Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to 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^f1, and in particular Article 52(2) thereof,

Whereas:

Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 53(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the Commission has examined France’s application for the approval of amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Beurre d’Isigny’, registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96^f2.

By letter of 16 October 2017, the French authorities notified the Commission that a transitional period under Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, ending on 31 December 2022, had been granted to ten operators who are established on their territory and meet the conditions laid down in that Article pursuant to the Order of 12 September 2017 on amendments to the specifications for the protected designations of origin ‘Beurre d’Isigny’ and ‘Crème d’Isigny’, published on 20 September 2017 in the Official Journal of the French Republic. By letter of 26 September 2018, the same authorities submitted the text of a new Order of 30 August 2018 amending the Order of 12 September 2017 and including the names of those operators. During the national opposition procedure, the operators, who had been legally marketing ‘Beurre d’Isigny’ continuously for at least five years prior to submission of the application, lodged an objection. Six operators objected to the following provision: ‘Each lactating cow must be allocated at least 0,35 hectares of meadow (natural, temporary or annual), of which at least 0,2 hectares are pasture, or at least 0,1 hectares are pasture supplemented with hay.’ The operators in question are: GAEC des Normandes (SIRET: 38531072700016), GAEC des Quesnel (SIRET: 41022988100011), GAEC du Chalet (SIRET: 34005162200017), GAEC de la Cour des Mares (SIRET: 34897314000026), GAEC du Hameau (SIRET: 38259121200016) and GAEC du Petit Flot (SIRET: 43783781800016). Two operators objected to the following provision: ‘For the minimum period of 7 months when the cows are put out to pasture, on average at least 40 % of the feed ration, expressed as dry matter, must consist of fresh grass or hay.’ The operators in question are: EARL des Clôtures (SIRET: 51075733900013) and GAEC du Clos Roset (SIRET: 48310227300016). Two operators objected to the following provision: ‘For the rest of the year (non-grazing period), the proportion (of fresh grass or hay) in the daily feed ration may not be less than 20 %, expressed as dry matter.’ The operators in question are: GAEC de la Ronchette (SIRET: 49754563200018) and GAEC du Village Culot.

Since the amendments in question are not minor within the meaning of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the Commission published the amendment application in the Official Journal of the European Union ^f3 as required by Article 50(2)(a) of that Regulation.

As no statement of opposition under Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 has been received by the Commission, the amendments to the specification should be approved,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: