Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27
Date: 2025-12-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Extremadura, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, honey, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202506674EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/6674


16.12.2025






Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 (1)

(C/2025/6674)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT
(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)


                     ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’
                  


EU reference number: PDO-ES-01268-AM01 – 17.9.2025
                  

1.   Name of product


               ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Sector







☑


Agricultural products










☐


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Spain
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment


Name

Consejería de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Población y Territorio de la Junta de Extremadura [Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Population and Territory of the Government of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura], Dirección General de Agricultura y Ganadería [Directorate-General for Crop and Livestock Farming]
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The amendment application can be classified as standard within the meaning of Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. In particular, these changes CANNOT be classified as Union amendments because:






(1)


they do not include a change in the name protected as a PDO or in the use of that name;










(2)


there is no risk of voiding the link with the geographical area;










(3)


they do not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.




As regards verification that there is no risk of voiding the link with the geographical area, it should be noted that none of the changes requested affect the wording of the ‘Link’ section of the product specification in any way. Nor is the link indirectly affected. Indeed, although the link is based, among other things, on the low HMF levels and moisture content and the high diastase activity, the changes proposed, although having a slight effect on those three parameters, maintain the thresholds at levels that are markedly more stringent than those laid down in the quality standard for honey.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Title

Change to the permitted moisture content range

Description

This amendment concerns Section 4.2 of the single document and the ‘Description of the product’ section of the product specification.
In the description of the product, the following change has been made to the physical characteristics common to all the PDO honeys:
The required moisture content has changed from a range of ‘14–17 %’ to ‘< 17 %’. The purpose of this change is, in fact, to correct an error, as it makes little sense to define a range with a minimum moisture content for a honey. Rather, what is relevant is to set a maximum moisture content that cannot be exceeded.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Change to the upper limit for hydroxymethylfurfural

Description

This amendment concerns Section 4.2 of the single document and the ‘Description of the product’ section of the product specification.
In the description of the product, the following change has been made to the chemical characteristics common to all the PDO honeys:
The upper limit for hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been increased from 10 mg/kg to ‘< 18 mg/kg’. Furthermore, it is no longer specified that this limit applies when the honey is placed on the market, given that it must be checked beforehand.
This change is being made because of the effects of climate change in the geographical area, with higher spring temperatures and more irregular rainfall.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Change to the lower limit for diastase activity

Description

This amendment concerns Section 4.2 of the single document and the ‘Description of the product’ section of the product specification.
In the description of the product, the lower limit for diastase activity has been decreased from 30 to 22 in point (c). This change is being made because of the effects of climate change in the geographical area, with higher spring temperatures and more irregular rainfall.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Update of the inspection structure

Description

The details of the inspection body have been updated in Section G of the product specification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Update of the product type nomenclature

Description

The classification of the product type has been updated in the single document to bring it into line with the new nomenclature.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of agricultural products



                     ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’
                  


EU reference number: PDO-ES-01268-AM01 – 17.9.2025
                  

1.   Name(s)


               ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Country to which the defined geographical area belongs

Spain
4.   Description of the agricultural product

4.1.   Classification of the agricultural product in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature heading and code, as referred to in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143


                  0409  – Natural honey
4.2.   Description of the agricultural product to which the registered name applies


               ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’ is honey made from native flora by bees of the species Apis mellifera.
On the basis of the different areas of vegetation the following types of honey have been defined:






—


single-flower retama honey (Retama sphaerocarpa),










—


single-flower chestnut honey (Castanea sativa),










—


multifloral honey [miel de milflores],










—


honeydew honey.






(a)


Common characteristics of all PDO ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’ honeys:
Moisture content: < 17 %.
HMF: < 18 mg/kg.
Electrical conductivity:






1.


Not less than 0,8 mS/cm (chestnut and honeydew honey);










2.


Not more than 0,8 mS/cm (retama and multifloral honey).




Sucrose: < 5 g/100 g.
Fructose + glucose:






1.


> 60 g/100 g (in general);










2.


> 45 g/100 g (honeydew honey).














