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: 2026-03-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Catalonia, Spain, bulb vegetable, consumer information, designation of origin, fresh vegetable, labelling, preserved product, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202601652EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/1652


16.3.2026






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/2026/1652)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

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



                     ‘Calçot de Valls’
                  


EU reference number: PGI-ES-0171-AM01 – 16.2.2026
                  

1.   Name of product


               ‘Calçot de Valls’
            
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

Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

It qualifies as a standard amendment because the approved changes do not affect the protected name or the link with the environment, nor do they lead to increased restrictions on trade in the product.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Title

Removal of requirements relating to the morphological characteristics of the onions.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section (section B of the product specification).
In the General description of the variety Blanca grande tardía de Lleida [Lleida late large white]: the morphological characteristics of the onions have been deleted, as they are unrelated to the characteristics of ‘calçots’ and are an inherent feature of the protected variety.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

The diameter range of the protected calçots has been expanded.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section (section B of the product specification).
In the physical characteristics of the calçots: the range of diameter of the calçots protected by the PGI has been expanded. The minimum and maximum acceptable values have been changed by 0,2 cm, with the result that the diameter measured at 5 cm from the root must be between 1,5 and 2,7 cm (‘Description of the product’ section of the single document and the product specification).
Based on the experience of producers, a slight increase in the range of diameter of calçots is recommended. This amendment does not adversely affect or alter the quality of the product.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Inclusion of tolerance levels.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section (section B of the product specification).
A tolerance percentage for compliance with these parameters has been added, as it was considered necessary to include this information in the product specification.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Modification of the degree of fibrousness.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section (section B of the product specification).
In the organoleptic characteristics: the assessment of fibrousness has been corrected to ‘mild fibrousness’ because, although calçots de Valls are a fibrous foodstuff like any onion, scientific studies have shown that they are less fibrous than other varieties of onion.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Removal of references to the quality standard.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Description of the product’ section (section B of the product specification).
Removal of references to the quality standard.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Update to the list of municipalities included in the geographical area.

Description

The list of municipalities in the ‘Geographical area’ (section C of the product specification) has been updated.
Since Calçot de Valls was first registered as a PGI, the defined geographical area has comprised all the municipalities in the four districts considered suitable for production, namely Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Tarragonès and Baix Penedès, in the province of Tarragona. However, owing to a drafting error in the original product specification and the separation of municipalities, four of them are missing from the list contained in the product specification. The following municipalities have therefore been added to the list:






—


In the district of Tarragonès: La Canonja, La Pobla de Mafumet and Salou.










—


In the district of Alt Camp: Rodonyà.










☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Change in the handling of bulbs before transplantation.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Method of production’ section (section E of the product specification).
A change has been made to the product specification regarding the handling of the bulbs after they have been uprooted and before they are transplanted. Traditionally the upper part was cut off in order to slightly speed up ripening. It is now known that this agricultural practice increases the risk of infections and it is therefore not recommended for plant health reasons. Consequently, this practice is no longer compulsory in the product specification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Improvement to the wording

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Method of production’ section (section E of the product specification).
It is specified that, although ‘calçots’ are usually separated from the clump individually, this may also be done in small groups.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Reduction in the permitted size of the bunches.

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Method of production’ section (section E of the product specification).
Packing of calçots: a smaller bunch format is added. The product used to be sold in bunches of 25 and 50 units, as it was considered that the average person would eat 25 units. Eating habits have changed over the years, and there is now market demand for calçots to be sold in smaller quantities, so a 12-unit bunch has been added to the existing bunches of 25 and 50 units.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Editorial amendment

Description

This amendment concerns the ‘Method of production’ section (section E of the product specification).
It is considered advisable to change the description of the system used to tie the bunches that identifies them with the PGI. The former wording ‘blue ribbon’ has been replaced by a ‘blue tie’ in order to avoid placing restrictions on the type or material of the tie used on the bunches. This change is also reflected in the section entitled ‘Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.’ (section 4.5 of the single document).






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Change in the details of the inspection body and other matters.

Description

The details of the inspection body (section G of the product specification) have been updated; the section concerning national legal requirements (section I of the product specification) has been removed since it is not required under Regulation (EU) No 2024/1143; the production data (Section F of the product specification) have been updated and a few changes have been made to the wording which do not affect the content significantly.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of agricultural products



                     ‘Calçot de Valls’
                  


EU reference number: PGI-ES-0171-AM01 – 16.2.2026
                  

1.   Name(s)


               ‘Calçot de Valls’
            
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


                  0703 10 19  – Other
4.2.   Description of the agricultural product to which the registered name applies

The calçots protected by the geographical indication ‘Calçot de Valls’ are the fresh, or roasted and preserved, shoots from bulbs of the variety Blanca Grande Tardía de Lleida of the species Allium cepa. This variety stands out particularly for its sweetness and the high number and size of the calçots obtained per onion.

Calçot is a Catalan word designating each of the shoots of a white onion especially grown for roasting. The growing technique is what gives it its name, because the fully developed onion is replanted in the ground and, as the shoots grow, soil is heaped up (‘calçar’ in Catalan) around them in order to whiten their base, which is the part that is eaten. This makes the buried part very tender and gives it its typical taste and sweetness.

Physical characteristics

Cylindrical in shape with no thickening of the first 5 cm of the base.
Total length: between 35 and 50 cm (length of white base: 15 to 25 cm, length of the leaves: 20 to 35 cm).
Diameter measured at 5 cm from the root: between 1,5 cm and 2,7 cm.
The calçots covered by the ‘Calçot de Valls’ Protected Geographical Indication must have these physical characteristics. However, as agricultural products may vary and in the interests of sustainability, 10 % of calçots are allowed to differ slightly from the physical parameters set out above, provided that this does not compromise the overall appearance of the bunch.

Organoleptic characteristics

Sweetness: high intensity
Pungency: zero intensity
Bitterness: zero intensity
Fibrousness: mild intensity
Consistency: high intensity
Crispness: mild to average intensity
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

All the steps in the production process are carried out within the defined geographical area for the PGI.






(a)


Production The cycle begins in December when the seed is sown in a greenhouse, and in March the seedlings are transplanted into fields, where they grow until they form a bulb in early summer. These bulbs are removed from the field and re-planted at the end of summer. As the new shoots or calçots grow, soil is heaped up around them twice or three times in order to increase the length of the white edible part. Once the shoots have acquired the specified physical characteristics, they are removed from the soil and separated from the clump. This is normally done individually but the shoots can also be in small groups. Harvesting usually starts in November and continues until the end of April.
The know-how that farmers in the Valls area have built up over more than a hundred years is essential for deciding the right time and method for carrying out each of the stages in the cultivation of the onions, especially replanting and heaping up the soil around the shoots (‘calçar’).










(b)


Classification










(c)


Packing in bunches.




4.5.   Specific rules concerning packaging, slicing, grating etc. of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

The calçots are sold in bunches of 12, 25 or 50 units held together with a light blue tie.
4.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the agricultural product the registered name refers to

A label numbered and produced by the management body of the PGI and bearing the specific logo of the PGI is attached to the bunches of calçots using the above-mentioned light blue tie. The label must include the following: ‘IGP Calçot de Valls’ or ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida Calçot de Valls’, plus the information generally laid down in the applicable legislation.
A prominent, numbered label bearing the specific logo of the PGI and the statement ‘IGP “Calçot de Valls”
                  ’ or ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida “Calçot de Valls”
                  ’ must be attached to the final product covered by the PGI before it is released for consumption.
Reproduction of the logo itself:





5.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area in which the ‘Calçot de Valls’ Protected Geographical Indication is produced and packaged comprises the land located in the municipalities of the districts of Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Tarragonès and Baix Penedès in the province of Tarragona.
6.   Link with the geographical area


The causal link with the geographical origin is based on







☑


Reputation










☑


Given quality










☐


Other characteristics.





Summary of the link


                  ‘Calçot de Valls’ enjoys great renown on account of its history, the know-how of the farmers that grow it and, above all, the long culinary tradition attached to it. The terms ‘
                  Calçots
                  ’ and ‘Valls’ go together, as confirmed by the definition of the term ‘calçot’ as ‘
                  “Ceballot” or onion which splits into two or three sections (Valls)’ in the Català-Valencià-Balear dictionary published in 1963.
The defined area has a maritime Mediterranean climate with mild temperatures and no frost for more than nine months of the year, thus permitting the production of calçots, which cannot be grown in areas that have long-lasting frosts in winter.
The specific method of growing calçot has traditionally been used by farmers in the PGI Calçot de Valls area for more than a hundred years since it was first discovered by accident by a peasant farmer from Valls known as Xat de Benaiges at the end of the nineteenth century. The ‘fiesta del calçot de Valls’ [calçot de Valls festival] was first held in 1896 and is still organised today, having gained a new lease of life. By the beginning of the twentieth century calçots were already a regular feast-day dish for many families in Valls.
The calçot is the basic ingredient of calçotada, a typical country dish that originated in Valls, where it has been made for more than a century, and the tradition has been handed down through the generations. The calçots are flame-roasted over a wood fire until they are tender inside and fully charred on the outside, at which point they are removed from the heat. They are eaten hot, with the charred part being peeled off by hand, and dipped in ‘dels calçots’ sauce or salvitxada sauce.
From 1946 onwards the reputation of calçot started to spread beyond the district of Alt Camp, thanks to comedy events organised by the peña artística l'Olla [Olla arts society]. As time went on and this vegetable was grown more widely and its reputation spread, the ‘fiesta del “
                  calçot
                  ” de Valls’ [calçot de Valls festival] became even more popular and was put on a firm footing in 1982 after the history of the event was showcased at the Congreso de Cultura Catalana. The ‘Gran festa de la calçotada
                  ’ [great calçotada festival] is celebrated on the last Sunday in January in Valls; it is a fun festival of food which has attracted a very high number of visitors and considerable media coverage over the past three decades.
The prestige and reputation of Calçots de Valls and the calçotadas have spread throughout Spain, and particularly in Catalonia where calçotadas have become traditional celebrations where people meet up with friends, relatives and acquaintances in the months of January, February and March. As the birthplace of this tradition and home to the best calçots, people flock to Valls for these celebrations.

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


https://agricultura.gencat.cat/web/.content/al_alimentacio/al02_qualitat_alimentaria/normativa-dop-igp/plecs-vigor/pliego-condiciones-Calcots_Valls_modificacion1_normal_2025-CAST.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/2026/1652/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)