Publication of an application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Date: 2016-03-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Denmark, Sjælland (region), consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, potato, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2016081EN.01001301.xml










3.3.2016   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 81/13





Publication of an application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(2016/C 81/08)
The Commission has approved this application for a minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR AMENDMENT

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
 (2)


‘LAMMEFJORDSKARTOFLER’


EU No: DK-PGI-0205-01365 — 23.9.2015


( ) PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) TSG

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest






Lammefjordens Grøntsagslaug




Højgårdsvej 9




4540 Fårevejle




DANMARK




Tel. +45 59621234




Email: mail@lammefjorden.dk




Lammefjordens Grøntsagslaug is the association that registered DK/PGI/0005/00952 ‘Lammefjordskartofler’.
2.   Member State or Third Country

Denmark
3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)








—


☐


Description of product




—


☐


Proof of origin




—


☐


Method of production




—


☐


Link




—


☒


Labelling




—


☒


Other [Size of packaging]




4.   Type of amendment(s)








—


☐


Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 that requires no amendment to the published single document.




—


☒


Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 that requires an amendment to the published single document.




—


☐


Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published.




—


☐


Amendment to the product specification of a registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.




5.   Amendment(s)

The application concerns two amendments:
I:
The following is added in section ‘E. Production’ of the product specification:

‘Packs of “Lammefjordskartofler” presented to final consumers may weigh up to 15 kg.’

Similarly, under point ‘3.6 Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.’ of the single document, the last sentence:

‘Packs of “Lammefjordskartofler” presented to final consumers may weigh between 1 and 15 kg.’

is replaced by:

‘Packs of “Lammefjordskartofler” presented to final consumers may weigh up to 15 kg.’

Reason for the amendment:
The reason for this amendment is that since the application for registration was submitted, the ware potatoes market has evolved in Denmark and there is now demand for packs of potatoes weighing less than 1 kg.
II:
In the first paragraph of Section ‘H. Any specific labelling rules’ in the product specification, point (b): ‘(b) the Lammefjordens Grøntsagslaug (Lammefjord Vegetable Association) logo’ is deleted.
The first paragraph thus reads:
‘All packaging, be it in prepacked or open form, must bear the following:






(a)


Identification: “Lammefjordskartofler” Name and address of packing centre










(b)


Ware potatoes










(c)


Sizing as indicated in the product specification










(d)


Variety’.




The relevant section of the single document is amended accordingly.
Reason for the amendment:
Lammefjordens Grøntsagslaug now considers that using the logo should be optional rather than mandatory. It should be noted that there is no obligation for undertakings that pack PGI ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ to be members of Lammefjordens Grøntsagslaug, the producer organisation that made the registration. It would not appropriate to require non-members to use the producer organisation’s logo.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘LAMMEFJORDSKARTOFLER’


EU No: DK-PGI-0205-01365 — 23.9.2015


( ) PDO ( X ) PGI

1.   Name


‘Lammefjordskartofler’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Denmark
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 the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Lammefjordskartofler’ (Lammefjord potatoes) are characterised by the fact that their skin is thin and much smoother and shinier than that of potatoes grown elsewhere. Their thin skin distinguishes ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ from other ware potatoes in that they can be eaten with the skin on. It also means that their flesh retains its pale colour during storage, whereas the surface of ware potatoes grown in other types of soil gradually darkens and their flesh becomes increasingly yellowish. Their skin obtains this specific character from the Lammefjord’s very distinctive soil type which prevents it from becoming damaged when the potatoes are grown and harvested.
‘Lammefjordskartofler’ are mature potatoes, i.e. they are not ‘new potatoes’. They mature in the ground and are accordingly not harvested until around the beginning of September.
‘Lammefjordskartofler’ are washed.
‘Lammefjordskartofler’ remain suitable for boiling throughout the season.
They must conform to the quality standards for Class 1 ware potatoes, see Order No 450 of 16 May 2011 on the production, etc., of potatoes, Annex 13, or the requirements laid down in the UNECE standard for ware potatoes (FFV-52).
No more than 5 % of the surface of a potato may be covered with common scab, powdery scab, netted scab or black scurf. No more than 8 % (by weight) of tubers in a batch of ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ may display such defects.
The circumference of potatoes contained in a single package may differ in size by no more than 15 mm so as to provide consumers with a product of uniform dimensions.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

—
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to:


Growing

‘Lammefjordskartofler’ PGI are grown in accordance with the Global GAP (Global Partnership for Good Agricultural Practices) standard. ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ must be grown without using sludge as a fertiliser.
Lammefjord potatoes are not harvested until around the beginning of September so as to ensure that they are sufficiently mature and thus fit for storage. Where possible, harvesting is completed by mid-October because of the falling temperatures.

