THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs(1), and in particular Article 53(2)(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 entered into force on 3 January 2013. It repealed and replaced Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs(2).
(2) By virtue of the first subparagraph of Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006, the Commission has examined Portugal’s application for the approval of amendments to the specification for the protected geographical indication ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’ registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96(3), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 197/2008(4).
(3) The purpose of the application is to amend the specification. Portugal requests the possibility of marketing ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’ in a smaller format (0.5 kg). The minimum diameter of the cheese shall therefore be reduced from 11 to 9 cm. Portugal also requests for it to be made mandatory to affix a numbered casein mark in order to improve the traceability of the product.
(4) The Commission has examined the amendments in question and decided that they are justified. Since this is a minor amendment, the Commission may adopt it without using the procedure set out in Articles 50 to 52 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: