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 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2017-09-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Basque Country, Navarre, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, sheep's milk cheese








C_2017297EN.01001001.xml










8.9.2017   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 297/10





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 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
(2017/C 297/05)
The European Commission has approved this 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)

‘IDIAZABAL’

EU No: PDO-ES-0082-AM03 — 9.5.2017


PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) TSG ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest






Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Idiazabal’ (Regulatory Council for the ‘Idiazabal’ Protected Designation of Origin)




Granja Modelo de Arkaute, s/n




01192 Arkaute — Álava




ESPAÑA




Tel. +34 9452899710




Fax +34 945121386




Email: info@idiazabalgazta.eus




The Regulatory Council is officially recognised as the management body for the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO, in accordance with the first additional provision of Law 6/2015 of 12 May 2015 on protected designations of origin and geographical indications whose territorial scope extends to more than one of Spain’s autonomous communities, and one of its specific functions is to propose amendments to the specification.
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment








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Product Description




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Proof of origin




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Method of production




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Link




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Labelling




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Others [please specify]




4.   Type of amendment(s)








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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 and requiring no amendment to the published single document.




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☒


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 and requiring an amendment to the published single document.




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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.




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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 possibility has been created to add the words ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’(from the farmstead) to the labelling of cheeses produced exclusively with the farmstead’s own milk, i.e. with milk produced by the cheesemaker himself or herself.
The following text has been added to the Labelling section of the single document:

‘For cheeses made exclusively with milk from the place where the cheese is made, the words “baserrikoa — de caserío” may be added to the “Idiazabal” PDO logo.’

In addition, the following text has been added to the labelling section of the single document:

‘For cheeses made exclusively with milk from the place where the cheese is made in accordance with the provisions in the Manual for the Use and Management of the Identification Elements and Labelling, the words “baserrikoa — de caserío” may be added to the “Idiazabal” PDO logo, in the format, position and size determined by the management body.’

Justification for amendment:

Introduction and background

The production of cheeses covered by the ‘Idiazabal’ protected designation of origin (hereinafter PDO) has its roots in the sheep-farming that has historically and continuously taken place in the PDO’s protected geographical area, and which carries on to this day. In this context, the landscape of the production areas extending over the mountains of Álava, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa and Navarra has given unquestionable prominence in its settlements to the institution of the farmstead as a building that both provides shelter and enables agricultural and livestock farming.
Traditionally, many shepherds have produced ‘Idiazabal’ PDO cheese from milk produced in their own livestock holding or farmstead. In other cases, however, the production chain is the same as for most cheeses on the market, in that the milk is transferred to a production site separate from the farmstead itself: i.e., to a dairy. In both cases, the whole production process complies with the requirements laid down by the specification of the PDO, which is founded on the use of raw, unheated milk, since heating would cancel out or diminish the sensory nuances, which are part of the longstanding traditions of the area.
In recognition of this fact, Article 12(1) of the Regulation governing the PDO approved by Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 30 November 1993, provides for the possibility that labelling of cheeses produced by the shepherd himself or herself may ‘use the term Artzaigazta or shepherd’s cheese, if it has been made with raw milk coming from the farm itself’. Given that the aforementioned Regulation will be replaced by the Statutes of the Public-law Corporation referred to in the First Additional Provision of Law 6/2015 of 12 May 2015 on protected designations of origin and geographical indications whose territorial scope extends to more than one of Spain’s autonomous communities, it is appropriate and relevant to include a similar term — as is the case with ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’ — in the labelling section of the PDO’s specification.
This inclusion will also improve the level of legal certainty relating to the labelling of cheese covered by the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO, and will improve the way this area is managed, since from the technical and legal perspective it is more appropriate that the provisions relating to labelling (optional terms in particular) remain in the specification.

Optional nature of the text provided for in the requested amendment

The requested amendment only affects the labelling of cheeses covered by the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO. However, even in terms of labelling, the proposed amendment does not impose obligations on operators, nor does it constitute any restriction with regard to the provisions already provided for in the current specification.
The proposed amendment to the specification gives the operators who wish to do so the possibility of providing accurate additional information to consumers about their cheese covered by the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO. In particular, by including the words ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’ on the labelling, the consumer is being informed that the cheese in question was produced using milk exclusively from the producer’s own livestock holding.
Note here, therefore, that the proposed amendment does not provide for different categories within the cheese covered by the PDO. It simply offers the possibility of providing additional information that is also perfectly verifiable by means of the PDO’s own traceability system. Therefore, the term ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’ is merely an optional term that does not impose obligations on any operator. The use of this term is voluntary, including for those operators that produce or market cheese meeting the conditions required for making use of it.

