Publication of an amendment 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: 2017-04-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Brittany, France, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, leguminous vegetable, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_2017137EN.01000901.xml










29.4.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 137/9





Publication of an amendment 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
(2017/C 137/05)
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).
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION WHICH IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012


‘COCO DE PAIMPOL’


EU No: PDO-FR-0062-AM01 — 20.12.2016


PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

The union brings together producers and packaging stations of ‘Coco de Paimpol’. It therefore has a legitimate interest in submitting this application.





Syndicat de défense de l’AOC ‘Coco de Paimpol’ (‘Coco de Paimpol’ PDO Defence Union).




Zone de conditionnement CS 90 114




22503 Paimpol cedex




FRANCE




Tel. +33 296208330




Fax +33 296204726




Email(s): syndicat-coco-paimpol@ucpt-paimpol.com




2.   Member State or Third Country

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








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Name of product




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Product description




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Geographical area




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Proof of origin




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Production method




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Link




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Labelling




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Other




4.   Type of amendment(s)








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Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012




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Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012




5.   Amendment(s)


Product description

‘Coco de Paimpol’ belongs to the Phaseolus vulgaris L. species, reference to which was made in the method of production section of the registered specification. This species has been moved to the ‘Product description’ section.
It has also been specified that it is a dwarf seed bean. This wording makes it possible to be more precise in the identification by specifying that it is a seed bean, and not a white bean as it appeared in the registered specification, which did not state that it was a seed bean.
A provision has been included to state that the product is marketed as a fresh product in order to prevent all other forms of marketing.
Minimum and maximum amounts of dry matter content of the seeds at the time of packaging (dry matter content of the seeds at the time of packaging of between 40 % and 60 %) have been defined to describe the ripeness of ‘Coco de Paimpol’.
The description of the pods as being ‘marbled violet in colour’ has been replaced with ‘possibly with violet marbling’. This was done for the sake of consistency with the description of the variety type stated in the ‘production method’ section of the registered specification.
A clarification has been added stating that the pods must contain at least three seeds in order to remove insufficiently full pods. ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is characterised by long, full pods with at least three seeds. Only a maximum tolerance of 5 % at the packaging stage makes it possible to take into account the inevitable variability.
The qualities of the colour of the seed (‘monochromatic white’) have been supplemented with ‘monochromatic white to ivory’ and ‘mildly to moderately veined’ in order to better describe the product’s qualities. The reference to ‘monochromatic white’ on its own is too simplistic, and leaves too much scope for interpretation during packaging. It also does not take into account the selection work that has been done, which made it possible to better describe the seed’s colour.
In order to supplement the description of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ after cooking, it has also been specified that the product is not floury and is sweet after cooking.
The product description has therefore been supplemented and clarified so as to better identify the product.

Proof of origin

The producers’ obligations as regards declarations have been specified. These amendments are linked to changes in national rules and legislation. It is planned to identify the producers with a view to accrediting them on the basis of their ability to meet the requirements of the specification, as well as the required declarations regarding knowledge, monitoring, and checks on products intended to be marketed bearing the designation of origin.
That section has also been extended to include several provisions on registers and declaration documents.
These amendments on producers’ obligations as regards declarations and the keeping of registers enable traceability to be guaranteed, and they ensure that product compliance with the requirements of the specification is monitored.

