Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification 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 2023/C 129/05
Date: 2023-04-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Navarre, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh vegetable, labelling, perennial vegetable, preserved product, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_2023129EN.01004701.xml










13.4.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 129/47






Publication of an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification 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
(2023/C 129/05)
This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS 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


’ALCACHOFA DE TUDELA'


EU No: PGI-ES-0139-AM01 — 9.9.2021


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest






Consejo Regulador de la Indicación Geográfica Protegida ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ [‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ Protected Geographical Indication Regulatory Board]




Avda. Serapio Huici, 22 Edificio Peritos




31610 Villava (Navarre)




ESPAÑA




Tel. +34 948013045
Email: ajuanena@intiasa.es
The applicant group represents the collective interests of the producers of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ and has a legitimate interest in this application to amend the product specification for the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’. It is also the group that originally applied for protected status for this product.
The ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ PGI Regulatory Board is an association comprising producers who work with ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’. The Board’s aims include enhancing the product’s value and improving the performance of the PGI scheme, in accordance with Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
Under the applicable national legislation, the Board is entrusted with the task of promoting the quality of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ and overseeing and defending the product’s reputation. This is reflected in its rules of procedure, which were ratified by the Order of 30 May 2001 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
2.   Member State or Third Country

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







☐


Name of product










☒


Description of product










☒


Geographical area










☒


Proof of origin










☒


Method of production










☒


Link










☒


Labelling










☒


Other: I. Applicable national legislation; G. Control body




4.   Type of amendment(s)







☒


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










☐


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




5.   Amendment(s)

5.1.   Amendments that impact key elements









5.1.A.1.


The following text has been added to paragraph 11 of the ‘Description of product’ section of the product specification, after the description of the marketing of artichokes without stalks: ‘c) Kitchen-ready artichokes: The artichokes must be peeled and packaged in such a way as to maintain their appearance and freshness until they are consumed.’
Grounds for this amendment: The option to market artichokes without stalks in peeled format has been added. Marketing this format enables consumers to buy a fresh, ready-to-cook artichoke and could prove an effective means of reaching groups of consumers who lack the time or ability to peel artichokes.
It is stated that the artichokes must be packaged in such a way as to maintain their appearance and freshness until they are consumed. At present, they are usually vacuum-packed in plastic packaging. However, there is no wish to rule out the potential use of other types of non-plastic packaging that are being developed.
These artichokes meet the same requirements as unpeeled artichokes marketed as fresh produce; they are halfway between these and the preserved artichokes also covered by the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
The text ‘may be presented in two formats’ has been changed to ‘may be presented in three formats’ to include this third format.




5.2.   Amendments that do not impact key elements

5.2.A   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section B, ‘Description of product’, of the product specification









5.2.A.1


The word ‘have’ has been changed to ‘usually have’ in the fourth paragraph of the product description in the product specification.
Grounds for this amendment: This amendment has been made to make it clear that the paragraph provides a general description of the Blanca de Tudela variety and does not lay down any restrictions on the size of the heads that may be picked. The size of the heads varies throughout the harvest season, with larger or smaller heads being picked depending on market demand and the weather conditions. Some markets prefer larger artichokes, while smaller artichokes are preferred in others and are used in preserving.
In any event, they are never very large. It is a characteristic of the variety that it does not yield large artichokes, as the plant begins to flower – making it unsuitable for marketing – once the artichoke reaches average size.












