(1)

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 ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’, registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (2).

(2)

By letter dated 8 August 2019, the French authorities notified the Commission that a transitional period under Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, ending on 31 December 2023, had been granted to operators established on their territory who meet the conditions laid down in that Article pursuant to the order of 18 July 2019 amending the order of 8 November 2018 on amendments to the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’, published on 26 July 2019 in the Official Journal of the French Republic (3). The list of operators that benefitted from this transitional period is annexed to that order from the French Republic. During the national opposition procedure, the operators, who had been legally marketing ‘Munster’/‘Munster-Géromé’ continuously for at least five years prior to submission of the application, lodged an objection. Nineteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘The milk used to make “Munster”/“Munster-Géromé” must come exclusively from cows of the Vosges, Simmental, Prim’Holstein or Montbéliarde breeds or crosses with those breeds. In that case, only cows sired by a purebred bull of one of the above four breeds will be accepted’. Fourteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘At least 95 % of the basic ration (dry matter) for the dairy herd must be produced within the geographical area, as annual averages’. Four operators objected to the following provision: ‘At least 70 % of the basic ration (dry matter) for the dairy herd must be produced on the holding, as annual averages’. Ten operators objected to the following provision: ‘Grass in one form or another (dry matter) must account for at least 40 % of dairy cows’ basic ration (annual average) and at least 25 % of their basic ration every day of the year’. Thirteen operators objected to the following provision: ‘Each dairy cow must have at least 10 acres of grass pasture for grazing’. Seven operators objected to the following provision: ‘[Dairy cows] must be allowed to graze for a minimum of 150 days per year’. Twelve operators objected to the following provision: ‘Concentrate fodder must not account for more than 1,8 tonnes of dry matter per year per cow’. Five operators objected to the following provisions: ‘Maturing requires an atmosphere (90 percent relative humidity) specifically […]. During the leavening stage, the temperature must be at least 16 °C. During the wet treatment stage, the temperature of the maturing cellar must range between 10 °C and 16 °C’.

(3)

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 as required by Article 50(2)(a) of that Regulation (4).

(4)

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,