Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/140 of 1 February 2021 approving non-minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ (PDO)
Date: 2021-02-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Alsace, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France, Lorraine, cows’ milk cheese, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, soft cheese








L_2021043EN.01000801.xml










8.2.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 43/8








            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/140
of 1 February 2021
         
approving non-minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ (PDO)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 52(2) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 53(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the Commission has examined France’s application for the approval of amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’, registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (2).












(2)


By letter dated 8 August 2019, the French authorities notified the Commission that a transitional period under Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, ending on 31 December 2023, had been granted to operators established on their territory who meet the conditions laid down in that Article pursuant to the order of 18 July 2019 amending the order of 8 November 2018 on amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’, published on 26 July 2019 in the Official Journal of the French Republic (3). The list of operators that benefitted from this transitional period is annexed to that order from the French Republic. During the national opposition procedure, the operators, who had been legally marketing ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ continuously for at least five years prior to submission of the application, lodged an objection. Nineteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘The milk used to make “Munster”/“Munster-Géromé” must come exclusively from cows of the Vosges, Simmental, Prim’Holstein or Montbéliarde breeds or crosses with those breeds. In that case, only cows sired by a purebred bull of one of the above four breeds will be accepted’. Fourteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘At least 95 % of the basic ration (dry matter) for the dairy herd must be produced within the geographical area, as annual averages’. Four operators objected to the following provision: ‘At least 70 % of the basic ration (dry matter) for the dairy herd must be produced on the holding, as annual averages’. Ten operators objected to the following provision: ‘Grass in one form or another (dry matter) must account for at least 40 % of dairy cows’ basic ration (annual average) and at least 25 % of their basic ration every day of the year’. Thirteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘Each dairy cow must have at least 10 acres of grass pasture for grazing’. Seven operators objected to the following provision: ‘[Dairy cows] must be allowed to graze for a minimum of 150 days per year’. Twelve operators objected to the following provision: ‘Concentrate fodder must not account for more than 1,8 tonnes of dry matter per year per cow’. Five operators objected to the following provisions: ‘Maturing requires an atmosphere (90 percent relative humidity) specifically […]. During the leavening stage, the temperature must be at least 16 °C. During the wet treatment stage, the temperature of the maturing cellar must range between 10 °C and 16 °C’.












(3)


Since the amendments in question are not minor within the meaning of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the Commission published the amendment application in the Official Journal of the European Union as required by Article 50(2)(a) of that Regulation (4).












(4)


As no statement of opposition under Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 has been received by the Commission, the amendments to the specification should be approved,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
The amendments to the specification published in the Official Journal of the European Union regarding the name ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ (PDO) are hereby approved.


Article 2
The protection provided under Article 1 is subject to the transitional period granted by France under Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 to operators meeting the conditions laid down in that Article, pursuant to the Order of 18 July 2019 amending the Order of 8 November 2018 on amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ published on 26 July 2019 in the Official Journal of the French Republic.


Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 February 2021.


For the Commission,


On behalf of the President,

Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  
            OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1).

(3)  JORF No 0172 of 26 July 2019, text No 75.

(4)  
            OJ C 295, 2.9.2020, p. 5.