Application for registration of a geographical indication for redykołka
9.1.2009
WRITTEN QUESTION E-0126/09
by Urszula Gacek (PPE‑DE)
to the Commission
Redykołka is made from left-overs from the production of the cheese oscypek shaped into the form of small animals, hearts, spindles and so on, which shepherds have traditionally given as souvenirs to local children or farmers visiting their huts. It is salted, but not smoked. According to local folklore, these cheese animals (sheep, deer, birds, etc.,) bear the name redykołka (redykawka) because they were handed out during the ‘redyk’ (the herding down of sheep from mountain pastures). Redykołka is made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep's and cow's milk. Cow's milk may account for no more than 40 % of the milk used to produce the cheese.
Redykołka is an intrinsic feature of rural life in the Podhale region of Poland, providing tangible proof of a centuries-old tradition of cheese-making in the area. This is further evidence of the fact that this unique product, which has an extremely distinctive flavour and smell, is a typical product of a specific region and forms an integral part of the regional culture.
Redykołka is produced in the following areas in the Małopolska region: the counties (‘powiaty’) of Nowy Targ and Tatra; the municipalities of Zawoja and Bystra Sidzina in the county of Sucha; a number of municipalities in the county of Limanowa (Niedźwiedź and part of the municipality of Kamienica, and the following villages in the municipality of Mszana Dolna: Olszówka, Raba Niżna, Łostówka, Łętowe and Lubomierz); and a number of municipalities in the county of Nowy Sącz (Piwniczna, Muszyna and Krynica). It is also produced in the following parts of the region of Silesia: Istebna, a municipality in the county of Cieszyn; and a number of municipalities in the county of Żywiec (Milówka, Węgierska Górka, Rajcza, Ujsoły, Jeleśnia and Koszarawa).
On 10 October 2005 redykołka was included in the Polish List of Traditional Products, under ‘cheese and other dairy products’.
An application for the registration of a designation of origin in respect of the agricultural product redykołka has been submitted to the Commission in accordance with a decision of 17 January 2007 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development adopted pursuant to the Act of 17 December 2004 on the registration and protection of geographical indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs and on traditional products.
The award of a protected geographical indication will make this product more competitive and will help to protect the traditions and cultural heritage of the Małopolska region.
As an MEP for the Małopolska region, I should like to enquire:
- —what stage has been reached in the processing of the above application?
- —when the Commission expects to take a decision on the matter?
OJ C 189, 13/07/2010