(b)


Pollen:
Retama honey: > 50 % Retama sphaerocarpa.
Chestnut honey: > 70 % Castanea sativa.
Multifloral honey: this is the honey collected at the beginning of summer and its pollen spectra reflect the floral diversity of the preceding months; it is rich in pollen from the area’s characteristic Fabaceae, Fagaceae, Ericaceae, Lamiaceae and/or Cistaceae.
Honeydew honey: this is honey made by the bees from secretions produced by or found on the living parts of plants, especially species of the Fagaceae family and the genus Quercus; together with a small percentage of pollen from the area’s characteristic Fagaceae, Ericaceae, Lamiaceae and/or Cistaceae.
This is produced mainly at the end of summer, which is the time of year when the fewest plants are in flower in the areas where the bees collect nectar.










(c)


Diastase activity: not less than 22.










(d)


Organoleptic characteristics:
Retama honey: light to dark amber colour with reddish lights; very aromatic with a sweet taste.
Chestnut honey: dark amber colour, with reddish or greenish tones. Strong aroma. Slightly acidic, bitter and with an astringent character.
Multifloral honey: colour ranging from light to dark amber depending on the flowers, with variable aroma and taste.
Honeydew honey: dark amber colour; less sweet taste and strong, characteristic smell.








4.3.   Derogations on sourcing of feed (for products of animal origin designated by a Protected Designation of Origin only) and restrictions on sourcing of raw materials (for processed products designated by a Protected Geographical Indication only)

—
4.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The honey comes only from beehives located in the production area; transhumance outside this area is not allowed.
Removal of the bees from the frames using brushes and/or smokers.
Uncapping carried out in the traditional way using knives or combs.
Extraction of the honey from the combs by centrifugation.
Storage of the honey in drums or settling tanks.
Decantation and filtration of the honey to remove impurities.
In the exceptional situation that the survival of the hive is in jeopardy, because of a poor harvest, supplementary feeding of the bees is permitted outside the nectar collection period. The food may consist of one or several of the following products: honey from the hive itself, sucrose (cane sugar), glucose and fruit syrup.
4.5.   Specific rules concerning packaging, slicing, grating etc. of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

The packaged honey must be in a liquid (fluid) or solid (crystallised) state.
Crystallised honey is heated to a maximum temperature of 45 oC for decantation and packaging.
4.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

The honey must bear a numbered secondary label with the Designation logo, which must be affixed at the packaging facility in such a way that it cannot be reused. It must bear the EU symbol and the ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’ PDO logo.
The ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’ PDO logo is as follows:





On the right-hand side is the name Extremadura and a map on which the honey production area is marked with two concentric circles.
4.7.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The honey production area is located in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain), in the south-east of the province of Cáceres. It comprises a total of 27 municipalities, which make up the comarca of Villuercas-Ibores; all these municipalities are in the province of Cáceres.
5.   Link with the geographical area


Summary of the link


Natural factors

The comarca of Villuercas-Ibores consists of a series of mountain formations, which are extraordinarily steep and jagged, topped by armorican quartzite crags and flanked by slate and sandstone. The highest peak is in the La Villuerca massif (1 601 m). The hydrographic network includes rivers that form part of the Tagus and Guadiana basins. The ombroclimate is of the subhumid type and therefore precipitation is generally higher than in most of the other comarcas of Extremadura.
According to the USDA’s classification system (Soil Taxonomy) the soils are Entisols, Inceptisols and Alfisols. The Entisols form very narrow strips on the plains of the rivers Ruecas and Silvadillos. The Inceptisols are basically found on north-facing mountain slopes. The Alfisols are found in the southern part of the area, in river terraces and scrub plains. They are soils that have few of the requisite characteristics for crop growing, but are suitable for forestry activities.
The comarca of Villuercas-Ibores has a rich and diverse flora, corresponding to the biogeographical area in which it is located (Ladero, 1987), and large areas of pasture and scrubland where the bees can harvest nectar extensively from native flowers, which produces a honey with excellent qualities. There are also numerous groves of holm oak, cork oak, chestnut and oak trees, which provide the bees with nectar, pollen and honeydew. Although the comarca is generally populated with forest and dehesa species, chestnut, olive, matorral and Cistus are the area’s most important species, together with large oak forests.
From among the countless plant species from which the bees can obtain food, some of the most important melliferous plants in the comarca of Villuercas-Ibores are listed below; they are all native to the production area:






—


BORAGINACEAE: Echium plantagineum L. (purple viper’s bugloss), Anchusa azurea Miller (lengua de buey).










