
Article 1 
The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Chaource’ is hereby amended in accordance with Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 2 
A summary of the main points of the specification is given in Annex II to this Regulation.
Article 3 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 15 December 2008.
For the Commission
Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission
ANNEX I
The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Chaource’ is amended as follows:

The following provisions are added to Point 5 of the specifications regarding the production method:

'(…) Coagulation may be carried out only using rennet.The milk may not be concentrated by partially removing the watery part before coagulation.In addition to the raw dairy materials, the only ingredients or production aids or additives authorised in the milk during production are rennet, innocuous bacterial cultures, yeasts, moulds, calcium chloride and salt.(…) The dairy raw materials, partly finished products, curd and fresh cheese may not be conserved at a temperature below 0 °C.Fresh cheese and cheese undergoing the maturing process may not be conserved under a modified atmosphere.'

ANNEX II
SUMMARY 
This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.
 1. 
NameInstitut national de l’origine et de la qualitéAddress51 rue d’Anjou, 75008 Paris, FranceTel.(33) 153 89 80 00Fax(33) 153 89 80 60e-mailinfo@inao.gouv.fr
 2. 
NameSyndicat de défense du fromage de ChaourceAddressFerme du Moulinet, 10150 Pont-Sainte-Marie, FranceTel.(33) 325 49 90 48Fax(33) 325 49 90 48e-mailsyndicat-chaource@wanadoo.frCompositionProducers/processors (X) Other ( )
 3.  Class 1.3. Cheeses
 4. 
(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
 4.1. 
‘Chaource’
 4.2. 
Made from cow's milk, this is a soft cheese with a salty rind with a surface mould; it comes in two flat cylindrical shapes: large (between 11 and 11,5 cm in diameter and 6 cm thick, weighing approximately 450 g) and small (between 8,5 and 9 cm in diameter and 6 cm thick, weighing approximately 200 g); at least 50 % fat content.
 4.3. 
The production area covers a very restricted geographical area on the borders between the Departments of Aube and Yonne including the naturally damp region of Champagne which has at its centre the municipality of Chaource.


 Department of Aube
Cantons completely covered by the geographical area: Aix-en-Othe, Bar-sur-Seine, Bouilly, Chaource, Ervy-le-Châtel, Mussy-sur-Seine, Les Riceys and Troyes (seven cantons)
 Department of Yonne
 Cantons completely covered by the geographical area: Ancy-le-Franc, Crusy-le-Châtel, Flogny-la-Chapelle, Tonnerre
 Municipalities completely covered by the geographical area: Bagneaux, Boeurs-en-Othe, Cérilly, Chigy, les Clérimois, Coulours, Flacy, Foissy-sur-Vanne, Fontaine-la-Gaillarde, Fournaudin, Maillot, Malay-le-Grand, Malay-le-petit, Noé, Saint-Clément, Saligny, Sens, les Sièges, Theil-sur-Vanne, Vareilles, Vaudeurs, Villeneuve-l'Archevêque, Villiers-Louis, Voisines.
 Municipalities partially covered by the geographical area: Arces-Dilo (part situated to the north of national road 5), Cerisiers (part situated to the north of national road 5), Lailly (part situated to the south of the part of departmental road 28), La Postolle (part situated to the south of departmental road 28), Soucy (part situated to the south of national road 439), Thorigny-sur-Oreuse (part situated to the south of departmental road 28), Vaumort (part situated to the north of national road 5).
 4.4. 
Each operator lodges a ‘declaration of aptitude’ which is filed by the INAO and enables it to identify all the operators. All operators must keep at the INAO’s disposal their registers and any documents required for checking the origin, quality and production conditions of the milk and cheese.

As part of the checks carried out on the specified features of the designation of origin, an analytical and organoleptic test is conducted to ensure that the products submitted for examination are of high quality and possess the requisite typical characteristics.
 4.5. 
The milk must be produced, and the cheese must be manufactured and matured within the geographical area.

This cheese is predominantly lactic, left to drain naturally and slowly, and made exclusively from cow’s milk that is matured and then renneted; it has a coagulation time of a minimum of 12 hours; the ripening period is of two weeks minimum.
 4.6. 
Known since the Middle Ages, offered in 1513 by the inhabitants of Chaource to the Bishop and Governor of Langres, the oral tradition of this cheese dates back to the first half of the 19th century; since this period it has been sold on the regional markets and as far afield as large cities like Lyon and Paris. The designation was recognised in 1970.

The protected designation area is situated in a region characterised by a permeable subsoil, composed essentially of limestone and clay, and by a large number of streams and springs. Dairy cows pasture on natural meadows in summer and are given hay reaped locally as fodder in winter. The traditional manufacturing process has enabled producers to obtain added value from their cheese and maintain agricultural activities in this region.
 4.7. 
NameInstitut national de l’origine et de la qualitéAddress51 rue d’Anjou, 75008 Paris, FranceTel.(33) 153 89 80 00Fax(33) 153 89 80 60e-mailinfo@inao.gouv.fr

The Institut National de l’Origine et de la qualité is a public administrative body with legal personality and reports to the Ministry of Agriculture.

It is responsible for monitoring the production conditions for products with a designation of origin.

NameDirection générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF)Address59 boulevard Vincent-Auriol, 75703 Paris Cedex 13, FranceTel.(33) 144 87 17 17Fax(33) 144 97 30 37

The DGCCRF is a department of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment.
 4.8. 
The product must bear the wording ‘Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée’ and the name of the designation of origin.