5.2.A.2


The tenth paragraph of the product description in the product specification, which addresses the presentation of artichokes marketed as fresh produce, has been amended to make it clearer, but no new restrictions have been introduced.
The description of artichokes with stalks now reads ‘a) Artichokes with stalks.- The heads may have a stalk approximately 18 cm long, with at least one or two whole leaves. They must be sold by the dozen.’ The words ‘approximately’ and ‘at least’ have been added, and the final phrase (‘in the traditional way, namely in bunches’) has been deleted.
Grounds for this amendment: This amendment does not introduce any new restrictions. Rather, it has been made to clarify that the product is usually sold with a stalk and leaves. Although these are not consumed, the product is traditionally marketed with them. ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is traditionally sold by the dozen, each artichoke having a stalk measuring approximately 18 centimetres. However, since the length of the stalk is not decisive for the quality of the product, the word ‘approximately’ has been added to give more freedom. The length of the stalk will depend on the point in the season at which the product is harvested. Stalks are longer earlier in the season and get shorter as it progresses, reflecting the natural development of the plant.
By contrast, the presence of leaves is important when artichokes are sold by the dozen. While the leaves are not usually consumed, fresh artichokes keep better when they are present. It is therefore important to point out that fresh artichokes must have at least one or two whole leaves and that artichokes without leaves are not permitted. The words ‘at least’ have been added to reflect this.
The phrase ‘in the traditional way, namely in bunches’ has been deleted because it is not necessary to market artichokes in bunches. Artichokes generally leave the premises of registered marketing companies in packaging that allows them to be transported safely without compromising their quality. Artichokes were formerly placed on markets in bunches, but are now usually sent to markets in boxes as they travel better this way. Once they reach the point of sale, they are sold by the dozen, but not necessarily in bunches.












5.2.A.3


The eleventh paragraph of the product description in the product specification, which addresses the presentation of artichokes marketed as fresh produce, has been amended to make it clearer, but no new restrictions have been introduced. The phrase ‘and has no leaves’ has been changed to ‘and has no developed leaves’. The phrase ‘They are sold by the kilogram’ has been deleted.
Grounds for this amendment: The wording has been changed from ‘is limited to’ to ‘is shorter than’ to make it clear that the stalk must be less than 10 cm long.
It should be clarified that unlike artichokes with stalks, artichokes sold in this format do not have developed leaves. This product is generally sold by weight. It does not have developed leaves. That said, the artichokes often have small, immature leaves that are part of the stalk (which is less than 10 cm long). As the artichokes are sold with their stalks, these leaves cannot be removed without affecting the preservation of the artichokes. It should be made clear that while artichokes marketed without stalks cannot have fully developed leaves, there is no need to cut off the small, immature leaves that are part of the stalk. A picture has been included of an artichoke that has some developed leaves and some small, undeveloped leaves. This is to show that it is not possible to harvest the artichoke and leave the minimum stalk length required for its preservation without including the undeveloped leaves.
The phrase ‘They are sold by the kilogram’ has been deleted because it does not lay down a requirement. It appeared in the original product specification because of the similarity to artichokes with stalks and leaves, which are marketed by the dozen. However, there is no need to retain it because artichokes are normally marketed in this way.




5.2.B   Drafting amendments to section B, ‘Description of product’, of the product specification









5.2.B.1


The sentence ‘Its flavour is excellent, including when it is green [i.e. fresh]’ has been deleted from the end of the fourth paragraph of the product description in the product specification.
Grounds for this amendment: The sentence ‘Its flavour is excellent, including when it is green’ has been deleted. It was clearly supposed to indicate that the flavour of the uncooked product is excellent, given that artichokes of the Blanca de Tudela variety are always green. It would be better to delete it because it is misleading and does not lay down a requirement or describe a distinctive characteristic.












5.2.B.2


In the product specification, the fifth paragraph, which refers to Regulation (EC) No 1466/2003, has been deleted and the phrase ‘in Class I’ has been deleted from the seventh paragraph.
Grounds for this deletion: The paragraph was deleted because the regulation to which it refers has been repealed and the regulation currently in force, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/428 of 12 July 2018, does not establish commercial classes for artichokes marketed as fresh produce and so does not serve as a reference for establishing commercial classes for artichokes.
The phrase ‘in Class I’ has been deleted because, as mentioned above, the classification was based on legislation that is no longer in force.












5.2.B.3


The phrase ‘Artichokes marketed as fresh produce’ has been inserted at the start of the sixth paragraph of the ‘Description of product’ section of the product specification to make the text clearer.
Grounds for this amendment: The text has been amended for clarity’s sake as the previous paragraph, which referred to a repealed European regulation, has been deleted. The phrase ‘Artichokes marketed as fresh produce’ has been inserted to make it clear that the characteristics described in the paragraph relate to artichokes marketed as fresh produce.




