Publication of an approved standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
Date: 2024-06-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Castile-Leon, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, leguminous vegetable, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202403969EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3969


25.6.2024






Publication of an approved standard amendment to the product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural products and foodstuffs sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014
(C/2024/3969)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 6b(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).
COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION ORIGINATING IN A MEMBER STATE

(Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)



                     ‘Lenteja de Tierra de Campos’
                  


EU No: PGI-ES-0313-AM01 - 3.6.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product


               ‘Lenteja de Tierra de Campos’
            
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Spain
3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León [Castile and Leon Institute of Agricultural Technology]
—
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

Explanation that the amendment(s) fall under the definition of a standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 This is a ‘standard amendment’, as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, as the changes made do not amend the name of the protected geographical indication, do not threaten to destroy the link, nor do they introduce new restrictions on the marketing of the product.
1.   Amendment of the ‘Definition of the geographical area’
Various errors regarding several municipalities that make up the geographical area have been corrected.
The municipality Medina de Rioseco had been repeated in various districts of Valladolid; it has been removed from the Centro district and kept in the Tierra de Campos district where it belongs.
In the district of Sahagún in the province of León, Mancomunidad de Santa María del Monte de Cea has been removed because there is no such place, and the municipality of Santa María del Monte de Cea has been kept.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
2.   Amendment of the ‘Proof that the product originated in the area’
The provisions of Article 4(2) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 regarding the traceability of the product have been included and the control methods have been reviewed. In the phrase ‘Only ... will be packaged and put on the market with a guarantee of origin backed by the label identifying the designation,’ the term ‘designation’ has been replaced by ‘Protected Geographical Indication’.
The following requirement has been added to ensure the traceability of the lentils covered by the PGI: ‘The lentils that comply with the product specification must be stored, transported and then packaged separately from lentils that do not comply with the specification.’
               
The amendment does not affect the single document.
3.   Amendment of the ‘Method of production’
Section (a) on the agricultural parcels
In the fifth paragraph, the requirement ‘... laid down for the registration of the parcel’ has been deleted, as the soil characteristics are not laid down as a condition for registration, if they are not an intrinsic requirement for the cultivation of the lentils that must necessarily be fulfilled before sowing.
The sixth paragraph of the section has been amended to word the requirement more clearly: ‘Organic fertilisers may be used to achieve the percentage of organic matter laid down in the specification at any time, except for the year in which the lentils are grown.’
                  
Section (b) on the producers’ warehouses
The text about avoiding mixing lentils from different consignments in storage has been deleted, since each operator has their own traceability system which may or may not allow them to mix different consignments, provided they ensure compliance with the provisions of Article 4(2) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014.
The text on the minimum storage conditions has been summarised with reference to the obligation to comply with the health legislation in force. Section (c) on the packaging industry
The words ‘in the following order’ have been deleted as the processes may be carried out in an order other than the one indicated in this section.
In the text ‘Furthermore, grains other than those of the diameter and thickness of the lentil, such as those of wheat, barley and wild oats, must be separated out’, the words ‘such as those of wheat, barley and wild oats’ have been deleted, as these are examples that do not exclude other types of grain.
Point 7 on the final quality control has been deleted, as this is an activity that is implicit in ensuring compliance with the requirements laid down in the specification.
Section (d) on placing on the market
In the current product specification the period for placing on the market runs from harvesting until 30 September of the following year. This amendment extends this period until March of the second year following the date of harvest. Operators may only package the product during this period.
At the same time, the reference to the operators’ option to request an extension of the packaging period by six months (until March of the second year) has been removed, along with the necessary authorisation from the Regulatory Board.
The reason for this amendment is to avoid delays in the packaging of the product due to waiting for the authorisation to extend the period for placing on the market.
To eliminate this authorisation procedure, which the specification required for an exceptional one-off six-month extension of the deadline (to March of the second year following the harvest), it has been verified that extending this period does not affect the characteristics of the product at the time it is placed on the market.
Lastly, the first paragraph of section (d) on placing on the market has been reworded as follows:

                     ‘The dried lentils must be packaged by March of the second year following the date of their harvest.’
                  
