COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 15 July 2019

on the publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

of the application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to a product specification referred to in Article 53 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council for the name ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI)

(2019/C 242/04)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of 21 November 2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (1), and in particular Article 50(2)(a) in conjunction with Article 53(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Spain has sent an application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification of ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI) in accordance with Article 49(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(2) In accordance with Article 50 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 the Commission has examined that application and concluded that it fulfils the conditions laid down in that Regulation.

(3) In order to allow for the submission of notices of opposition in accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, as referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 (2), including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI) should be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The application for approval of an amendment, which is not minor, to the product specification, referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 10(1) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014, including the amended single document and the reference to the publication of the relevant product specification, for the registered name ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI) is contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to oppose to the amendment referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within three months from the date of publication of this Decision in the

Official Journal of the European Union

Done at Brussels, 15 July 2019.

For the Commission

Phil HOGAN

Member of the Commission

(1)

OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 668/2014 of 13 June 2014 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (

OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 36

ANNEX

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A NON-MINOR AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘CORDERO MANCHEGO’

EU No: PGI-ES-02213 — 2.1.2017

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Fundación Consejo Regulador de la Denominación Específica Cordero Manchego (IGP) [Regulatory Council (Foundation) of the Specific Designation ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI)]

Crtra. De Las Peñas Km 3,2 (Albacete)

Tel. +34 967224020

Fax +34 967224020

Email: admon@corderomanchego.org

The Regulatory Council (Foundation) of the Specific Designation ‘Cordero Manchego’ has a legitimate interest in submitting an amendment application pursuant to Article 29 of Law 7/2007 of 15 March 2007 on agri-food quality in Castile-La Mancha. Likewise, among the purposes of the Regulatory Council (Foundation) of the PGI ‘Cordero Manchego’ as specified in Article 8(b) of its statutes is reviewing the specification of the PGI ‘Cordero Manchego’ and proposing amendments as appropriate.

2. Member State or Third Country

Ministerio de Agricultura y PESCA, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente [Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment]

Subdirección General de Calidad Diferenciada y Agricultura Ecológica [Subdirectorate-General for Distinctive Quality and Organic Farming]

Dirección General de la Industria Alimentaria [Directorate-General for the Food Industry]

de la Infanta Isabel, 1

28071 Madrid

Madrid

ESPAÑA

Tel. +34 913475394

Fax +34 913475410

Email: sgcdae@magrama.es

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐

Name of product

— ☒

Description of product

— ☐

Geographical area

— ☒

Proof of origin

— ☒

Method of production

— ☐

Link

— ☒

Labelling

— ☒

Other: changes to terminology and the inspection body

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒

Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

— ☐

Amendment to product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

Description

We have removed the requirements relating to the age and the live weight of the lambs from this section. They are now set out in the section on the production method.

Proof of origin

The livestock information shown on the ear tag in the form of two capital letters followed by the letters ‘CM’ to identify the flock of origin has been replaced by the holding's code in the REGA as it is more precise and is in line with the legislation in force.

Method of production

The reference to live weight between 22 and 28 kg and age between 60 and 90 days at the time of slaughter at the slaughterhouse has been deleted since these parameters duplicate a measurement which is already checked by means of carcass weight, which is more precise and objective and correlates directly with the parameters.

The minimum natural suckling period of 30 days has been deleted as the duration of natural suckling is indeterminate for each individual lamb, given that the animal's progression from a suckling to a ruminant depends on its physiological development, i.e. the development of its teeth and digestive system. At this undefined point (which is not the same for every lamb), when the lamb is capable of feeding itself solely from concentrates, it is weaned.

The carcass weight range has been increased to between 10 and 15 kg. In our experience, increasing the carcass weight by 1 kg while maintaining the classification requirements in terms of presentation, conformation, fat cover and colour preserves the quality of the carcass and of the meat, meeting the demand for this type of lamb which has developed in certain markets where ‘Cordero Manchego’ is traditionally sold.

The livestock information shown on the ear tag in the form of two capital letters followed by the letters ‘CM’ to identify its flock of origin has been replaced by the holding's code in the REGA as it is more precise and is in line with the legislation in force.

The minimum resting time prior to slaughter has been removed since point 1.2. of Annex III (Operational rules for slaughterhouses) to Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing states: ‘Animals shall be unloaded as quickly as possible after arrival and subsequently slaughtered without undue delay’.

The requirement to provide sugary water ad libitum at a concentration of 1 % has been removed since the animals do not require an energy boost in the absence of a long rest period.