5.2.C   Drafting amendments to section C, ‘Geographical area’, of the product specification









5.2.C.1


All of the extraneous information has been deleted from this section of the product specification. It now simply lists the municipalities making up the defined geographical area. The end of the text has been amended too: ‘same agricultural district, namely V or Ribera’ has been changed to ‘production area’.
Grounds for this amendment: The first paragraph, which describes the location of Navarre and the districts that form it, has been deleted. The text now simply lists the municipalities making up the area covered by the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’; the rest of the information did not define this geographical area in any way.
Conversely, while the geographical area has not changed, the administrative division of Navarre into agricultural districts is no longer the same as that described in the product specification. All references to agricultural districts have therefore been removed from the text, which now simply lists the municipalities that fully make up the defined geographical area.
The paragraph describing crop distribution in the defined area has also been deleted, because crop distribution varies from one year to the next and the information does not add anything to the product specification.
The end of the last paragraph has been deleted to remove the reference to agricultural districts. It now refers to the production area instead. As mentioned previously, the division into districts has changed between the publication of the product specification and the present day.




5.2.D   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section D, ‘Proof that the product originated in the area’, of the product specification









5.2.D.1


Section D, ‘Proof that the product originated in the area’, of the product specification has been completely overhauled: all the extraneous text has been deleted and the wording now focuses on the elements guaranteeing the product’s traceability, origin and characteristics. The deletions do not impact key elements.
Grounds for this amendment: This change is merely intended to provide a better and more precise explanation of how it is demonstrated that the product originates in the defined geographical area and complies with the other requirements laid down in the product specification.
The previous wording of this section of the product specification was rather vague and did not give a clear picture of the checks and tests carried out by the control body to ensure compliance with the product specification.
The proposed new wording provides a more detailed explanation of the actual checks and tests that are carried out by the inspection control as part of the certification procedure, which is compliant with standard UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and has been accredited by the National Accreditation Body.
Details have also been provided regarding the inspection system, which is based on: on-site inspections of artichoke fields; inspections carried out at the processing plants; and sampling and analysis during the processing season. This system is complemented by the processing plants’ own internal inspection systems. The text also now specifies the registers where the operators involved in producing the PGI artichokes have to be listed so that the inspection system can be implemented.




5.2.E   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification









5.2.E.1


Only the first part of the second paragraph of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification, which describes the requirement to grow the product as an annual crop, has been left intact. The rest of the paragraph has been deleted because it is redundant.
Grounds for this amendment: The text has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements regarding the method of production: it states that crop rotation is traditionally recommended and notes that no problems attributable to repeated production of the same crop have been observed when crop rotation is not performed.












5.2.E.2


The ‘Soils’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the original product specification has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements for the protected product.
Grounds for this amendment: The text has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements regarding the method of production. It is not the Regulatory Board that determines which soils are suitable for cultivation; the producer is responsible for selecting parcels with soil characteristics that will enable the crop to develop in such a way that it can produce heads of artichoke meeting the quality characteristics required by the PGI.












5.2.E.3


The ‘Fertilisation’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the original product specification has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements for the protected product.
Grounds for this amendment: The text has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements regarding the method of production. The old text describes how fertilisers were applied when the product specification was drawn up and refers to standards that have since been repealed. Both crop rotation and fertiliser use must follow agricultural best practices and comply with the legislation in force at the time. Since they are not specific characteristics of the production of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ and are instead general requirements, they do not need to be mentioned in the product specification.












5.2.E.4


The ‘Planting’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been amended: the text describing artichoke cultivation techniques has been deleted, leaving only the decisive characteristics of the protected product.
Grounds for this amendment: The paragraphs describing techniques for fertilisation and the preparation of rows for planting have been deleted because they refer to cultivation techniques – some of which are obsolete – that are not specific to the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
The planting density and the distance between the plants and rows do not substantially affect the quality of the crop, but instead depend on the machinery available to the producer. The description has therefore been deleted.
The reference to Navarre’s Agricultural Technology and Management Institute as the body responsible for overseeing plant selection has been deleted; this was a public company reporting to the Government of Navarre and no longer exists. Now, the farmers who produce the root crowns are responsible for selecting the plant that will be left in place to produce the root crowns. These farmers often bring in independent third parties to certify that the plant was selected properly.
There is still a description of the planting season. However, no restriction has been placed on the dates because they depend on when the artichoke plant has dried, the root crowns have been extracted and the ground conditions are suitable for planting.