Production method

Acquisition of the seeds:
The sentence that reads ‘The seeds used belong to the “Phaseolus vulgaris L.” species’ has been moved to the ‘Product description’ section.
The following sentence has been added: ‘Seeds for the production of “Coco de Paimpol” come from the following varieties: Goanag, Kentan, Armor or the population varieties meeting the variety-type requirements set out in section 5.2.’ whereas the registered specification only featured the description of the variety type.
The inclusion of these three varieties takes into account the genealogical selection work conducted by the Breton Selection Body (l’Organisme Breton de Sélection — OBS) on all the local varieties, which enabled these three varieties to be kept, as they best express the specific characteristics of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ and ensure adherence to the ‘Coco de Paimpol’ variety type. These varieties thus make it possible to produce products that meet the characteristics expected of a ‘Coco de Paimpol’.
Population varieties that have been shown to meet the variety-type requirements may also be used. Adherence to the variety type is ensured by visual inspection of the plants at the time the beans are harvested at the semi-dry stage.
It has also been specified that the seeds from these varieties may be produced by the producers within their holdings, which is the current practice.
This amendment clarifies the ‘Acquisition of the seeds’ section taking current practices into account.
Variety type:
In order to better reflect the specificity of the product, and make the link to the work of varietal selection that enabled a more precise description of ‘Coco de Paimpol’, the variety type has been amended to add that the seeds are ‘monochromatic white to ivory’. The registered version of the specification only prescribed a ‘monochromatic white’ seed.
This amendment clarifies the variety type in line with the product description.
Crop rotation:
A fallow period has been mandated in the rotation of plots, and it is prohibited to grow coco on the same plot for more than two consecutive years. This rule aims to prevent the development of certain diseases of the root system, to which this vegetable is particularly prone. This fallow period is for a minimum of two calendar years when there has been just one ‘Coco de Paimpol’ crop cycle (1 year), and is for a minimum of three years when there have been two consecutive crop cycles (2 years) of ‘Coco de Paimpol’.
This amendment clarifies the rules to be followed with respect to crop rotation so as to ensure better plant health.
Set-up and management of the crop:
The open-field growing methods — without artificial heating or lights — have been described in order to reflect current practices and prevent this growing method from becoming artificial.
Certain dates or periods laid down in the registered specification have been deleted to take account of potential climate variations, which have an impact on the cultivation of coco. The producers also have the know-how required to adapt these dates depending on the climate in particular, but also on the plots in question:






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the maximum growing period, originally set at 135 days, has been deleted because specific weather conditions (cold autumns) can make it necessary to exceed this period for the beans to reach the necessary level of ripeness, without affecting the quality of the product,










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the date for finishing sowing of 15 July has been deleted, because depending on climate conditions it might not have been possible to complete all the sowing before that date.




The provisions relating to harvesting have been moved to the ‘Harvest’ section of the specification.
To ensure uniformity of ripeness within the plot, and to promote optimal land use, the concept of plant density has been introduced. The limit values are set in plants per m2, i.e. 6 to 12 plants per m2.
The prohibition of irrigation has been replaced by permitting this practice until the first pods are formed. Constant moisture until the stage that the pods form can help to achieve greater uniformity when ripe, and therefore have a positive effect on the quality of the harvest. However, irrigating after the pods have formed will increase the moisture levels of the pods and the seeds, which impairs the quality of the product, and for this reason it is still prohibited.
These amendments clarify and adapt the cultivation methods in order to better reflect climate variations.
Harvesting:
The provision on staggering the harvest from July to November has been revised:






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a change has been made to the date at which the harvesting period begins. It is now set on request of the group at the INAO, taking into consideration the analyses of whether the representative product samples meet the criteria in the ‘Product description’ and ‘Harvesting’ sections. However, the start date is set from 1 July, as that was the case in the specification that is already registered,










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the end date of the harvest (30 November) has been deleted. This deletion is in line with the deletion of the end date for sowing. This makes it possible to adapt the growing period of the beans according to their degree of ripeness and not according to a predetermined deadline for the end of the harvest.




The provision that the pods be manually selected and manually separated from the plants after the plant has been grubbed up has been revised to make it optional to grub-up before the separation and selection of the pods. These procedures can be carried out on the plants without imperilling the product’s special characteristics. These operations must still be carried out manually.
The reference to the harvesting of the pods that have arrived in a semi-dry state has been withdrawn because it features in the product description and is checked via the monitoring provided for in the ‘Product inspection’ section.
In order to stop the pods from being crushed, specific details have been added concerning the containers in which the pods must be stored. These containers must be:






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rigid, solid-bottomed and with slatted sides,










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stackable without being able to crush the content,










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of a maximum capacity of 100 litres, i.e. 30 kg of beans.




Selection criteria when harvesting the pods have been specified in order to better describe the concept of ‘defective pods’ and ‘impurities’ to which the registered specification makes reference with respect to sorting during the harvest. They aim to exclude:






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pods with ripeness defects: unripe, flat, over-ripe or dry pods,










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spoiled pods: pods that are rotten, soaked, soiled with earth, bruised or containing traces of disease,










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impurities: impurities specific to the variety, leaf stalks, leaves and any other foreign bodies.




