
Article 1 
The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Chabichou du Poitou’ 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 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, 25 February 2009.
For the Commission
Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission
ANNEX I

The specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Chabichou du Poitou’ is amended as follows:
'Method of production'
The following provisions are added to point 5 of the specification regarding the production method:
'(…) Coagulation must be carried out using rennet only.The milk must 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 and during production are rennet, innocuous bacterial cultures, yeasts, moulds, calcium chloride and salt.(…) The dairy raw materials, partly finished products, curd and fresh cheese must not be conserved at a temperature below 0 °C.(…) Fresh cheese and cheese undergoing the maturing process must 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 qualité (INAO)Address51 rue d’Anjou – 75008 Paris — FRANCETel.+33 153898000Fax+33 153898060e-mailinfo@inao.gouv.fr
 2. 
NameSyndicat de défense du Chabichou du PoitouAddressAgropole — Route de Chauvigny — BP 50002 — 86550 Mignaloux Beauvoir — FRANCETel.+33 549447480Fax+33 549467905e-mailfilieres-lait@poitou-charentes.chambagri.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. 
‘Chabichou du Poitou’
 4.2. 
Unpressed soft cheese made from goat’s milk, white inside with a thin skin; in the shape of a truncated cone, known as a ‘bonde’. The cheeses are approximately 6 cm high and the average weight is 120 grams. Fat content: 45 %.
 4.3. 
The cantons of Châtellerault, Charroux, Civray, Couhé, Gençay, Lencloître, Lusignan, Mirebeau, Moncontour, Neuville, Poitiers, Saint-Georges-lès-Baillargeaux, Saint-Julien-l’Ars, La Villedieu-du-Clain, Vivonne and Vouillé: all the communes.

The communes of Arçay, Availles-en-Châtellerault, Beaumont, Berthegon, Bonneuil-Matours, Bouresse, Cenon, Chalais, Chauvigny, Chouppes, Coussay, Curzay-sur-Dive, Dercé, Glenouzé, Guesnes, Lhommaizé, Loudun, Maulay, Mauprévoir, Messemé, Monthoiron, Monts-sur-Guesnes, Moussac, Mouterre-Silly, Prinçay, Queaux, Ranton, La Roche-Rigault, Saint-Laon, Saint-Laurent-de-Jourdes, Saint-Martin-l’Ars, Saires, Sammarçolles, Sérigny, Ternay, Verrières, Verrue, Le Vigeant and Vouneuil-sur-Vienne.

The cantons of Airvault, Celles-sur-Belle, Chef-Boutonne, Lezay, Mazières-en-Gâtine, Melle, Ménigoute, La Mothe-Saint-Héray, Saint-Loup-Lamairé, Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole-2, Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole-Ville, Sauzé-Vaussais, Thénezay, Thouars-1 and Thouars-Ville: all the communes.

The communes of Augé, Asnières-en-Poitou, Azay-le-Brûlé, Brieuil-sur-Chizé, Brioux-sur-Boutonne, Brûlain, La Crèche, Chérigné, Ensigné, Geay, Glénay, Juillé, Luché-sur-Brioux, Lusseray, Luzay, Paizay-le-Chapt, Périgné, Pierrefitte, Prahecq, Saint-Martin-de-Bernegoue, Sainte-Gemme, Saint-Varent, Saivres, Secondigné-sur-Belle, Séligné, Vernoux-sur-Boutonne, Villefollet, Villiers-sur-Chizé and Vouillé.

The communes of Adjots, Benest, Bernac, Bioussac, Le Bouchage, Brettes, Champagne-Mouton, La Chèvrerie, Condac, Courcôme, Empuré, La Faye, La Forêt-de-Tessé, Londigny, Longré, La Magdeleine, Montjean, Nanteuil-en-Vallée, Paizay-Naudoin-Embourie, Raix, Ruffec, Saint-Gourson, Saint-Martin-du-Clocher, Souvigné, Taizé-Aizié, Theil-Rabier, Vieux-Ruffec, Villefagnan and Villiers-le-Roux.
 4.4. 
Every milk producer, processing plant and maturing plant fills in a ‘declaration of aptitude’ registered with the INAO which enables the INAO to identify all operators involved. 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.

Whole goat’s milk, with a small amount of rennet added, curdled by lactic acid. The fresh curd, pre-drained or not, is placed in a perforated mould in the shape of a truncated cone. It is left to drain for 18 to 24 hours, salted on the surface. It is then left to dry for a further 24 to 48 hours. Matured for at least 10 days at a temperature of 10 to 12 °C and 80 to 90 % humidity.
 4.6. 
The name comes from the Arabic word ‘chebli’ meaning goat. The cheese was made by the Saracens who were defeated at Poitiers in 732 but remained in the area, confined to a hill nearby. The name ‘Chabichou’ appears in Charles de Cherge’s 1782 ‘Guide du voyageur à Poitiers’. It is associated with the Poitou region and its praises were sung in a sonnet by Emile Bergerat in 1910 and in a 1914 song. The designation was applied for in 1989 and the designation of origin obtained in 1990.

Chabichou du Poitou is produced in the Seuil du Poitou geological area: homogeneous limestone terrain, where goats have been reared for centuries and there is a long tradition of producing and processing this particular cheese.
 4.7. 
NameInstitut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO)Address51 rue d'Anjou — 75008 Paris — FRANCETel.+33 153898000Fax+33 153898060e-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.

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 144871717Fax+ 33 144973037

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.

The words ‘Appellation d’Origine’ must appear on the label.

The words ‘Fabrication fermière’ or ‘Fromage fermier’ should also appear.
