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: 2026-02-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, Limburg, Netherlands, Province of Limbourg, confectionery product, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202601256EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/1256


27.2.2026






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/2026/1256)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)



                     ‘Limburgse vlaai’
                  


EU Ref. Number: PGI-NL+BE-02877-AM01 – 7.1.2026
                  

1.   Name of product


               ‘Limburgse vlaai’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☐


PDO










☑


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Sector







☑


Agricultural products










☐


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Netherlands
Belgium
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment


Name

Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland [Netherlands Enterprise Agency]

Name

Flemish Government
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The Netherlands declares, on its behalf and on behalf of Belgium, that the application for approval of a standard amendment to the product specification for the registered name ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) can be considered a standard amendment within the meaning of Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143. This is because the Netherlands has determined there to be (1) no change in the name or in the use of the name, (2) no risk of voiding the link to the geographical area referred to in the single document and (3) no further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
The Netherlands, together with Belgium, has established that this standard amendment fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 and therefore approves it.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Title

Amendment to Article 1

Description

First amendment
The amendment concerns Article 1 of the product specification and Section 4.1 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: The names and contact details of the applicants have been removed and placed in the ‘accompanying documentation’ instead; ‘class’ has been replaced with ‘Combined Nomenclature code’.
Reason for the amendment: Amendment to comply with the requirements of Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 2

Description

Second amendment
The amendment concerns Article 2.1 of the product specification and Section 4.2 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: The following words have been added:






—



                        ‘added’ before ‘artificial flavourings’;










—



                        ‘or during’ before ‘baking’;










—



                        ‘possibly a’ before ‘crust’.




The minimum weight has been changed from 140 g to 130 g.
The table giving an overview of the vlaaien by type and diameter has been replaced by a more detailed table with a full overview of the weights for diameters from 10 cm to 30 cm.
Reason for the amendment: Bakers may not add any artificial flavourings unless they are already present in the raw materials. Final processing after baking is not permitted. The weights have been corrected and the table has been expanded.
The words ‘possibly a’ have been added before ‘crust’ so as to reflect the fact that an open vlaai does not have a crust. The minimum weight has been adjusted to 130 g as there had been a miscalculation by producers. This adjustment comes under the definition of a standard amendment because it does not increase the marketing area or the number of producers.
The table has been amended owing to errors and miscalculations:






—


Owing to an error, the use of baking pans with diameters of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 cm was not explicitly mentioned.










—


Owing to an error, the minimum weights of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) baked in baking pans with diameters of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 cm were not mentioned.










—


Owing to an error, the minimum weights of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) baked in baking pans with diameters of 10, 22, 24, 28 and 30 cm were given incorrectly as a result of miscalculations.




This is a standard amendment despite the addition of diameters and minimum weights for ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) baked in baking pans with diameters of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 cm and despite the amended minimum weights for ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) baked in baking pans with diameters of 10, 22, 24, 28 and 30 cm. The diameters and minimum weights were (despite the errors and miscalculations) already being used in the production of the three types of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI), and thus the marketing area and the number of producers of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (PGI) are not being increased.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 2

Description

Third amendment
This amendment concerns Article 2.2.1 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: The list has been replaced by a descriptive text where the possibility of using a processing aid for sweet enriched dough has been added.
Reason for the amendment: Bakers must have sufficient flexibility to adjust ingredient quantities as needed.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 2

Description

Fourth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 2.2.2 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: The words ‘flavourings such as’ have been added before ‘cinnamon’. The word ‘artificial’ has been added before ‘fruit flavours’. Pastry cream, butter and cream have been added as ingredients.
Reason for the amendment: Clarification: bakers themselves may not add artificial flavourings. A flavouring may already be present in raw materials.
Broader possibilities for bakers while guaranteeing that the product retains its uniqueness.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 2

Description

Fifth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 2.2.3 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: The words ‘flavourings such as’ have been added before ‘cinnamon’. The word ‘artificial’ has been added before ‘fruit flavours’. Pastry cream, butter and cream have been added as ingredients.
Reason for the amendment: Clarification: bakers themselves may not add artificial flavourings. A flavouring may already be present in raw materials.
Broader possibilities for bakers while guaranteeing that the product retains its uniqueness.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 2

