1300, and the limited availability of arable and grazing land. When the pagan, Sorbian population became Christian, fish became a ritual meal for all citizens on the many fasting days.
Upper Lusatia consequently developed particularly specialised knowledge of fish breeding. Hence, fish breeding was already part of the curriculum at the agricultural training institute established in Bautzen in 1875. At least since 1885, Inspector Kintze successfully fed carp on lupins in ponds in the feudal district of Kreba.
In the nowadays relatively sparsely populated heathland and pond areas of Upper Lusatia, there are no significant industrial or urban sources of contaminants jeopardising the ecologically highly valuable landscape and its water bodies.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is distinct on account of its high vitality and good processing of its feed (no more than 50 % feed supplements required), as well as its particular resilience with regard to the aforementioned climatic conditions. Over the centuries, this carp variety has become especially well-adapted to the continental climatic conditions (long, cold winters and high summer temperatures). The flesh of ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is high quality and light to soft-pink in colour, robust/firm, tender and low in fat, displaying a species-specific, pure and characteristically mild, slightly nutty taste and aromatic odour. ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is distinct from other carp species (8,7 – 12,7 % fat content) specifically on account of its very low fat content (0,5 – 4 %); it stands out on account of its flesh being more firm and robust than average, with a fine, mildly nutty taste.
The use of monitored organic feed supplements (cereals, legumes) ensures that the flesh is free from residues and pollution.
‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is generally known at regional level and known within the context of organic foods at trans-regional level and enjoys a high reputation among consumers.
On account of its high-quality taste and sustainable organic breeding, customers are prepared to pay a higher price for ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ than for conventionally reared carp.
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)

‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is of particular quality on account of the water quality, the climatic conditions, the near-natural ponds in the geographical area and the high proportion of natural feed in its diet as well as the fact that it is bred according to certified organic standards.
The specific natural, economic and social conditions have favoured the development of pond aquaculture and the centuries-old tradition of carp breeding. The knowledge hereby obtained by carp breeders, the exceptional water quality and the specific, extensive and sustainable breeding conditions, particularly the low stocking density of almost 3 000 K1(20-50 g)/ha and almost 600 K2(200-500 g)/ha, and the significant influence of the continental climate guarantee the characteristic features of ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’.
The Upper Lusatian ponds are of high water quality and are primarily fed by the following watercourses: the Spree, the Kleine Spree, the Löbauer Wasser, the Schwarzwasser and the Schwarzer Schöps. The high buffer capability of near-natural ponds with their many reeds and aquatic plants more than compensates for quality variations in the feeder watercourses.
Suitable pond bank areas (at least 80 % of the overall bank length) in the earthy ponds maintained in a near-natural state (natural soil) for historic reasons with natural refuge zones display reed bands measuring at least 3-5 m wide. Moreover, the high water quality of the feeder watercourses favours the characteristic growth of diverse aquatic plant species in the near-natural ponds. These in turn act as a buffer against any short-term water quality variations in the feeder watercourses. ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ does not only find sufficient refuge among the aquatic plants and reeds, fostering stress-free growth, but a variety of small organisms grow there providing diverse natural feed, significantly influencing the species-specific flavour of the carp. Moreover, the carp’s well-being is improved by the diverse water depths, bank vegetation and aquatic plants, which provide natural cover and help to minimise stress.
The nutrients present in the ponds mean that the diet of ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is primarily based on natural foodstuffs present in the water (e.g. zooplankton, zoobenthos).
On account of the specific climatic, pond bed and water conditions in the geographical area, the flesh of ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ is light, robust and especially firm, tender and low in fat (0,5 – 4 %), due to the guaranteed high proportion of natural feed (at least 50 %), combined with the organically produced cereal supplementary feed; this also gives ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ a species-specific, pure, characteristically mild nutty taste and odour.
The aforementioned quality traits, combined with the traditional significance of the carp for gastronomy in the geographical area contribute to the fact that consumers view ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ as a valued speciality, whose reputation is closely linked to the region.
On account of many press articles referring to its excellent taste, the reputation of ‘Oberlausitzer Biokarpfen’ has steadily been further enhanced ever since it was first marketed.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (7))
http://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/geo/detail.pdfdownload/35550


(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)  OJ L 189, 20.7.2007, p. 1.

(4)  OJ L 250, 18.9.2008, p. 1.

(5)  OJ L 204, 6.8.2008, p. 15.

(6)  OJ L 223, 15.8.2006, p. 1.

(7)  See footnote 2.