Inspection body

As the Regulatory Council (Foundation) of the Specific Designation ‘Cordero Manchego’ (PGI) is no longer the inspection body authorised to verify compliance with this specification in accordance with Article 37(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, this section of the specification must be completely rewritten, as required by paragraph 3 of that article.

Text of the current specification:

The inspection body for the Specific Designation (PGI) is the Regulatory Council, which is a professional body made up of representatives of the livestock and industrial sectors.

A chair, appointed by Castile-La Mancha's Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment.

A vice-chair, elected by the livestock and industrial sectors.

Four members representing the livestock sector and four representing the industrial sector. Farmers and manufacturers entered in the relevant registers elect their respective representatives directly and democratically.

Two members with specific expertise in sheep farming, appointed by Castile-La Mancha's Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment.

One member representing the Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Ganado Ovino Selecto de Raza Manchega [National Association of Breeders of Sheep of the Select Manchego Breed].

Scope of powers

The scope of its powers is as follows:

— In terms of territory: the area in which the product is produced.

— With regard to lambs: lambs covered by the Specific Designation, at all stages of production, fattening, circulation and marketing.

— With regard to persons: persons entered in the various registers.

Tasks

— Drawing up and checking the various registers.

— Providing guidelines for, overseeing and monitoring the production, packaging and quality of the protected meat. Inspection and monitoring are carried out by inspectors authorised by the relevant authorities, acting impartially with respect to the producers and processors.

— Classifying the product.

— Promoting and defending the Specific Designation.

— Acting with full legal responsibility and capacity to enter into obligations and be a party in legal proceedings, taking action befitting its role of representing and defending the general interests of the Specific Designation.

Proposed text:

Up-to-date information on the inspection bodies authorised to verify compliance with this specification can be found at the following website:

http://pagina.jccm.es/agricul/paginas/comercial-industrial/figuras_calidad/fig_calidad/resultado_reg_ent.php?seccion=CERTIFICACI%D3N&subseccion=PRODUCTOS+CON+IGP&alcance=IGP+CORDERO+MANCHEGO&nombre_ent=&Aceptar=Aceptar

The current inspection body is the following certification body:

Name:

CERTICAR, S.L.

Address:

C/Infanta Mercedes, 13 4

Planta

28020 Madrid

Madrid

ESPAÑA

Tel.

+34 915711105

This inspection body is authorised by the Autonomous Community of Castile-La Mancha and is accredited by the national accreditation body [Entidad Nacional de Acreditación – ENAC] for the requirements laid down in standard UNE-EN 45011 (General requirements for bodies certifying products).

The inspection body must take the steps necessary to assess compliance with the specification, in accordance with requirements of the certification system for the product concerned.

It must conform to the standards in force – and meet any other requirement, e.g. as regards sampling, testing and inspection – forming the basis of the certification system used in its quality manual.

Its specific functions are to consist of:

— inspection of samples;

— conformity assessment of the product's properties as laid down in the specification;

— audit of documentary records for the production of protected lambs.

Labelling

In the part about marking carcasses after classification, the phrase ‘with the words “Cordero Manchego” followed by a corresponding identification number within each registered slaughterhouse’ has been replaced by ‘stamping those which qualify with the letters “CM” in indelible ink on the shanks, shoulders and ribs, and labelling them with a label bearing the logo of the PGI and a number unique to each carcass.’

As the meat itself is stamped, it is more hygienic to use the letters ‘CM’ rather than the words ‘cordero manchego’. It is also simpler to number each carcass individually using a printed label.

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

Logo of the PGI ‘Cordero Manchego’

Other

‘Specific Designation’ has been replaced by ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ in accordance with the current nomenclature.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CORDERO MANCHEGO’

EU No: PGI-ES-02213 — 2.1.2017

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Name

‘Cordero Manchego’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)

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

Fresh meat exclusively from lambs of the Manchego breed, irrespective of their sex. The lambs are fed on their mothers' milk supplemented with white straw and concentrates. Carcasses in the ‘Extra’ and ‘First’ categories, weighing between 10 and 15 kg, with an elongated profile, slightly rounded contours and harmonious proportions. Lean to moderately fatty meats with a thin layer of creamy white fat on the rump, the base of the tail and the dorsal and renal area, leaving the muscles of the leg and back and the trapezius muscles exposed. Meat that is pale pink in colour, is very tender and succulent, and contains traces of intramuscular fat. This gives the meat a characteristic smell that is very pleasant.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The lambs must be fed in stables on their mothers' milk, supplemented, ad libitum, with white straw and legally permitted concentrates, until they can be weaned and fed only on white straw and the said concentrates.

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

The lambs must be reared and fattened within the defined geographical area.

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

— 3.6.

Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Carcasses protected by the PGI are marked with an indelible ink stamp containing the letters ‘CM’ on the shanks, ribs and shoulders and are labelled with an individual number and the logo of the PGI ‘Cordero Manchego’.

[Bild bitte in Originalquelle ansehen]

Logo of the PGI ‘Cordero Manchego’

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area in which the Manchego breed grazes and develops covers the geographical region of La Mancha, which comprises parts of the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo, and includes the districts of La Mancha, Manchuela, Centro and Almansa in Albacete, Mancha, Campo de Calatrava and Campo de Montiel in Ciudad Real, Manchuela, Mancha Baja and Mancha Alta in Cuenca and La Mancha in Toledo.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

La Mancha is an ancient steppe, cultivated by the Romans for esparto grass, which the Arabs called ‘Manyá’, meaning ‘waterless’. These two names clearly denote the character of the region.

Although Castile-La Mancha has traditionally been considered a plain (given that its most characteristic feature is the geographical area of La Mancha), it is actually more like a raised plateau criss-crossed by mountains; two thirds of the area are at an altitude of above 600 m, and no part of it is less than 200 m above sea level. The area is therefore predominantly flat and high country with mountainous areas both on the edges and in the interior of the region, resulting in a wide variety of topographical features and landscapes.

In geological terms it is a plain formed of Miocene sediments, at an altitude of between 650 and 800 metres above sea level. Large shallow ponds and pools form across the flat plain during the rainy season, which retain the water for a certain amount of time.

The main rivers of the area are the Tajo, the upper reaches of the Guadiana, the upper and middle reaches of the Júcar, the Záncara, the Cigüela, the Jabalón and the Riánsares which, despite having very erratic watercourses, are utilised extensively for irrigation, particularly since recent times, when large tracts of land are being irrigated.

An analysis of the average annual temperatures for four settlements in the region shows that absolute maximum temperatures may exceed 35 °C in the summer months. The hottest month is July, when average temperatures can rise to as much as 25 °C.

Average annual precipitation is typically close to 400 mm, as compared to an average of 600 mm for Spain as a whole. Apart from being scarce, the rainfall is also distributed unevenly. First of all, this is the result of considerable unevenness of rainfall from year to year, meaning that volumes of rainfall in a climatic series can be very different from one another. A second reason is the annual distribution of rainfall; summer stands out as the driest season, accounting for barely 10-15 % of annual rainfall. By contrast, spring and autumn are usually the wettest seasons.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The ewes' varied diet, obtained by grazing in arid areas, and the peculiarities of the breed itself result in lambs whose meat has special characteristics in terms of succulence, colour and flavour, which are related to its geographical origins. Lean to moderately fatty meats with a thin layer of creamy white fat on the rump, the base of the tail and the dorsal and renal area, leaving the muscles of the leg and back and the trapezius muscles exposed. Meat that is pale pink in colour, is very tender and succulent, and contains traces of intramuscular fat. This gives the meat a characteristic smell that is very pleasant.

As the ewes go out and graze on the pasture, where they exploit its natural resources (flora, grassland, forage, fallow land, stubble and scrubland), they maintain a close link with the defined geographical area. They continue grazing when they are pregnant, thereby maintaining the geographical link with the lamb in their womb for five months through the placental barrier. When the lamb is born, it is kept in the stable rather than being let out to graze. Nevertheless, the link with the geographical area is maintained through the mother's milk (the ewes do go out and graze).

5.3. 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)

The Manchego breed is a native ovine species which has adapted to this region since the earliest times and is one of the main sources of wealth in this district. It has managed to remain pure and free from cross-breeding, and it has adapted over time to grazing in arid areas. It exploits the area's natural resources, flora, pasture, forage, fallow land, stubble and scrubland; the ewes' varied diet and the peculiarities of the breed itself result in lambs whose meat has special characteristics in terms of succulence, colour and flavour, which are related to its geographical origins.

Lambs from ewes of the Manchego breed have been sold on the market since ancient times. It follows that over the centuries, breeding and fattening practices have been honed to bring out the best qualities in this meat, which is traditional for La Mancha.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

http://pagina.jccm.es/agricul/paginas/comercial-industrial/consejos_new/pliegos/Pliego_modificado_scc_web.pdf