The provision requiring delivery to the packaging station to be made no later than the day after the harvest has been removed, in order to reflect that a plot could be harvested over several days and delivered just once. A decision was therefore made to strengthen batch controls, particularly at the start of the week (to take into account the batches that might have been stored during the weekend) in order to verify the quality of the batches by grading the products upon delivery.
These amendments aim to better regulate the harvesting of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ while still adapting to potential climatic variations.
Yield:
This section has been clarified without altering the yield of 12 tonnes per hectare. The clarification aims to identify produce that has been delivered but not sorted. In addition, it specifies that the yield is no longer an average, but an annual maximum.
These are necessary clarifications to make it more easy to calculate the yield.
Delivery:
The term packaging ‘workshop’ has been replaced with packaging ‘station’ in order to be consistent with the term used locally.
Grading:
A first grading occurs to ensure that the batches delivered to the packaging station are compliant, and thus that the packager and their pluckers (the people who select the pods and separate them from the plants) have correctly selected the pods during the harvest. This check must be carried out on the basis of the harvest’s compliance criteria. Pods with ripeness defects, spoiled pods and impurities must not account for more than 5 % of the weight delivered.
A second grading also takes place to check the compliance of the batches that have been packaged for consumption. This check is carried out by sampling based on the weight of non-compliant products in order to ensure that:






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pods with less than three seeds account for less than 5 % of the packaged weight,










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pods that do not comply with the harvest criteria account for less than 5 % of the packed weight.




This amendment aims to better ensure the quality of the product.
Packaging:
In order to prevent the deterioration and crushing of the ‘Coco de Paimpol’ the maximum nominal content of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ containers has been specified: 10 kg. In order to take into account drying, which leads to a reduction in the net mass of ‘Coco de Paimpol’, it has also been added that, at the moment of packaging, the containers may contain up to 10 % more than the nominal content indicated.
This amendment aims to preserve the quality of the product during packaging.
Storage:
In order to improve the product’s shelf life, it has been added that the beans must be stored at the packaging station in conditions that avoid any heating of the beans above 15 °C.
In order to take account of new storage techniques that are currently being studied, the requirement for moist cold storage has been deleted.
This is due to storage conditions that make it possible to use new storage methods while ensuring better preservation of the product.

Link

This part has been rewritten and expanded upon:
The description of the natural factors (moderate fluctuations in temperature, precipitation evenly spread throughout the year, influence of the sea) has been expanded upon. The area’s altitude has been specified: it is now within a range of 60 to 90 metres instead of a maximum of 140 metres in the registered specification. This drafting amendment does not change the geographical area of the designation.
As far as human factors are concerned, the producers’ know-how has been expanded upon, in particular to stress that many bean producers produce their own seeds for the needs of their farms. These producers choose the date of planting and the variety based on the area’s soil and relief conditions, what has been grown in the area previously, the fertilisers and additives that have been added, and the weather at the time. Manual harvesting by the ‘pluckers’ has also been described.
One point relating to the product’s specific characteristics and another point on the causal link between the specific characteristics of the geographical area and those of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ have been added:






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with regards to the product’s specific characteristics, emphasis has been placed on harvesting before total ripeness. This gives the coco the characteristics of a fresh vegetable. Unlike dried beans, ‘Coco de Paimpol’ cooks quickly. It is also characterised by the almost round shape of the seeds and by their organoleptic qualities,










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as for the causal link, emphasis has been placed on the interaction between the natural environment (the oceanic climate, together with the presence of land rich in silt, suits planting from the end of winter) and know-how (in particular, the selection of varieties meeting the established variety-type requirements and manual harvesting at the optimum moment).




This amendment aims to improve the evidence of the link with the geographical area.

Labelling

An update is necessary in order to adapt to the development of European rules, in particular concerning the requirement that the EU symbol appears in the same field of vision as the name of the designation.
To the extent that each package now has a label identifying the producer, the packaging station and the date of packaging, the requirement that ‘a label be shown on the container in the workshop that must remain affixed until the final distributor’ has been removed from the specific labelling details.
This amendment is an update of the ‘labelling’ section.

Other

Geographical area:
In order to bring more clarity, the 85 municipalities referred to in the specification for the ‘Coco de Paimpol’ designation are now listed in full. The demarcation of the geographical area has not changed;
The statement to the effect that ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is produced and packaged within the boundaries of the geographical area, which appears in the ‘proof of origin’ section of the specification, has been moved to the ‘demarcation of the geographical area’ section.
These amendments thus supplement the section to bring further clarification, without changing the geographical area.
Inspections, updating of the contact details of the inspection body and of the applicant group:
In the light of changes to national rules, the section ‘National requirements’ is presented as a checklist in the form of a table with reference values and evaluation methods for each point.
The contact details of the inspection body and of the group have been updated.
This is an updating of the relevant sections.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘COCO DE PAIMPOL’