Establishment and development of ‘de caserío’ (in the farmstead) production

Finally, it is also worth mentioning the production volume covered by the PDO that currently meets the conditions that would allow it to be marketed bearing the words ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’ on its labelling.
In this regard, it should be noted that most of the operators registered in the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO’s Regulatory Council produce the protected cheese with their own milk, i.e. under the conditions required for using the term ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’. In addition, as regards the total production volume, approximately half of the cheese certified with the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO is cheese that has been produced using milk exclusively from the producer’s own livestock holding.
Moreover, operators that produce cheese with their own milk have a recognised and prominent collective identity in the community of the protected geographical area. In this regard, various circumstances must be taken into account, such as: the establishment in the area of local markets in which direct contact is made between consumers and producers-sellers; promotion by the public authorities; the business community founded on shepherds as a ‘concept’; and the attractiveness of artisanal products as part of the rise in gourmet cuisine.

Minor nature of the amendment, and how it does not affect the product covered by the PDO

The requested amendment to the specification only affects the labelling of the covered product and does not affect the product itself. The requested amendment does not introduce any change to any of the characteristics of the covered product, nor to any of the stages in its production process, nor to the area of geographical production and preparation, nor to its monitoring and traceability.
In addition, the requested amendment does not entail any change to the name of the PDO, nor does it alter the link between the product and the designated area, nor does it impose any restriction on the sale of the product or its raw materials.
In short, the requested amendment is minor under the terms of Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, since it complies with the conditions referred to in the third subparagraph of section 2 of the aforementioned Regulation.
6.   Updated product specification (only for PDO and PGI)

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/pliegoconmodificacionmenoretiquet22022017_tcm7-449827.pdf
SINGLE DOCUMENT
‘IDIAZABAL’

EU No: PDO-ES-0082-AM03 — 9.5.2017


PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name

‘Idiazabal’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.3. Cheeses
3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Idiazabal’ cheese is made exclusively from raw sheep’s milk from the Latxa and Carranzana breeds. It is pressed, uncooked and matures for a minimum of 60 days. It has a minimum weight of 1 kg (with a leeway of 10 % up or down), a height of between 8 and 12 cm (with a leeway of 0,5 cm), and a diameter of between 10 and 30 cm. The cheese may be smoked.
No substances may be added to the milk other than dairy ferments, lysozyme, rennet and salt.
The cheese has a cylindrical shape, a hard rind, is smooth and has a pale yellow colour, or a dark brown colour in the case of smoked cheese. The cut (colour and holes) of the cheese is homogeneous, running from an ivory colour to a straw-yellow colour, with small holes of varying shapes that are few in number. The texture of the cheese is rather springy, firm and has a certain amount of graininess. As far as its smell and taste are concerned, it typically has a strong smell that brings to mind sheep’s milk and rennet, and a taste which is balanced and intense on the palate, with delicate spicy, acid and, where relevant, smoky notes. Its strong smell remains for a long time after it has been swallowed.
Its fat content must not be less than 45 % in dry matter; total protein must be at least 25 % in dry matter and the dry matter itself must be a minimum of 55 %. The pH of the product must be between 4,9 and 5,5.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Feed: The Latxa and Carranzana breeds of sheep are normally put out to graze for almost the whole year. The flocks are moved periodically to and from the valley floors to the upper slopes of the mountains, according to the season. Since they live practically the whole year in a natural environment, the sheep basically feed on spontaneous vegetation in the woods lower down the slopes in winter, and in the high grasslands in summer. They are fed in the fold, when conditions in the grasslands are difficult or when this is recommended for a number of physiological reasons (lactation).
Raw materials: Raw sheep’s milk from the Latxa and Carranzana breeds in the defined geographical area.
No substances may be added to the milk other than dairy ferments, lysozyme, rennet and salt.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

Both the production of the milk and the production and maturing of the cheese must take place in the defined geographical area, meaning that all the stages of production are carried out in the defined area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Idiazabal’ cheese may be put up for sale whole or in slices (pieces).
Packaging of ‘Idiazabal’ cheese or its slices, as applicable, must always be carried out following the cheese’s minimum maturing period of 60 days.
The slicing of the cheese, except when the product is sold retail, and when it is packed, as appropriate, must be carried out in the defined geographical area. There are two reasons for this:
Firstly, when the cheese is sliced, at least two sides of the wedges lose the protective rind. Thus, to ensure that the organoleptic characteristics of ‘Idiazabal’ cheese are maintained, when the product is cut, the resulting slices must be packaged very quickly after the slicing.
Secondly, a consequence of the slicing may be that the identifiers of the authenticity and origin of the product may disappear or no longer be visible. In order not to compromise the authenticity of the cut product, therefore, it is necessary to cut and package it at origin.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

‘Idiazabal’ cheese must carry the following identifiers:






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A casein label with a unique serial number must be affixed to each cheese in the moulding or pressing stage. The label shall be supplied by the managing body.