Description

Sixth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 2.2.4 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: The list has been replaced by a descriptive text where the possibility of using a ‘composite product (mix)’ as a raw material has been added. ‘Spices (including speculoos spices)’ have been added as possible seasonings for crumble, ‘
                  knibbelkens
                  ’ topping, sprinkles and ‘
                  koekskes
                  ’ topping. ‘Almond’ has been added to the ‘other possible crusts’.
Clarification has been provided of what ‘made fresh daily’ means (that the sales date is at most one day after production).
Reason for the amendment: Broader possibilities for bakers while guaranteeing that the product retains its uniqueness, and further clarification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 4

Description

Seventh amendment
This amendment concerns Article 4 of the product specification and Section 5 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: Clarification has been provided of what ‘made fresh daily’ means (that the sales date is at most one day after production) and the documents that bakers need in the event of a check have been listed.
Information has been added stating that the dough can be frozen before baking, with the production date being recorded.
The name of the producer group that manages the common logo has been changed from the Belgian applicant association Bakkers Vlaanderen – Limburg to ‘Limburgse Vlaaibakkers v.z.w.’. Other grammatical changes have been made to the text.
Reason for the amendment: Provision of further clarification.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 5

Description

Eighth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 5 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: Information has been added stating that ‘Limburgse vlaai’ may not be frozen after baking.
Information concerning the logo sticker featuring the common logo has been added.
Clarification has been provided of what ‘made fresh daily’ means (that the sales date is at most one day after production).
Reason for the amendment: Further clarification in connection with the use of the logo sticker.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 6

Description

Ninth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 6 of the product specification and Section 5 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: Clarification has been provided of what ‘made fresh daily’ means (that the sales date is at most one day after production).
Reason for the amendment: Provision of further clarification.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 6

Description

Tenth amendment
This amendment concerns Article 6.2 of the product specification and Section 5 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: The words ‘Low Countries’ have been replaced by ‘both countries’.
Reason for the amendment: There was a logical error in the Dutch version of the text.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 6

Description

Eleventh amendment
This amendment concerns Article 6.2 of the product specification but does not concern the single document.
Description of the amendment: The name and contact details of the competent authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands have been updated and placed in the ‘accompanying documentation’ instead.
Reason for the amendment: Adaptation to the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to Article 7

Description

Twelfth amendment
The amendment concerns Article 7 of the product specification and Section 4.6 of the single document.
Description of the amendment: The article number has been changed from 8 to 7.
The text has been reworded and it has been clearly stated that the common logo is made available by the producer group Limburgse Vlaaibakkers vzw.
Reason for the amendment: Further clarification:






☑


The amendment affects the single document.




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of agricultural products



                     ‘Limburgse vlaai’
                  


EU Ref. Number: PGI-NL+BE-02877-AM01 – 7.1.2026
                  

1.   Name(s)


               ‘Limburgse vlaai’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☐


PDO










☑


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Country to which the defined geographical area belongs

Netherlands
Belgium
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


                  1905  – Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paper and similar products
4.2.   Description of the agricultural product to which the registered name applies


                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is an abundantly filled baked sweet tart that is golden brown in colour and round in shape, with a rich variety of possible fillings and upper crust types that are both always baked together with the base.

                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ ranges in diameter from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 30 cm.

                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ features a base, a filling and possibly a crust on top.
The base of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is a sweet yeast dough, with a texture comparable to that of bread dough. After baking, the base is at most 1 cm thick. The dough contains no added artificial flavourings.
The filling can be made of fruit, rice pudding, custard, semolina pudding, quark, sugar/egg filling or a combination thereof.

                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ may come without an upper crust (open vlaai) or, before being baked, may be finished off with a closed top (dekselvlaai), a lattice top (reepvlaai) or crumble (kruimelvlaai). Dekselvlaai and reepvlaai may be sprinkled with sugar before or during baking.

                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is always baked with the filling and possibly a crust in place. ‘Limburgse vlaai’ does not undergo any final processing or additional decoration after baking.

                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is an abundantly filled tart and this is reflected in its weight. Depending on its diameter and type, a baked ‘Limburgse vlaai’ has a minimum weight of between 130 g and 1 400 g or more, whatever the filling. A more detailed overview is given in the following table:








Diameter


Weight (g)


Weight (g)


Weight (g)




(cm)



reep/deksel [lattice-top vlaai / closed-top vlaai]



kruimel/rijst [crumble vlaai / rice pudding vlaai]



open [open vlaai]




30


1 400 


1 300 


1 200 




29


1 300 


1 200 


1 100 




28


1 200 


1 100 


1 000 




27


1 100 


1 000 


900 




26


1 050 


950 


850 




25


950 


900 


800 




24


850 


800 


750 




23


800 


750 


700 




22


750 


700 


650 




21


650 


600 


550 




20


600 


550 


500 




19


550 


500 


450 




18


500 


450 


400 




17


450 


400 


350 




16


400 


350 


300 




15


350 


300 


250 




14


300 


250 


225 




13


250 


225 


200 




12


225 


200 


175 




11


175 


160 


150 




10


150 


140 


130 










*



Rijstvlaai [rice pudding vlaai] is an open vlaai but its weight is more comparable to that of a crumble vlaai.