5.2.E.5


The ‘Care’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements, instead describing how artichokes are cultivated, and is obsolete in places.
Grounds for this amendment: The text has been deleted because it does not set out requirements that are specific to the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’; it merely describes the technique used at the time the product specification was drafted. Nowadays, weeds are not removed from many parcels. Instead, controlled weed growth is allowed so as to provide ground cover and prevent water evaporation. Alternatively, cover materials may be used to suppress weeds and eliminate the need for herbicide use.












5.2.E.6


The ‘Irrigation’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been amended: the paragraphs that do not lay down requirements and simply describe the defined area have been deleted, and the wording has been improved to make it clearer.
Grounds for this amendment: The text now emphasises that irrigation is required for cultivating the artichokes because there is little rainfall in the production area.
The text describing irrigation techniques has been deleted because it is general, given that the most appropriate irrigation techniques will depend on the weather conditions at each stage of cultivation.
The text about irrigation in second-year fields has been deleted, because this also depends on the weather conditions at each stage of cultivation.












5.2.E.7


The ‘Treatment’ section has been deleted from section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification.
Grounds for this deletion: This text has been deleted because it refers to the plant protection treatments that were used when the original product specification was drafted, some of which are now prohibited. European legislation is placing restrictions on plant protection treatments and many producers of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ are turning to organic treatments. It therefore makes little sense to mention plant protection treatments, as these can change over time and there are no specific requirements relating to them for the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.












5.2.E.8


Parts of the ‘Harvesting’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification have been deleted because they are general descriptions of artichoke cultivation. Only the requirements specifically relating to the protected product remain.
Grounds for this amendment: The paragraph referring to the optimum development of the artichoke heads has been deleted because it is a general description applying to all artichokes and does not lay down any specific requirements that should be included in the product specification.
The paragraphs referring to harvest periods and the intended uses of the harvested artichokes have been deleted. Harvesting begins when there are fully developed artichokes on the plant; the time at which this happens varies greatly depending on the weather in autumn and on winter frosts, since the harvesting of artichokes for certification can begin only when the frosts are over.
The use to which the harvested artichokes are put will depend on market demand. The fresh produce market usually takes precedence. When it cannot absorb all of the artichokes that have been produced, they go to the preserving market, where prices tend to be slightly lower.
Two words in the paragraph have been changed to improve its wording: ‘removed’ has been changed to ‘cut’ because artichokes are harvested with a knife, and ‘daily’ has been changed to ‘constant’ because the fields are not harvested every day; the weather conditions may cause the artichokes to develop more quickly or more slowly, making it necessary to increase or decrease the frequency of harvesting.












5.2.E.9


The wording of the ‘Pulling up of the plants’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been amended to remove superfluous text and highlight the specific requirements applying to ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
Grounds for this amendment: This section was amended to stress that the root crowns planted under the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ must come from parcels where the artichokes are grown as an annual crop and not a biennial crop.
A reference to July has been added because planting takes place in July and August.
The description of root crown production has been deleted because this process is not covered by the product specification.












5.2.E.10


The heading and wording of the ‘Presentation of the product for sale as fresh produce’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification have been amended to place greater emphasis on the characteristics of the protected product and remove paragraphs that do not lay down decisive requirements relating to the characteristics of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
Grounds for this amendment: The text now stresses that the artichokes must come from registered parcels and the cultivar must be Blanca de Tudela: these are distinctive characteristics of the protected product.
The definitions of the types of packaging permitted have been deleted, leaving operators free to decide which type of packaging they will use to market the artichokes. They must now notify the control body of the packaging they use. Now that artichokes are being sold as fresh produce in supermarkets, there is demand for smaller sales units than those used to market artichokes when the product specification was drafted. The packaging is not deemed a distinctive characteristic of fresh ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
The text now contains the requirement that, as with preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’, acidulants may not be added to artichokes marketed as fresh produce.
The requirement relating to sizing has not been changed.