The amendment does not affect the single document.
4.   Amendment to ‘Labelling’
The requirement to include the EU PGI logo has been added to the wording required on the labelling. The graphic symbol for the Protected Geographical Indication has also been included in the specification.
This change affects point 3.7 of the single document.
This amendment affects the single document.
5.   Amendment of the ‘Legislative requirements’
The ‘legislative requirements’ section has been removed because there is no longer a need for the product specification to refer to it.
This change does not affect the single document.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Lenteja de Tierra de Campos’
                  


EU No: PGI-ES-0313-AM01 - 3.6.2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Lenteja de Tierra de Campos’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code







—


07 - EDIBLE VEGETABLES AND CERTAIN ROOTS AND TUBERS










—


08 - EDIBLE FRUIT AND NUTS; PEEL OF CITRUS FRUIT OR MELONS










—


10 - CEREALS










—


11 - PRODUCTS OF THE MILLING INDUSTRY; MALT; STARCHES; INULIN; WHEAT GLUTEN










—


20 - PREPARATIONS OF VEGETABLES, FRUIT, NUTS OR OTHER PARTS OF PLANTS




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

The protected product is the seeds separated from the pod of the species Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris, microsperma variety, Europeae group, intended for human consumption. The commercial variety is called pardina.
PHYSICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS: The colour of the seeds’ outer surface is brown or grey-brown with black flecks that may sometimes be speckles covering the whole surface. The cotyledons are yellow. No more than 2 % of lentils that do not correspond to the characteristics set out above may be accepted, if they do not compromise the general appearance. The minimum diameter of any given seed in its narrowest axis is 3,5 mm. No more than 4 % of the lentils may have a smaller diameter.
ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS: Smooth surface, softish skin and albumen; albumen somewhat buttery and only slightly grainy/floury; low astringency.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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

The lentils must be grown in the defined geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The lentils covered by the protected geographical indication may not be placed on the market in bulk.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Any packaging in which the lentils are dispatched for consumption must bear a numbered label that must include the EU’s PGI symbol and the name ‘Lenteja de Tierra de Campos’, together with the PGI’s own logo.
The logo of the Protected Geographical Indication is:





The labels must be attached by the packaging industry in such a way that they cannot be reused.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of agricultural production (with a surface area of 9 175 km2) covers part of the four north-western provinces of Castile and Leon (León, Palencia, Valladolid and Zamora).
The districts that make up the demarcated geographical area are:






—


In the province of León: the districts of Esla-Campos and Sahagún.










—


In the province of Palencia: the districts of Campos, Cerrato, and Saldaña-Valdavia.










—


In the province of Valladolid: the districts of Centro, Sur, and Tierra de Campos.










—


In the province of Zamora: the districts of Benavente y Los Valles, Campos-Pan, and Duero Bajo.




5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area
Climate: The climate is semi-arid, with average precipitation of 464 mm per year, an average minimum temperature of – 9,0 oC and average maximum temperature of 18,6 oC. The coldest month is January and the hottest is July. The frost period lasts almost 8 months and the months with the highest rainfall are May and November.
These characteristics create moisture levels that are ideal for germination in the most usual sowing period (November), good seed formation (the following May) and rapid and effective drying of the seeds in June and July, when the temperature and hours of sunshine are most favourable, coinciding with the summer solstice and enabling the crop to be stored with no problems of fungus or bacteria. The low winter temperatures also provide natural protection against pests.
Soils: The main properties of the soil in the production area are the high percentage of clay that is characteristic of Tierra de Campos; neutral or alkaline pH; low levels of organic material; normal levels of potassium and relatively low levels of phosphorous (although these are higher than in neighbouring areas). To obtain a product that meets most of the required organoleptic properties, the soil must have minimum levels of organic material (to make the product less floury), potassium (giving a more buttery and less astringent product) and phosphorous (contributing to softer skins and lower astringency).
Physical geography: With an average altitude of 750 m above sea level, the production area is flat and has the typical relief of farming land with no major obstacles to working, although it is exposed to erosion. The land rises slightly in the north to over 1 000 m, falling to 650 m in the south-west, near the River Valderaduey.
Specific features of the product:
The plant material is derived from local ecotypes that have adapted to the growing conditions in the area over a period of many years and from commercial varieties obtained from these ecotypes.
The plant material used is hardy, resistant to most pests and diseases, well adapted to dry climates and gives moderate yields.
Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)
Altitude is considered a very important factor in the product characteristics since the area’s low average altitude (750 m) in comparison with other neighbouring areas contributes to a smoother skin and a more buttery, less astringent product.
The minimum organic content established for the soils makes the product less floury; the potassium content makes it more buttery and less astringent; and the phosphorus content contributes to softer skins, lower astringency and a higher fat content.

Reference to the publication of the specification


http://www.itacyl.es/calidad-diferenciada/dop-e-igp/listado-dop-agroalimentarias



(1)  
            OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3969/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)