—


BRASSICACEAE: Raphanus raphanistrum L. (wild radish).










—


ERICACEAE: Erica australis L. (brezo rubio or colorado), Erica lusitanica Rudolphi (brezo blanco), Erica umbellata L. (brezo, quiruela), Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull (ling heather), Arbustus unedo L. (strawberry tree).










—


FABACEAE: Retama sphaerocarpa L. (retama común, retama de bolas), Trifolium stellatum L. (starry clover), Genista tridentata (carquesa), Cytisus multiflorus (escoba or retama blanca).










—


FAGACEAE: Castanea sativa Miller (chestnut), Quercus pyrenaica Willd. (Pyrenean oak), Quercus rotundifolia L. (holm oak), Quercus suber L. (cork oak).










—


LAMIACEAE: Lavandula stoechas subsp. pedunculata Miller (cantueso, tomillo borriquero), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary).










—


ROSACEAE: Rubus ulmifolius Schott (elmleaf blackberry).










—


APIACEAE (UMBELLIFERAE): Erynginum campestre L. (field eryngo).










—


CISTACEAE: Cistus ladanifer L. (brown-eyed rockrose), Cistus spp. and Halimium spp. (rockroses in general).





Human factors

The comarca of Villuercas-Ibores has always been linked with beekeeping. Specific references go back to at least 1086 and make mention of such well-known events as the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe (1575). Today, there are still many place names in the comarca that recall bees and the local flora (Castañar, Carrascalejo, Peraleda), and natural features with names that evoke beekeeping activity, such as ‘La Umbría del Colmenar’ in the municipality of Cañamero and ‘El Arroyo del Enjambrero’ and ‘Valle del Enjambrero’ in the municipality of Alía.
The production area has a markedly rural and mountainous character, with municipalities with low population densities, where crops and livestock farming are the main livelihood. These circumstances, and a native flora virtually unaltered by human activity, make it a good area for beekeeping, where the honey is still extracted in the traditional way in order to preserve all its qualities.
One significant local traditional beekeeping practice concerns the management of the hives. There is no transhumance and the beehives may only be moved from one place to another within the production area.
Another basic feature of the production process is that the last batch of honey is left for the hive to eat. The local beekeepers thereby practice non-intensive apiculture. When the honeycomb is removed from the hive in the autumn, they do not extract all the honey, but leave the requisite reserves to feed the hive. In this way the well-being of the bees is respected and the hive is sustainable, so the bees are kept in top condition.

Specificity of the product

The production area, with its long beekeeping tradition, is a part of Extremadura where beekeepers have been making good use of the native flora for centuries. The choice of the name ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’ reflects the historical prestige of honey in this area, the skill and traditional and artisanal techniques with which it is prepared and the special qualities of the honey, which derive from the environment in which it is produced.
Moreover, unlike in other comarcas of Extremadura, there is no transhumance, so the honey obtained is homogeneous in terms of the local flora, and its particular characteristics derive solely from the natural and human factors that come together in the defined geographical area.
Evidence of the traditional production system can be seen in the values that are obtained for given parameters for the final product, which are an indication of the high quality of the honey:






—


characteristically low HMF values, which indicate freshness and artisanal production;










—


low moisture values, which indicate ripeness and are due to the fact that the comb remains capped as this is not an intensive form of beekeeping;










—


high diastase activity, due to the freshness of the honey;










—


electrical conductivity values and organoleptic properties that are characteristic of the type of pollen from which it is made.





Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product

Study of the different pollen spectra has made it possible to define the geographical markers that characterise ‘Miel Villuercas-Ibores’, i.e. the pollen of all its flora, giving homogeneous pollen profiles which are specific to the area and contain no more than 1 % pollen from cultivated or non-native plants.
One of the area’s distinctive products is honeydew honey. This honey is made in September and October when flowering is coming to an end or has stopped completely and the bees do not have any nectar. They collect secretions from the living parts of plants of the Fagaceae family or secretions found on them due to the action of certain insects. This enables them to survive during the months when there is no nectar and there is no transhumance to other areas where they could find flowers.

Electronic (URL) reference to the publication of the product specification


https://www.juntaex.es/documents/77055/621148/pliego+de+condiciones+modificaciones+2025+Consolidado.pdf



(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/6674/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)