5.2.E.11


The first paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been amended: numbering has been added to make the text more coherent and the reference to ‘section B’ has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements.
Grounds for this amendment: Numbering has been added to the heading and the reference to ‘section B’ has been deleted because it does not lay down any requirements.
The text now specifies that only ‘Extra Class’ and ‘Class I’ produce may be used. Traditionally, it has not been permitted to use ‘Class II’ produce to make the protected preserved product. A requirement to this effect has therefore been added to the product specification.












5.2.E.12


The second paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been amended: numbering has been added, the text has been restructured to make it more coherent, and any text not laying down requirements has been deleted.
Grounds for this amendment: This section has been restructured to separate the different stages in the production of the preserved product. The text now stresses that the raw material must come from registered parcels and be of the protected cultivar. The reference to the commercial class of the fresh artichokes, which has been removed from the relevant section, has been deleted here too. This change has been made because the legislation defining ‘Class I’ for artichokes marketed as fresh produce has been repealed.












5.2.E.13


The third paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been deleted.
Grounds for this deletion: Now that the section has been restructured, this paragraph no longer makes sense. The sterilisation requirements are explained later in the text.












5.2.E.14


The fourth paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been restructured: it has been divided into two parts.
Grounds for this amendment: Only the structure of the paragraphs has been changed; no new information has been added. The original paragraph has been split in two because it describes two stages in the processing of preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’: washing and blanching.












5.2.E.15


The fifth paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been restructured: it has been divided into two parts.
Grounds for this amendment: This paragraph has been restructured, but still contains the original information. It now also clarifies that artichokes are sized based on the diameter of their hearts. The original paragraph has been split in two because it describes two stages in the processing of preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’: sizing and cutting.












5.2.E.16


The sixth paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been restructured: it has been divided into two parts. Part of the text has been amended to highlight the requirements for ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
Grounds for these amendments: The structure has been amended. The section dealing with packing and the addition of preserving liquid has been separated from the section on pre-heating because these are two different stages in the process of producing preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’. The section on packing emphasises that the product must not contain acidulants or acidity regulators, as their absence is a characteristic of the protected product. The text now stresses that the container must be made of glass and notes that the pre-heating process is optional.
Pre-heating more effectively removes the air trapped in the containers, but if a long time passes between the product being packed and the containers being closed and sterilised, it is better not to increase the product’s temperature because of the associated microbiological risk. Pre-heating would keep the containers warm for long enough for thermophilic microorganisms to grow, which could subsequently cause the product to spoil.












5.2.E.17


The seventh paragraph of the ‘Preserved artichokes’ section of section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification has been restructured: it has been divided into two parts. The definition of the term ‘sterilisation’ has been expanded to make it clearer.
Grounds for this amendment: The same structure has been used as in the previous paragraphs. The text now includes the requirement that heat treatment must be sufficient to ensure that the preserved product is sterile for marketing; this is already required under current certification procedures. It would be better to allow the processors to decide which form of heat treatment to use for the preserved product, rather than specifying temperatures as the original product specification did. It stipulated that the temperature for sterilisation was between 115 °C and 121 °C: although this is the usual temperature range for sterilising preserved artichokes, in future there may be new autoclaves offering more suitable, less energy-intensive treatment methods that conserve the preserved product’s texture, as is required for protected status.












5.2.E.18


In section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification, the column defining ‘Class II’ has been removed from the table about preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
Grounds for this amendment: The requirements for the commercial class ‘Class II’ have been removed from the table because the PGI does not cover this class and mentioning it may cause confusion.












5.2.E.19


In section E, ‘Method of production’, of the product specification, point (2) of the description of uniformity of size has been expanded to make it clearer.
Grounds for this amendment: The heart is the most highly regarded part of the artichoke, and artichokes with very large bracts are deemed to be of worse quality than artichokes with smaller bracts because less of the bract was cut away when the hearts were processed. This is why the text now stresses that uniformity is measured by looking at the uniformity of bract length. The measurement is carried out as before, namely by taking 20 % of the artichokes with longer bracts and 20 % of those with shorter bracts and showing the result as a ratio between the two.




