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: 2025-01-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: France, Loire Region, bulb vegetable, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh vegetable, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202500210EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/210


9.1.2025






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/2025/210)

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


                     ‘Echalote d’Anjou’
                  


EU No: PGI-FR-01253-AM02 – 10 October 2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name of product


               ‘Echalote d’Anjou’
            
2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

France
3.   National authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
—
4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

Explanation as to why the amendment or amendments fall under the definition of standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012
The application for amendment of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ PGI does not involve any of the three situations constituting an application for a Union amendment, specifically:






a)


it does not include a change in the name of the protected geographical indication;










b)


it does not risk voiding the link with the geographical environment;










c)


it does not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.




The French authorities therefore consider that the application is for a standard amendment.
1.   Description of the product
The reference to the product being sold fresh has been deleted, because it seemed to contradict the possibility of marketing the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ PGI dried or semi-dried.
The following descriptive elements: minimum characteristics of shallots, tolerances and provisions on packaging shallots have been removed from the product specification as they are general rules and are therefore applicable to all shallots and not specific to the PGI.
The amendment affects the single document.
2.   Method of production
The amendment extends the period during which warm-water treatment of the planting stock can be carried out, allowing this treatment to take place up until planting (instead of by the deadline of 30 November of the year preceding planting), the starting date of the period remaining unchanged (1 August).
The purpose of this treatment is to destroy fungal spores present on the planting stock so that it is fungus-free when it is planted, thus preventing the subsequent development of diseases (caused by mildew spores, fusarium spores, sclerotium and nematodes). The date of warm-water treatment does not affect its effectiveness in destroying spores, provided they are destroyed before planting.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
3.   Definition of the geographical area
Without changing the geographical area, the list of communes has been updated to take account of recent mergers.
The amendment affects the single document.
4.   The specific labelling details
The requirement to affix the commercial category has been removed, as it is a general rule not specific to the PGI.
The amendment affects the single document.
5.   Applicant group
The address of the applicant group has been updated.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT


                     ‘Echalote d’Anjou’
                  


EU No: PGI-FR-01253-AM02 – 10 October 2024
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]


               ‘Echalote d’Anjou’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

France
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 ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is a monocot falling exclusively within the Aggregatum group of the Allium cepa species, belonging to the Liliaceae family.
It is a pinkish-coloured ‘traditional’ shallot (resulting from vegetative propagation) of the Jersey Long varietal type which is sold fresh.
It is produced from varieties registered on the list of varieties recognised by the producer group, which the latter keeps up to date. New varieties are registered in accordance with a procedure enabling both technical criteria (in particular yield, rate of division, conservability, cultivation method, adaptability to environment, resistance to pathogens, nutritional requirements, rate of waste, suitability for mechanisation, picking and transportation on chains to the collection point) and the main characteristics of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ (size, shape, appearance, length, skin colour, dry-matter content) to be checked.
The list of authorised varieties is distributed to producers, the inspection body and the competent inspection authorities each time it is amended.
Physical characteristics






(a)


The bulbs must be: firm and compact, free of hollow or tough stems, and virtually free of root tufts. However, the following minor defects may be allowed provided they do not affect the general appearance, quality, conservability and presentation of the product: a slight defect in shape, surface cracks on the outer skins, provided the flesh is protected.










(b)


Shape: the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is of a regular and slightly long, thin shape with a diameter of between 20 mm and 55 mm and a ratio of length to average diameter (*) of more than 1.2.




(*) average diameter = (large equatorial diameter + small equatorial diameter) / 2.






(c)


The skins of the bulbs are thin and shiny; they are light reddish yellow or pale yellow in colour, with an increasingly copper-coloured appearance depending on their maturity, the extent to which they have dried out and how long they are stored before being dispatched.




Chemical property
The high dry-matter content is equal to or greater than 16 %.
Organoleptic characteristics
The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ has the following organoleptic properties: it is firm to the touch, and its flesh is pinkish in colour and of soft consistency. It takes on a distinctive aromatic intensity with a significant sharpness in smell and taste.
Presentation of the product
The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ comes in two forms:






—


the early or semi-dried shallot dispatched at the very beginning of the season;










—


the preserved or dried shallot dispatched throughout the rest of the year, characterised by the dry appearance of the root collar.




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 bulbs are planted, harvested and field dried in the geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

Initial storage, preparation, sorting, final sizing and approval of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ take place within the geographical area.
These operations allow the physical and chemical properties and appearance to be checked and, therefore, the specific characteristics of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ to be maintained.
The know-how of operators in carrying out these operations follows a well-established process involving manual preparation, sorting and final sizing before the product is eventually approved. This allows the shallots to be handled in optimum fashion so as to ensure the best possible management throughout the year of the process of drying the products intended for marketing or export. This know-how is an additional guarantee of quality, ensuring that the characteristics of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ are maintained. This requires these operations to be carried out in the geographical area in which the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is produced.
The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is marketed throughout the year, in individual packaging where all or part of the product remains visible, or in protective packaging that allows the shallots to be sold loose to the final consumer. This packaging may weigh up to 20 kg maximum.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

All packaging or sales units must display the following:






—


the registered name of the product and the European Union PGI logo in the same visual field;










—


the certifying body.




