A spirit drink made by the maceration of sloes (Prunus spinosa) in ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin is traditionally produced in Spain and widely known by Spanish consumers as ‘Pacharán’. In the absence of a category of spirit drink corresponding to ‘Pacharán’ and in order to convey clear information to non-Spanish consumers and to reflect economic and market developments, a new category named ‘Sloe-aromatised spirit drink or Pacharán’ should be included in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008. In order to ensure the protection of consumers and of the economic interests of producers, the new category should include technical specifications based on evaluation of existing quality and production parameters used in the Union market.

Given the reputation of ‘Pacharán’, which the consumers link spontaneously to Spain as recognised in the past, the term ‘Pacharán’ may be used as a sales denomination only when the product is manufactured in Spain. When the product is manufactured outside Spain, the term ‘Pacharán’ may only be used to supplement the sales denomination ‘Sloe-aromatised spirit drink’ and jointly with the indication of the country of the manufacture.

The geographical indication ‘Pacharán navarro’, which is registered in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 under ‘Other spirit drinks’, should be transferred under the category ‘Sloe-aromatised spirit drink or Pacharán’ in the same Annex.

Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 should therefore be amended accordingly.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Spirit Drinks,