{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2019-1841/annex/division-1/division-5/division-5.2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2019-1841/annex/division-1/division-5/division-5.2.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2019/1841",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1841 of 31 October 2019 entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications ‘Vlees van het rood ras van West-Vlaanderen’ (PDO)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2019-1841",
  "path": "annex/division/1/division/5/division/5.2",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "5.2",
  "heading": "Specificity of the breed",
  "text": "Red cattle have been grazing in West Flanders and the northern part of French Flanders for hundreds of years. In around 1770, there was a homogeneous breeding centre for red cattle. They accounted for 95 % of the region’s total cattle population.\nAfter Belgium gained independence in 1830, the different stockfarming approaches adopted by the French and Belgian authorities led to a divide in the breed. In France, priority was given to dairy cattle, which led to the development of the ‘rouge des Flandres’ or ‘Casselloise’ breed. In West Flanders it remained a dual-purpose breed.\nIn 1906, a regional syndicate was set up to maintain a herd book for the whole of West Flanders. The breed was known in Dutch as ‘het rood Vlaams ras’ (the Flemish Red breed) but was later renamed ‘het rood ras van West-Vlaanderen’ (the West Flemish Red breed), a name which emphasises the defined breeding area, namely the Belgian province of West Flanders. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the province of West Flanders has deliberately chosen to have a single breed within its borders.\nUntil the 1970s, up to 80 % of all cattle in West Flanders were of the red breed. The breed was preserved because some West-Flemish farmers deliberately chose it for the specific qualities of the meat. In 1994, it was still the case that 99,6 % of all cattle of this breed were in West Flanders. More recent figures show that this figure is currently still over 95 %.\nIn 1991, in accordance with the Ministerial Decree on the improvement of the cattle breeds, the breed’s official name was ‘het Rood ras van België’ (the Belgian Red breed). The name of the breed was changed to ‘Rood’ (‘Red’) in 2007 following the repeal of that Decree.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2019/1841/annex/division/1/division/5/division/5.2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:43:02.872080+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}