4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area comprises the territory of the following communes in the Department of Maine-et-Loire:
Allonnes, Artannes-sur-Thouet, Beaufort-en-Anjou, Bellevigne-les-Châteaux, Blaison-Saint-Sulpice, Blou, Bois d’Anjou (Les), Brain-sur-Allonnes, Brézé, Brissac-Loire-Aubance (former territory of the delegated communes of Alleuds (Les), Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance, Chemellier, Coutures, Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne, Saint-Saturnin-sur-Loire, Saulgé-l’Hôpital), Chacé, Cornillé-les-Caves, Dénezé-sous-Doué, Distré, Doué-en-Anjou (former territory of the delegated commune of Meigné), Epieds, Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, Gennes-Val-de-Loire, Jarzé-Villages (former territory of the delegated communes of Chaumont d’Anjou, Jarzé and Lué-en-Baugeois), Loire-Authion, Longué-Jumelles, Louresse-Rochemenier, Mazé-Milon, Ménitré (La), Montsoreau, Neuillé, Parnay, Rosiers-sur-Loire (Les), Rou-Marson, Saint-Clément-des-Levées, Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, Saint-Martin-de-la-Place, Saint-Philbert-du-Peuple, Sarrigné, Saumur, Sermaise, Souzay-Champigny, Tuffalun, Turquant, Ulmes (Les), Varennes-sur-Loire, Varrains, Vernantes, Verrie, Villebernier, Vivy.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ PGI rests upon natural and human factors that give the product its regular, elongated shape, its sharp organoleptic profile and its good keeping quality. These specific characteristics have helped boost the reputation of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ well beyond the region.
The geographical area of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is situated on the edge of the Paris basin and is crossed from east to west by the Loire Valley, where clay-limestone alluvial deposits and sedimentary soils predominate. These soils are relatively light and are made up of fine particles. Subsoils provide a large water reserve.
The Anjou region has a maritime climate. The common expression ‘douceur angevine’ [mild Anjou climate] is often used to describe it. It is characterised by moderate temperatures, a narrow temperature range over the year (of about 15 °C), regular and moderate rainfall (approximately 650 mm) and low wind speeds. The cultivation of shallots in the Department was mentioned in the ‘Statistique horticole du Maine-et-Loire’ [Horticultural Statistics for Maine-et-Loire] in 1842.
In 1962, producers in the region of Mazé came together and gradually developed the production of Jersey-type shallots.
From 1975-1980 onwards, the cultivation of long shallots grew significantly. As a result, a specific typology of farms producing shallots emerged in Anjou. These are characterised by a fairly large land area, allowing shallots to be cultivated over 3 ha to 4 ha on average, together with other specialised crops.
The methods currently used are based on traditional labour-intensive cultivation practices and methods, including: selection of the varieties used and plant propagation (systematic warm-water treatment), crop rotation, mulching of the soil, manual planting and harvesting, the practice of drying in the field or in storage, preparation of batches of shallots (tailing), sorting (visual checking), and sizing before approval. These steps allow a high-quality product to be sold for almost a year until the following harvest.
The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is more specifically characterised by the following:






—


its shape is longer and thinner than the half-long shallot, presenting customers and consumers with a more appealing external appearance; its colouring is more of a reddish yellow and lighter or even pale yellow when it is intact;










—


its chemical profile: a high dry-matter content of at least 16 %;










—


its organoleptic profile: firm to the touch, with a pinkish flesh and soft consistency, it takes on a distinctive aromatic intensity with a significant sharpness in smell and taste, which distinguishes it from shallots grown in other regions and makes it more appealing for cooking.










—


its conservability: the fact that it is harvested when fully mature means that it can be stored for several months in suitable conditions and that the bulbs remain very firm while minimising weight loss;










—


its regular composition: since they are produced from vegetative propagation, all of the bulbs harvested are completely identical genetically, which is not the case for plants obtained by sexual propagation (echalion and shallot seedlings).




Its morphology, texture and colour distinguish it from the same product grown in other regions. The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ also benefits from a broad reputation which extends well beyond the region and indeed France.
The definition of the geographical area is based on an interaction between natural and human factors which determine the specific characteristics of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ (long shape, high dry-matter content, organoleptic profile, conservability and regularity) and allow it to be distinguished from other shallots produced.
The soils are made up of fine, regular particles, enabling easy and deep rooting of the shallots and, ultimately, the harmonious development of a bulb characterised by its regularity and shape.
The abundance of water in the geographical area ensures that the plant receives a regular supply; the slightly higher rainfall in May coincides perfectly with the needs of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ during its bulbing phase.
The mildness of the Anjou climate is well-suited to the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ and protects it from physiological burning, which might affect its organoleptic quality.
The specific characteristics of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ also stem from the know-how of producers resulting from long-standing local practices going back to the 19th century, which gradually became regulated and developed from the 1960s.
The selection of varieties and planting stock on specialised farms has always been the focus of particular attention and technical monitoring. Warm-water treatment before planting allows the bulbs to be protected against parasites in the soil.
After the soil has been painstakingly prepared, the bulbs are planted manually so as to ensure, in particular, that they are planted at the correct depth. This allows for the most harmonious development possible of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’. Manual harvesting draws on the know-how of producers, who are able to assess the appropriate maturity of the plants.
Finally, natural drying in the field allows a high dry-matter content to be obtained and the aromas of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ to be concentrated, thus giving it its characteristic sharpness.
The ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ enjoys a national reputation which has now extended beyond France. Indeed, almost 40 % of current production of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ is sold in certain northern European countries or exported to the United States, Canada and South-East Asia.
Geared as it is toward sale in large retail outlets, the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’ reaches a broad specialised clientele that has long held the product in high esteem, in particular for its regularity and keeping qualities. Popular events such as the ‘Grande fête de l’Echalote’ shallot festival organised in Chemellier by the ‘Confrérie des amis de l’Echalote d’Anjou’ [Friends of the ‘Echalote d’Anjou’] also help to foster and develop the product’s reputation with the public at large.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-17104ed6-d310-4d30-bbd2-badb8c5fc77b



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/210/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)