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The labels used to market the cheese must include the name and logo of the Protected Designation of Origin.
For cheeses made exclusively with milk from the place where the cheese is made, the words ‘baserrikoa — de caserío’ may be added to the ‘Idiazabal’ PDO logo.










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The labels used for the cheese, whether marketed whole or in slices, must be affixed in the registered dairy where the cheese has been produced and has matured, in accordance with Spanish law.










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The cheese must carry a secondary label, each with its own serial number, codified according to the size and format of the cheese that it is certifying. The secondary label must contain the name ‘Idiazabal’ and the logo of the Protected Designation of Origin. The secondary labels shall be supplied and checked by the managing body and shall be made available, in a non-discriminatory way, to all operators requesting them that meet the terms of the specification.




4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area includes the natural environments of the Latxa and Carranzana breeds of sheep in Álava, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa and Navarre, except the municipalities of the Valle del Roncal. The production area lies in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, between 43° 27′ and 41° 54′ North, and 1° 05′ and 3° 37′ West, based on the Greenwich Meridian.
5.   Link with the geographical area


Specific nature of the geographical area:

There is evidence in this area of sheep farming with the Latxa and Carranzana breeds since around 2200 BC. The specific characteristics of the area are essential to the correct development and management of these breeds as they have become used to this area after so many years. The area of production is a highly indented and complex mountainous region which makes communication difficult. This has contributed to the continued existence of sheep farming in many of the valleys and uplands. The soils are rich in basic and other nutrients, with the eroding effects attenuated by the natural features of the rock, and on occasions by the presence of carbonate rock in the soil profile, which makes for excellent pasture land. The topographical features of the area produce a varied climate which ranges from an Atlantic to a Mediterranean climate, with transitional zones caused by the barrier effect of the mountain ranges. The network of water courses is extensive and rich, given that there are many hills and mountains and a lot of precipitation. There are two catchment basins: The Cantabrian, into which flows water from Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa and the northern valleys of Álava and Navarre; and the Mediterranean, which takes in Álava, Navarra Media and La Ribera. As regards flora, there are many natural meadows and grasslands. The favourable climatic and soil conditions have encouraged the growth of hygrophilous and subhygrophilous plants which derive from the oceanic character of the Basque Country and the north of Navarre.

Specificity of the product:

‘Idiazabal’ cheese has its own sensory characteristics that set it apart from other cheeses. These can be experienced in the product’s wealth of nuances of smell and taste; it also has a very little to medium springiness and graininess, and medium to high levels of firmness. The cheese has an intense taste which stays long on the palate, with a perfect balance between the milky aromas, rennet and ‘roasted’ smell that are its fundamental sensory characteristics, and which are complemented by a vast number of nuances of taste and smell that give the cheese real personality.

Causal link between the geographical area and the specific character of the product:

The specific characteristics of the production of the milk used to make ‘Idiazabal’ cheese are essentially due to the breeds that are authorised to provide it (Latxa and Carranzana). The adaptation of these sheep to the defined geographical area and the historical relationship between the environment, the sheep and the shepherds, creates a permanent bond that goes a long way to explaining the specific characteristics of ‘Idiazabal’ cheese. Latxa and Carranzana are breeds of sheep that are very well suited to providing milk, are hardy and adapted to the mountains, and are at one with the Basque sheep-farming culture, the topography and the ‘green’ environmental features of their home turf.
The reason, too, why all these characteristics that come from the natural environment, that changes with the seasons, types of pasture, climate, and so on, find their expression in ‘Idiazabal’ cheese is thanks to its use of raw, unheated milk, since heating would cancel out or diminish the sensory nuances that make the product tasty to eat and are part of the longstanding traditions of the area.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-agroalimentaria/pliegoconmodificacionmenoretiquet22022017_tcm7-449827.pdf


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.