Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1084 of 2 June 2025 entering a name in the Union register of geographical indications – Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay (PDO)

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 52(3)(a) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Article 90(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), which repealed Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the latter remains applicable to the applications for registration of geographical indication for agricultural products and foodstuffs received by the Commission and published in the Official Journal of the European Union before 13 May 2024. Bulgaria’s application for registration of the name ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ as a protected designation of origin was received by the Commission on 7 June 2022.

(2) Pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the application from Bulgaria to register the name ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ as a protected designation of origin (PDO) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (3) on 13 February 2024.

(3) On 10 May 2024, the Commission received a reasoned statement of opposition from Greece. The opponent drew attention to information in the single document stating that the product indicated as ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ is obtained from the leaves and flowers of the plant with the botanical name Sideritis syriaca, of the Lamiaceae family, grown in the Strandzha mountain massif. Greece claimed that there have been changes in the species nomenclature and, as a result, Bulgaria used the incorrect reference to Sideritis species, which could lead to a confusion with products derived from a culture of Sideritis syriaca, subspecies Syriaca cultivated in Crete. In view of allegedly incorrect information in the single document and the product specification of ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’, the opponent claimed non-compliance with the conditions of Article 5 and Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(4) After determining its admissibility, on 10 July 2024 the Commission invited Bulgaria and Greece to engage in appropriate consultations to reach an agreement in accordance with Article 51(3), first paragraph of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. On 15 October 2024, on request of Bulgaria, the Commission extended the deadline for consultations by three months under Article 51(3), third paragraph of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(5) Bulgaria and Greece reached an agreement within the prescribed deadline. It was notified to the Commission on 16 January 2025. As a result, two technical corrections in the product specification and the single document of ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ were made. Firstly, the mentions in the product specification and in the single document of ‘plant of the species Sideritis syriaca’ have been replaced by ‘plant of the genus Sideritis’. Secondly, the following sentence: ‘The species is included in the national red list of Bulgaria (volume 1), in the category of critically endangered species among other 112 plant species in Strandzha mountain’ has been deleted in the product specification.

(6) The Commission examined the agreement and the amendments to the single document and the product specification resulting from the agreement. It considered these amendments as not substantial within the meaning of Article 51(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, as they solely intend to clarify the taxonomic nomenclature. Therefore, a repetition of the scrutiny, as provided for in Article 51(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, is not required.

(7) In accordance with Article 52(3)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, the amended single document, with the reference to the product specification, should be published.

(8) Accordingly, the name ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ should be registered,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The name ‘Странджански билков чай / Strandzhanski bilkov chay’ (PDO) is hereby entered in the Union register of geographical indications.

Article 2

The consolidated single document is set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth 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, 2 June 2025.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/1151/oj.

(2) Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11. April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).

(3) OJ C, C/2024/1480, 13.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1480/oj.