EU No: PDO-FR-0062-AM01 — 20.12.2016


PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

‘Coco de Paimpol’
2.   Member State or Third Country

France
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

‘Coco de Paimpol’ is a dwarf seed bean belonging to the Phaseolus vulgaris L. species.
‘Coco de Paimpol’ has the following characteristics:






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it is a semi-dry bean, sold in its pod as a fresh product to be removed from its pod, and the dry matter content of its seeds upon packaging is between 40 and 60 %,










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the pods are pale yellow in colour, possibly with violet marbling and contain at least three seeds,










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the seed is monochromatic white to ivory, oval-shaped, mildly to moderately veined, with a very thin skin.




‘Coco de Paimpol’ cooks quickly and produces a product that is tender, melt-in-the-mouth, sweet and non-floury, with a characteristic taste, and hints of flowers and dried fruits.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

The beans must be sown, harvested and sorted in the geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Packaging of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ must be carried out in the geographical area.
The pods are extremely fragile when semi-dry: It is for this reason that after being harvested manually in order to prevent spoiling from bumps and abrasions, ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is packaged in containers with limited capacity and stored under temperature conditions that prevent overheating of the product.
‘Coco de Paimpol’ is shipped and marketed in packages with a maximum capacity of 10 kg. At the time of packaging, the containers may contain up to 10 % more than the nominal indicated content, in order to take into account drying, which leads to a loss in the net mass of ‘Coco de Paimpol’.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The labelling of beans bearing the ‘Coco de Paimpol’ name must include:






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the name ‘Coco de Paimpol’, written in clear, legible, and indelible characters, the dimensions of which must be larger in both height and in width than the characters of any other words on the labelling,










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the European Union symbol in the same field of vision as the name of the designation, whether or not accompanied by the words ‘protected designation of origin’,










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the identity of the packaging station, the producer, and the date of packaging;




4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area covers 85 municipalities located in the north of the Côtes d’Armor department:
Bégard, Berhet, Brélidy, Camlez, Caouënnec-Lanvézéac, Cavan, Coatascorn, Coatréven, Etables-sur-Mer, Le Faouët, Gommenec’h, Goudelin, Hengoat, Îles-de-Bréhat Kerbors, Kerfot, Kermaria-Sulard, Kermoroc’h, Landebaëron, Langoat, Lanleff, Lanloup, Lanmérin, Lanmodez, Lannebert, Lannion, Lanvollon, Lézardrieux, Louannec, Mantallot, Minihy-Tréguier, Paimpol, Penvénan, Perros-Guirec, Pléguien, Pléhédel, Pleubian, Pleudaniel, Pleumeur-Bodou, Pleumeur-Gautier, Ploëzal, Ploubazlanec, Ploubezre, Plouëc-du-Trieux, Plouézec, Plougrescant, Plouguiel, Plouha, Ploulec’h, Ploumilliau, Plourhan, Plourivo, Pludual, Pluzunet, Pommerit-Jaudy, Pommerit-le-Vicomte, Pontrieux, Pouldouran, Prat, Quemper-Guézennec, Quemperven, La Roche-Derrien, Rospez, Runan, Saint-Clet, Saint-Gilles-les-Bois, Saint-Laurent, Saint-Quay-Perros, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Squiffiec, Tonquédec, Trébeurden, Trédarzec, Trédrez-Locquémeau, Trégastel, Trégonneau, Tréguier, Trélévern, Tréméven, Tréveneuc, Trévérec, Trévou-Tréguignec, Trézény, Troguéry, Yvias.
5.   Link with the geographical area