Storage

‘Lammefjordskartofler’ are stored in small wooden crates and not loose or in a clamp. They must be stored at a temperature of no more than 5 °C and be heated before they are packaged. This minimises the risk of damage to the potatoes.

Sorting

The sorting of ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ in compliance with the specific requirements regarding common scab, powdery scab, netted scab or black scurf calls for particular expertise and attentiveness and is for that reason carried out at registered packing centres on the Lammefjord.
Undertakings that pack Lammefjord potatoes are also subject to the GAP standard.
Packs of ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ presented to final consumers may weigh up to 15 kg.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to:

All packaging, be it in prepacked or open form, must bear the following:






(a)


Identification: ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ Name and address of packing centre










(b)


Ware potatoes










(c)


Sizing as indicated in the product specification










(d)


Variety.




4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The Lammefjord region is made up of four reclaimed areas of a sea arm in Odsherred on Zealand:






—


the reclaimed portion of the Lammefjord, which is physically delimited by the Ringkanal and the Audebo dam,










—


Svinninge Vejle, which is bounded to the south, west and north by the Ringkanal and to the east by the Svinninge-Hørve railway line,










—


Sidinge Fjord, which is delimited by Sidinge dam and a surface water channel,










—


Klintsø, which is delimited by drainage channels.




5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The product is grown on the reclaimed seabed of the Lammefjord with its layer of silt. Within the Lammefjord region, Sidinge Fjord was the first area to be drained, starting in 1841, followed by Svinninge Vejle. Reclamation of the largest area, the Lammefjord, started in 1873. Klintsø was the last area to be drained.
The sub-soil consists of clay and marl or silty sand topped by a layer of silt several metres thick formed from vegetable and animal substances. Large areas of the Lammefjord are more or less free of stones and the large numbers of old mussel and oyster shells give the soil a naturally high calcium content.
With its mild winters and cool summers and steady rainfall throughout the year, Lammefjord has an ideal potato-growing climate. While Odsherred gets relatively little rainfall, the drainage channels in the area around the Lammefjord allow effective irrigation. In this way the local producers can themselves determine to a certain extent how much water is supplied to their potatoes. As the natural rainfall is generally insufficient, the producers can themselves help to optimise growing conditions — unlike in other parts of the country where excessive rainfall can adversely affect potato harvests.
5.2.   Specificity of the product

Potatoes from the Lammefjord region are very different from those grown in other areas in that they retain their characteristic pale surface even during storage. They retain their colour as the sand in the soil has been polished and is smoother and rounder than in classic sandy soils, which means that the potatoes do not have cracks in them when they are harvested. Potatoes from the Lammefjord region can therefore be put into cold storage and handled at all times of year without causing surface discoloration. The cracked surface of a potato will darken during storage.
Unlike other mature ware potatoes, Lammefjord potatoes can be eaten with their skin on.
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)

The specific quality of Lammefjord potatoes is related to the growing conditions provided by the former bed of the fjord. The special soil conditions allow gentle handling of the potatoes which have a smooth surface as a result. The rounded grains of sand in the sandy soil prevent the surface of the potatoes from becoming cracked when they are harvested, meaning that their surface is smooth when they are stored. Potatoes with a smooth surface are less susceptible to scab than those grown in soil with a higher content of stone and sand particles which can cause the potatoes to become cracked when they are grown and harvested. Lammefjord potatoes are therefore well suited to storage.
The name ‘Lammefjordskartoffel’ is known throughout Denmark. Many grocery shops sell them in packaging labelled ‘Lammefjordskartofler’, and each day lorries marked with large ‘Lammefjordskartofler’ logos raise awareness of the Lammefjord area by transporting its potatoes to the large grocery terminals around the capital and in Jutland.
Lammefjord potatoes are one of the reasons why the general public associates Lammefjord with high-quality vegetables, and potatoes in particular. The encyclopaedia Den store danske Encyklopædi describes Lammefjord as follows: ‘The drained sea-arm bed is highly fertile, producing cereals, seeds and vegetables. Lammefjord is known for its carrots and potatoes. Until 1980 it also had a reputation for flower bulbs and asparagus.’
The Lammefjord is often singled out in reports in the Danish and foreign media about the success enjoyed in recent years by Danish restaurants with menus based on Nordic ingredients.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
http://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Kemi%20og%20foedevarekvalitet/Varestandarder-handelsnormer-kvalitet/Varespecifikation%20for%20Lammefjordskartofler%20-%20ændring.pdf


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.