5.2.F   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification

The amendments below mainly concern the deletion of paragraphs that, while part of the ‘Link’ section, do not impact key elements or affect the nature of the link.








5.2.F.1


The first three paragraphs of the section ‘1. Historical’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification have been deleted.
Grounds for this amendment: These paragraphs have been deleted because they do not provide any specific information about ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’, but rather discuss irrigation in Navarre.












5.2.F.2


The reference to Maps 2 and 5 has been deleted from the section ‘2. Natural’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification as these are no longer included as annexes, and the wording of the section has been amended to refer to the defined area only.
Grounds for this amendment: The reference to the two maps has been deleted and the text now simply describes the defined area. The maps in the original product specification are old and their resolution is poor, and they do not add any information to the product specification.












5.2.F.3


The reference to Map 5 has been deleted from the section ‘2. Natural b) Soils 1. Geology and lithology’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification, as it is no longer included as an annex.
Grounds for this amendment: The reference to the maps has been deleted. The maps in the original product specification are old and their resolution is poor, and they do not add any information to the product specification.












5.2.F.4


The first five paragraphs of the section ‘2. Natural b) Soils 2. Soil characteristics’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification have been deleted.
Grounds for this amendment: These paragraphs have been deleted because they do not describe the soil characteristics of the soils in the defined area and instead describe general soil classification. Once again, the references to the maps have been deleted as explained above; they are no longer included as annexes.












5.2.F.5


The reference to Map 8 and the last four paragraphs have been deleted from the section ‘2. Natural c) Climate’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification.
Grounds for this deletion: The reference to the maps has been deleted because they are no longer part of the product specification. The paragraphs describing the climate based on the crops that could be grown have also been deleted because they are general: they discuss the potential to grow crops other than ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’, i.e. the crop covered by the product specification.












5.2.F.6


Some paragraphs and the reference to Map 11 have been deleted from the section ‘2. Natural d) Hydrography’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification.
Grounds for this amendment: The paragraphs dealing with the management of water resources have been removed from the section describing the hydrography, as they are not relevant to the characteristics of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
The reference to Map 11 has been deleted because it is no longer included as an annex, since it is an old map that did not provide any information.












5.2.F.7


The section ‘2. Natural e) Flora and natural meadows’ of section F, ‘Link’, of the product specification has been deleted.
Grounds for this deletion: The section on flora and natural meadows has been deleted. While it provides a detailed description of the flora and natural meadows present in the defined area, it does not relate to any specific characteristics of ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.




5.2.G   Drafting amendments to section G, ‘Control body’, of the product specification

The old text of the ‘Control body’ section has been overhauled: all the extraneous information has been deleted and the details of the control body have been updated.
Grounds for this amendment: The ‘Control body’ section in the previous version of the product specification contained information that is not relevant in this context, namely a description of the structure, powers and duties of the PGI management body as set out in national legislation. This information has been deleted and replaced with details of the control body that checks compliance with the product specification in accordance with Article 37(1)(b) of 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.
5.2.H   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section H, ‘Labelling’, of the product specification









5.2.H.1


The first two points of the ‘Labelling’ section of the product specification have been deleted.
Grounds for this deletion: These two points have been deleted because they do not provide any additional information and could cause misinterpretations. Two different elements may be used to certify the artichokes, namely the certification label and the band, both of which are numbered and are issued by the Regulatory Board. They are described further down.












5.2.H.2


The third point in the ‘Labelling’ section of the product specification has been amended: the last sentence has been deleted and the phrase ‘or bands’ has been added to the first sentence.
Grounds for this amendment: As mentioned in the previous paragraph, all ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ packaging, be it for fresh or preserved artichokes, must feature either the band or the certification label, which is why the phrase ‘or bands’ has been added. The last sentence has been deleted because it does not add anything. It is obvious that artichokes bearing neither a certification label nor a certification band are not certified products.