Specificities of the area

Natural factors relevant to the link:
Due to its position on a wide peninsula with the Bay of Lannion to the west and the Bay of Saint-Brieuc to the east, the geographical area is in the northernmost part of Brittany, but benefits from the Gulf Stream. Because of this, the Paimpol region only rarely gets spring frosts: occasionally in the month of March, but never later than that, and it has the advantage of a very mild temperature range, rarely going above 30 °C.
This region forms a plateau, the altitude of which varies between 60 and 90 metres. It benefits from a precipitation pattern that, under normal conditions, is very well spread out throughout the year. In spring and summer, the prevailing winds coming from the north-east extend the sea’s influence inland. The hills of Goëlo to the south of the geographical area form a shelter against storms driven by southerly winds that could damage the crops.
The ‘Coco de Paimpol’ production area is also characterised by its soil characteristics: an ancient crystalline bedrock, made up mostly of granite from the Armorican Massif, covered with wind-blown silt from the bottom of the Channel. The texture of these soils is made up mainly of silt, sometimes mixed with sand and clay originating in the alteration of the primary bedrock. This is what makes the soil crumbly and easy to work, as well as being deep and fertile. The soil drains well in the spring and has a high water-reserve.
Human factors relevant to the link:
Those involved in the production of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ benefit from the experience built up by generations of producers since this bean, which originates in Argentina, was introduced to the region at the end of the 1920s. There are many bean producers who produce their own seeds for their farm’s needs. The producers know-how can also be seen in the reasoning they use when sowing. For each of their growing plots, the farmers choose the variety and the planting date based on the area’s soil and relief conditions, what has been grown in the area previously, the fertilisers and additives that have been added, and the weather at the time. The possibility of staggering the planting of the crop makes it possible to spread the harvest over a longer period, which makes it easier to organise the work for this crucial stage. The harvest is carried out during the semi-dry stage under the responsibility of the producer by ‘pluckers’ who select the ripe pods and then place them into the customised containers.
In addition, the designation of origin is the successor to a know-how in market-gardening that predates this crop, connected to the ideal environmental conditions for all field vegetables. This historical specialisation in the region, along with the concentration in the region of skills, as well as commercial and technical infrastructure vital to the industry, are assets that allowed this fragile crop to flourish.
Specificity of the product:
Unlike a dry bean, ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is harvested before it is completely ripe, (while the seeds are not yet fully hard), when it is rich in carbohydrates and still contains a lot of water. ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is therefore marketed as a fresh vegetable, in the form of seeds that are to be removed manually from their pods. It therefore does not need to be soaked and it cooks rapidly. The almost round shape of the seeds distinguishes them from most other white beans, which are more elongated or kidney-shaped. They are covered in a thin integument that sticks perfectly to the albumen. Because of this, ‘Coco de Paimpol’ holds together very well during cooking, while having a tender and melt-in-the-mouth texture. In the mouth, it generally has a sweet taste and is not very floury. Its smell contains aromas of chestnut and hazelnut.
Causal link:
Throughout its growing cycle, ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is very sensitive to its environment. Because of this, its link to the region is based on the interaction between a very favourable natural environment and know-how that has been passed down through several generations (selection of varieties, best possible preparation of the soil, prudent selection of sowing periods, manual harvesting at the right stage).
Several generations of producers have improved and maintained a range of cultivars, which constitute a well-defined and homogeneous variety type, perfectly suited to the environmental conditions. The agronomic characteristics of these beans, as well as their culinary and organoleptic characteristics, are due in large part to the qualities of this plant material.
The germination of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ benefits from crumbly and only slightly stony soils that do not impede the lifting of the plants and that promote root development. The porosity of the silt promotes the early warming of the soil in the spring and natural drainage, which prevents root suffocation when sowing. Moreover, and in spite of the temperature requirements of this plant (the plant’s leaves freeze at – 1 °C and its sub-minimum temperature is close to 10 °C), the exceptional mildness of the region’s climate makes it possible to plant from the middle of March.
Because its weak root system only extends into the first 30 centimetres of the soil, once the plant is established ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is very suited to silty soils, with a high water reserve and porosity to allow for the swift drainage of rain water and regular rainfall. The temperatures between May and November meet the plant’s requirements (its optimum temperature is between 15 and 25 °C). This allows the pods to reach ripeness in a uniform way and promotes the staggering of harvests from July to November, i.e. allowing them to be on the market continuously for 4 months.
Harvested during the semi-dry stage ‘Coco de Paimpol’ benefits in particular from the sea breeze, which keeps temperatures mild and promotes humidity in the air. This slows down the ripening and drying up of the pods in the ground. This is vital for the beans to be able to remain in the field for a few days in the semi-dry stage without drying out. Like its organoleptic qualities (in particular its fruity aromas, its non-floury and melt-in-the-mouth quality, and its sweet taste) the thin and adhesive tegument of ‘Coco de Paimpol’ is due in large part to the not-yet ripe stage at which the pods are harvested.
The pods are still soft at this stage, and therefore they are very fragile. For this reason, they are harvested by hand in order to prevent spoiling from bumps and abrasions.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-a5f75dd0-1280-4bed-8634-e9576876cb9e/telechargement


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.