
Article 1 
The procedure provided for in Article 6(1) and (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 shall not apply to the amendments referred to in Article 2.
Article 2 
The specification for the designation of origin ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ is amended in accordance with Annex I to this Regulation.
Article 3 
A summary of the main points of the specification is given in Annex II to this Regulation.
Article 4 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following 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, 23 December 2005.
For the Commission
Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission
ANNEX I

Point ‘4.2. Description’ in the specification for the designation of origin ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ (France) is replaced by the following:
'4.2. DescriptionLiquid honey from honeydew collected by bees from Vosges fir trees; it has balsamic aromas and a malty flavour and is free of bitterness and extraneous flavours. It is dark brown with pale green highlights.'

ANNEX II
SUMMARY 
This summary has been produced for information only. For full details, the producers of the products covered by the PDO or PGI in question in particular are invited to consult the full version of the product specification at national level or at the European Commission.

1. Responsible department in the Member StateNameInstitut national des appellations d'origineAddress51, rue d'Anjou — 75008 ParisTelephone(33) 153 89 80 00Fax(33) 142 25 57 972. Applicant group2.1. NameSyndicat de défense du miel de sapin des Vosges2.2. Address2, chemin du Cant — 88700 Roville-aux-Chênes2.3. Compositionproducers/processors (X) other ( )3. Type of productClass 1-4 — Honey4. Specification(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))4.1. NameMiel de sapin des Vosges4.2. DescriptionLiquid honey from honeydew collected by bees from Vosges fir trees; it has balsamic aromas and a malty flavour and is free of bitterness and extraneous flavours. It is dark brown with pale green highlights.4.3. Geographical areaVosges fir honey is produced widely on the Lorraine slopes of the Vosges mountains comprising, in addition to the department of Vosges, some communes of the departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Haute-Saône and the territory of Belfort.4.4. Proof of originThe honey must be harvested (the term ‘harvesting’ means production by bees, removal of the frames and extraction), decanted and accredited within the geographical area specified for the designation.
The accreditation process will include:

— a declaration that the hives are in place with a list for each holding of the date on which they were put in place, their number and precise location,
— a harvest declaration drawn up by the producer annually giving the number of hives, the total production of honey of the holding and that which may qualify for the designation.In addition, each operator will be required to draw up a stock declaration annually.
The keeping of registers will mean that the identity of the origin and destination of the honey together with the volume obtained and put into circulation.
This procedure will be completed by a scientific analysis and taste test to ensure that the products are typical and of high quality.
The honey may be marketed under the registered designation of origin ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ only with an accreditation certificate issued on completion of the above tests by the Institut national des appellations d’origine under the conditions laid down in the national rules relating to the name.
Assurances as to the origin of the product will be accompanied by the affixing to each container of an identifying mechanism that is destroyed on opening the container. These identifying mechanisms will be issued on production of accreditation certificates.4.5. Method of productionThe honey comes from honeydew collected by bees from the Vosges fir (Abies pectinata). The honeydew is produced by aphids from the sap of the firs and then collected by the bees. Extraction is by means of cold centrifuging and the honey must be filtered and then decanted for at least two weeks. Pasteurisation of the honey is prohibited. The honey is presented in liquid form. The production of Vosges fir honey varies considerably from year to year depending on the volume of honeydew production (miellée).4.6. LinkVosges fir honey is a product that is very closely linked with the terrain in which it originates since it forms part of an uninterrupted chain from the Vosges fir, by far the commonest species of conifer in the Vosges Massif, which develops in symbiosis with the acidic substratum, granite and sandstone soil. From this plant species aphids extract the sap which they process into honeydew that is stored by bees to produce the very characteristic honey.
The production of this honey is closely linked therefore with the location of conifer forests specific to the Vosges region from which beekeepers have been able to draw and preserve their specific character.4.7. Inspection bodyNameINAOAddress51, rue d'Anjou — 75008 ParisNameDGCCRFAddress59, Bd V.-Auriol — 75703 Paris Cedex 134.8. LabellingThe labelling of honey qualifying for the registered designation of origin ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ includes the words ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’ and ‘Appellation d’origine contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’. The words ‘Appellation d’origine contrôlée’ must appear immediately below the designation in characters at least half as big. All this information must be in the same visual field.4.9. National requirementsDecree governing the designation ‘Miel de sapin des Vosges’.