5.2.H.3


The fourth and fifth points of the ‘Labelling’ section of the product specification have been amended. The last phrase has been deleted from the fourth point and the wording of the fifth point has been amended, as they do not reflect the current certification system.
Grounds for this amendment: The last part of the fourth point has been deleted because it refers to concepts not featured in the current certification system, such as the authorisation of facilities and the disqualification of products by the Regulatory Board. The Regulatory Board is not responsible for authorising registered facilities, nor for qualifying or disqualifying the product; decisions on (dis)qualification are made by the registered operator. The text still states that labelling must take place in registered facilities. To be registered, a facility must pass all the inspections and be certified as an ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ processing plant or marketing facility, as described in the ‘Inspections’ section.
This is also the reason for the removal of the requirement regarding authorisation of commercial labels by the Regulatory Board. Instead, the text now states that labels must be submitted to the Regulatory Board for registration. While the Regulatory Board does not authorise commercial labels, it must register all labels using the markings. The paragraph has therefore been amended to specify that labels must be submitted to the Regulatory Board. During the registration process, authorisation to use the PGI logo may be denied if the labels may confuse consumers.
Finally, the paragraph mentioning refusal by the Regulatory Board to approve labels has been deleted because under current legislation, the Regulatory Board is not responsible for approving or refusing to approve labels.












5.2.H.5


The final point of the ‘Labelling’ section of the product specification has been amended: the phrase ‘and bands’ has been added here too, and the graphics have been included in the text instead of appearing as an annex (as was the case in the original product specification).
Grounds for this amendment: Once again, the phrase ‘and band’ has been added because the certification elements are the certification label mentioned in the original text and the band.
The graphics for the logo, certification label and band have been inserted in the main document rather than being included as an annex.




5.2.I   Amendments that do not impact key elements of section I, ‘Applicable national legislation’, of the product specification

The references to repealed national legislation have been removed. A reference has been added to the legislation on quality standards for preserved vegetables, which is relevant as it lays down the commercial classes for preserved fresh produce.
Grounds for this amendment: All of the legislation referred to in the previous list has been repealed.
Although product specifications are no longer required to include this section on applicable national legislation under 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, it has been retained in order to keep the reference to the Order of the Prime Minister’s Office of 21 November 1984 approving the quality standards on preserving fresh produce, as this is legislation that is specifically applicable to preserved ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

’ALCACHOFA DE TUDELA'


EU No: PGI-ES-0139-AM01 — 9.9.2021


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Alcachofa de Tudela'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
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

‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is obtained from artichokes of the cultivar Blanca de Tudela, grown on registered plantations.
The artichokes are the flower heads of the species Cynara scolymus L. ‘Blanca de Tudela’. They are well-formed and have the green colour and round, slightly ellipsoidal shape that is typical of the cultivar.
‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ may be presented as follows:






—


as fresh produce, either with a stalk (when marketed with a stalk approximately 18 cm long) or without a stalk (when the stalk is shorter than 10 cm);










—


in kitchen-ready format, when peeled and packaged in such a way that the product stays fresh;










—


in preserved format, as either artichoke hearts or artichoke halves, with no acidification. The final pH of the preserved product must be greater than 5,0.




3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The raw material for ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is artichokes of the Blanca de Tudela variety, originating exclusively from the defined geographical area. Only artichokes grown as an annual crop may be marketed as fresh produce, while artichokes grown as an annual or biennial crop may be used for the preserved product.
Artichokes to be sold as fresh produce must be whole, sound, free from damage caused by disease or pests, clean, and free of foreign smell and taste.
Kitchen-ready artichokes must be peeled and packaged in such a way that they remain fresh. Their characteristics must be similar to those of artichokes intended for consumption as fresh produce.
Preserved artichokes must be ‘Extra Class’ or ‘Class I’ produce, packed in glass containers with no added acidulants, and heat-sterilised. They may be sold whole or in halves.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The plantations in which ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is grown must be located in the 33 defined municipalities.
The warehouses and industrial facilities in which the preserved product is prepared and the fresh or kitchen-ready product packaged must be located in Navarre.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The contents of each pack of fresh, kitchen-ready or preserved artichokes placed on the market must be uniform and consist only of artichokes grown in the production area, of the Blanca de Tudela variety, and meeting the quality requirements applicable to the indicated commercial class.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

