Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 53 Amendment to a product specification

1. A group having a legitimate interest may apply for approval of an amendment to a product specification.

Applications shall describe and give reasons for the amendments requested.

2. Where the amendment involves one or more amendments to the specification that are not minor, the amendment application shall follow the procedure laid down in Articles 49 to 52.

However, if the proposed amendments are minor, the Commission shall approve or reject the application. In the event of the approval of amendments implying a modification of the elements referred to in Article 50(2), the Commission shall publish those elements in the Official Journal of the European Union.

For an amendment to be regarded as minor in the case of the quality scheme described in Title II, it shall not:

(a) relate to the essential characteristics of the product;

(b) alter the link referred to in point (f)(i) or (ii) of Article 7(1);

(c) include a change to the name, or to any part of the name of the product;

(d) affect the defined geographical area; or

(e) represent an increase in restrictions on trade in the product or its raw materials.

For an amendment to be regarded as minor in the case of the quality scheme described in Title III, it shall not:

(a) relate to the essential characteristics of the product;

(b) introduce essential changes to the production method; or

(c) include a change to the name, or to any part of the name of the product.

The scrutiny of the application shall focus on the proposed amendment.

3. In order to facilitate the administrative process of an amendment application, including where the amendment does not involve any change to the single document and where it concerns a temporary change in the specification resulting from the imposition of obligatory sanitary or phytosanitary measures by the public authorities, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 56, complementing the rules of the amendment application process.

The Commission may adopt implementing acts laying down detailed rules on procedures, form and presentation of an amendment application. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 57(2).