**



Reepvlaai [Lattice-top vlaai] here denotes Reep- of dekselvlaai [Lattice-top or closed-top vlaai].





                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is a product that is made fresh daily (the sales date is at most one day after production). It may be packaged for immediate sale. ‘Limburgse vlaai’ may not be frozen after baking.
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 identified geographical area


                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is prepared and baked in the province of Limburg in Belgium and the province of Limburg in the Netherlands, which border each other.
4.5.   Specific rules concerning packaging, slicing, grating etc. of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

...
4.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

The label includes the registered name ‘Limburgse vlaai’ and, in close proximity to it, the EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) logo.
The labelling of every packed ‘Limburgse vlaai’ must feature the common logo by means of the logo sticker, which it is compulsory to affix.
The common logo is made available by the producer group Limburgse Vlaaibakkers vzw. The logo is as follows:





For unpackaged vlaaien, the EU logo and the common logo are displayed in the immediate vicinity of the product.
4.7.   Concise definition of the demarcated geographical area

The geographical area comprises the province of Limburg in Belgium and the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The causal link with the geographical origin is based on:






☑


renown










☐


a given quality










☐


other characteristics of the product





Summary of the link

In both the Netherlands and Belgium, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is renowned as a high-quality, abundantly filled vlaai tart that is made fresh daily (the sales date is at most one day after production). The recipe’s origins lie in local traditions, giving a geographical link with the area. The name’s renown has grown over the last two centuries.

Local tradition


Origin on farms

In his 1878 work Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 3 [‘Walks through the Netherlands with Pen and Pencil. Part 3’], Jacobus Craandijk described festivities on Limburgish farms as follows: ‘
                     The actual harvest festival takes place a little later, on one of the following Sundays. Then the farmer’s family gathers with the workers and day labourers around a richly laden table, with friends and neighbours also invited. At this time the new white bread is laid out on the table along with a wheat flour and fruit purée tart, a Limburgish speciality named vlaai.
                     ’ (J. Craandijk, 1878, Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 3, accessed via the Digital Library for Dutch Literature (KB, Dutch National Library) on 1 October 2022).
This brief mention contains a lot of information. It refers to the original recipe for ‘Limburgse vlaai’, a pastry product made from wheat flour dough (tart) filled with fruit or fruit purée. A link is made with festivities on Limburgish farms where the centrepiece festive pastry is a traditional pastry named ‘vlaai’.

                     ‘Limburgse vlaai’ was baked on the farm by the mistress of the house with fruit from the farm’s own orchard. Both Belgian Limburg and Dutch Limburg have been fruit-growing areas since time immemorial. The species of fruit and the varieties made for a very long fruit season, meaning that there was a wide range of ‘Limburgse vlaai’ fillings. There was also local know-how about how to preserve fruit. For example, the oldest preservation technique, fruit drying, is the basis for bakkemoezenvlaai, a vlaai filled with dried pears. Later on, housewives specialised in preserving fruit in glass jars. From the end of the 19th century onwards, this know-how led to a local fruit preservation industry. Thus, for example, a cherry vlaai could also be baked out of season with preserved cherries.
Fruit vlaaien alternated with dairy vlaaien, meaning that ‘Limburgse vlaai’ could be baked all year round. And this was necessary, because vlaai appeared on the table at every celebration, procession and fair.


                              ‘Limburgse vlaai’, a traditional baker’s ware

Having originated in a domestic setting, as the 20th century progressed ‘Limburgse vlaai’ made its way to local bakeries. ‘Limburgse vlaai’ was thus no longer eaten only at festivals but became a favourite Sunday pastry with a wide variety of fillings. In the meantime, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ became a fixture of the daily product range of any Limburgish baker. Each day a baker bakes around eight types of vlaai, with around fourteen at weekends.
Having taken root in this way, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ was included in both the Netherlands and Belgium on the ‘Euro Terroirs’ European inventory of culinary heritage, a French initiative launched in the 1990s. This inventory was published in the Netherlands in 1998 (H.S. van der Meulen, Traditionele Streekproducten – Gastronomisch erfgoed van Nederland [‘Traditional Regional Products – Culinary Heritage of the Netherlands’], 1998, Elsevier, pp. 62-63).

The renown of ‘Limburgse vlaai’
                        


                  ‘Limburgse vlaai’ is not only part of Limburgish culinary heritage, its fame has spread far beyond Limburg’s borders.
Much loved by local people, its name recognition has been growing along with the growth of tourism in Limburg. ‘Limburgse vlaai’ has long been used to entice visitors. The pioneer here was Maria Hubertina Hendrix from Weert in Dutch Limburg. In 1911 she took over the station restaurant and decided to start selling small vlaaien to train travellers. She made ‘Limburgse vlaai’ so famous that her death in 1936 made the newspapers as far away as in Friesland.
In 1947, a major supplier of bakery ingredients devoted an entire issue of its publication to ‘Limburgse vlaai’. This booklet does not contain any recipes but goes into detail about Limburg’s ‘cultural heritage’ and the many customs and traditions surrounding ‘Limburgse vlaai’ (D. J. Van Der Ven, ‘Bak meer Limburgse vla’ [‘Bake more Limburgse vlaai’], De bakkersboekjes van Zeelandia, 1951, Second Series, No 9, Zeelandia, Zierikzee).
In Oude gebruiken en gerechten uit Limburg [‘Old customs and dishes of Limburg’] (1977), the Belgian authors J. Collen and J. Lambin described ‘Limburgse vlaai’ as follows: ‘A vlaai is, according to Limburgers themselves, a typical Limburgish baked good, generally round, made of leavened dough and filled with fruit, fruit purée, rice pudding and so on.’ They also say that: ‘A true vlaai has “a delicate crust, with filling laid on thick”.’ There is then a summary of all possible varieties of vlaai types: ‘vlaaien filled with apple purée, apple slices, rhubarb purée, gooseberries, forest fruits, plums, cherries, semolina pudding and rice pudding.’ (J. Collen and J. Lambin, Oude gebruiken en gerechten uit Limburg, 1977, Uitgeverij Pelckmans, pp. 127-135).
With the rise of tourism in the 1960s, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ appeared in the first tourist literature in both countries, and the authors of these guides also referred to their enormous variety. Examples of this are: Zwerven door Vlaanderen [‘Wandering through Flanders’] (Jan Lambin, Zwerven door Vlaanderen, in Vlaamse Pockets [‘Flemish Pocket Guides’], 1961, Uitgeverij Heideland, Hasselt, p. 104), Plaatselijke en gewestelijke specialiteiten uit Nederland [‘Local and regional specialities of the Netherlands’] (A. van Oirschot, Plaatselijke en gewestelijke specialiteiten uit Nederland, no date, Uitgeverij Helmond, Helmond, p. 128), ‘Streekgerechten uit Nederland’ [‘Regional dishes of the Netherlands’] (Anonymous, ‘Streekgerechten uit Nederland’, Libelle [‘Dragonfly’], 1983, Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Utrecht/Antwerp, pp. 66-70), Ippa’s Streekgerechten Gids voor België [‘Ippa’s Guide to the Regional Dishes of Belgium’] (J. Van Remoortere, Ippa’s Streekgerechten Gids voor België, 1995, Uitgeverij Lannoo, Tielt, p. 151), Kleine Culinaire encyclopedie van Vlaanderen [‘Little Culinary Encyclopaedia of Flanders’] (M. Declercq, Kleine Culinaire encyclopedie van Vlaanderen, 2009, Standaard Uitgeverij, p. 191).
Today, both provinces depict ‘Limburgse vlaai’ as the most typical local product; see, for example, the website of the province of Limburg (‘Limburg in ‘t kort’ [‘Limburg in brief’], www.limburg.be, accessed on 1 October 2022), or the South Limburg tourism website (‘Hier proef je de lekkerste vlaai van Zuid-Limburg!’ [‘Here you can taste the most delicious vlaai in South Limburg!’], www.visitzuidlimburg.nl, accessed on 1 October 2022).
In short, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ has developed into a symbol of the provinces of Limburg in both countries. It has even been part of projects supported by Europe. In 2003, research was done into the food culture of young people in Limburg and the Rhineland. The survey revealed that ‘Limburgse vlaai’ was the best known dish among Limburgish young people. In another EU project, ‘Limburgse vlaai’ even featured in the logo.

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


https://www.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2023-07/Productdossier-BGA-Limburgse-vlaai.pdf


https://lv.vlaanderen.be/media/7848/download?attachment



(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/2026/1256/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)