All packaging used for fresh and preserved produce, whatever its format, must bear the numbered certification labels or bands issued by the Regulatory Board, which constitute the guarantee certificate for the protected product.
The labels and certification labels for the protected artichokes must be affixed in registered facilities. This applies both to artichokes sold as fresh produce and to preserved artichokes.
Registered processing and/or preparation companies must submit labels to the Regulatory Board for registration before putting them into circulation.
The PGI logo and the numbered certification label and band issued by the Regulatory Board as a guarantee of the protected product’s certification are shown below:






















Logo of the PGI ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’


Certification label













Band




4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area in which the plantations must be located is more restricted than the geographical area in which the warehouses and industrial facilities that prepare the preserved product and package the fresh or kitchen-ready product must be located.
The growing area in which ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ plantations must be located consists of 33 municipalities, all of which are located in Navarre: Ablitas, Andosilla, Arguedas, Azagra, Barillas, Buñuel, Cabanillas, Cadreita, Cárcar, Cascante, Castejón, Cintruénigo, Corella, Cortes, Falces, Fitero, Fontellas, Funes, Fustiñana, Lodosa, Marcilla, Mendavia, Milagro, Monteagudo, Murchante, Peralta, Ribaforada, San Adrián, Sartaguda, Tudela, Tulebras, Valtierra and Villafranca.
The warehouses and industrial facilities in which the preserved product is prepared and the fresh or kitchen-ready product is packaged must be located in Navarre.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between the geographical area and ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is based on the product’s quality, which is shaped by the characteristics of the geographical area and how the artichokes are grown.
5.1.   Specificity of the product

The only permitted variety is Blanca de Tudela, which originates in the geographical growing area and was developed through selection, over many years, by farmers in the defined area.
Only artichokes grown as an annual crop may be marketed as fresh produce, while artichokes grown as an annual or biennial crop may be used for the preserved product. The pulling-up of the plants and the elimination of ‘off-type’ plants makes it possible to obtain high-quality artichokes displaying the distinctive characteristics of the variety: a green colour and a round, slightly ellipsoidal shape.
The preserved product is packed in glass containers and is not acidified. This is the traditional method of producing preserved artichokes in the defined area. It makes it possible to maintain the product’s natural flavour, which is more similar to that of fresh artichokes because neither acidulants nor acidity regulators are used.
5.2.   Specificity of the geographical area

In the defined geographical area, the water system formed by the river Ebro and its tributaries the Ega, Aragón and Arga has allowed the emergence of a cultivation method fed by its waters. The combination of limy soils, a sunny climate and pronounced temperature differences between winter and summer provides the ideal conditions for artichokes.
The sole protected variety, Blanca de Tudela, was developed through selection by local producers, who have created a variety that is perfectly suited to the defined area.
5.3.   How the specific features of the geographical area influences the product

The geographical area in which ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is grown gives it a number of distinctive characteristics. Winter dormancy, which is induced naturally by the growing area’s low winter temperatures, gives the artichoke, when it buds at the end of winter, a quality that sets it apart from crops grown in more temperate and, undoubtedly, more productive areas. The artichoke that is obtained has tighter bracts and a better flavour.
The method used to produce the preserved product – i.e. not acidifying the product, and packing it in glass containers – is characteristic of the defined area and makes it possible to obtain a product with similar sensory characteristics to fresh artichokes.
‘Alcachofa de Tudela’, and especially the Blanca de Tudela variety, is perfectly suited to the soil and climate conditions in the defined area when irrigated. It has been grown in this area since at least the Middle Ages.
There are numerous bibliographic references to ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’. The critic Caius Apicius (Cristiano Alvarez) refers to ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ as ‘the queen of all artichoke varieties’. Many traditional recipes in the defined area are based on ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ and, as Victor Manuel Sarobe notes in the book ‘La cocina popular navarra’ [The traditional cooking of Navarre], ‘Alcachofa de Tudela’ is an ingredient in authentic Tudela menestra [vegetable and pulse stew].

Reference to publication of the specification

https://bit.ly/3iY2g7O


(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.