Asturias approves the modification of the specifications for the DOP Afuega'l Pitu

The Regional Ministry of Rural Environment and Agricultural Policy of the Principality of Asturias has approved the minor amendment of the product specification for the Protected Designation of Origin “Afuega’l Pitu”, at the request of its Regulatory Council. The decision is formalized in the Resolution of September 4, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) no. 182, of September 21, 2026, within section I, “Other Provisions”, with the official reference 2026-07485. The approved amendment will be applicable in Spanish territory from the date of its publication in the Official State Gazette.

The request and its processing

The file began on February 2, 2026, when Verónica Álvarez Rodríguez, as president of the Regulatory Council of the PDO “Afuega’l Pitu”, submitted the request for the approval of a minor amendment to the product specification. The request was subsequently corrected by the Regulatory Council itself on May 25, 2026.

The attached descriptive memorandum details each of the proposed modifications, the justification for their necessity, and the reasons why they are classified as minor amendments. The Regulatory Council holds a legitimate interest in the request as it is the recognized group of producers for this quality scheme.

The processing followed the established procedure: by Resolution of June 4, 2026, the publication of the request in the BOPA and in the Official State Gazette was ordered, once it was verified that it met the regulatory requirements. Publication occurred on June 10, 2026, in the BOE and on June 15, 2026, in the BOPA, which opened a two-month opposition period.

• Initial request: February 2, 2026.
• Correction by the Regulatory Council: May 25, 2026.
• Order for publication of the request: June 4, 2026.
• Publication in the BOE: June 10, 2026.
• Publication in the BOPA: June 15, 2026.
• Opposition period: two months, with no oppositions filed.

Legal basis for the minor amendment

The resolution is based on Article 24.4 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of April 11, 2024, on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, which defines “minor amendment” and assigns its evaluation and approval to the Member State in whose territory the geographical area of the product is located, with subsequent communication to the European Commission.

It completes the framework of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27, whose Article 4.4 allows the Member State to approve the normal modification if it considers the requirements to be met, including in the decision an electronic reference to the consolidated and published version of the modified product specification and, where applicable, the single document.

At the regional level, the competence corresponds to the head of the Department in accordance with Article 10.1.14 of the Statute of Autonomy for Asturias and Article 18 of the Law of the Principality of Asturias 2/2019, of March 1, on food quality, differentiated quality, and direct sale of food products. The resolution also invokes Royal Decree 1335/2011, of October 3.

Effects, publicity, and means of appeal

The approved text orders the publication of the administrative act in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and in the BOPA, as well as its communication to the European Commission. The modified product specification and single document are available on the website of the Principality of Asturias, under the path Topics/Agriculture and forest management/Agrifood/Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications.

The resolution exhausts the administrative route. An administrative appeal may be filed against it before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Asturias within two months from the next business day following its publication, or an optional appeal for reversal within one month, provided they are not filed simultaneously. The document is signed in Oviedo, on September 4, 2026, by the Minister of Rural Affairs and Agricultural Policy, Marcelino Marcos Líndez.

The approval closes a file opened more than seven months ago and provides legal certainty to livestock farmers, cheeseries, and marketers operating under the protection of the PDO “Afuega’l Pitu”, one of the most recognized quality designations in Asturian agrifood. Since no objections were filed, the new specification is consolidated, and its effective entry into force depends on the publication of the act in the BOE, a procedure that activates the application of the new rules throughout Spanish territory.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 182 of September 21, 2026, section I (Other Provisions), p. 1-2 (official reference: 2026-07485).