Asturias approves the modification of the specifications for the DOP Sidra de Asturias

The Regional Ministry of Rural Environment and Agricultural Policy of the Principality of Asturias approved on October 14, 2026, the normal modification of the Specifications of the Protected Designation of Origin «Sidra de Asturias» or «Sidra d’ Asturies», which incorporates ice cider into the specifications. The decision is published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) no. 208, of October 27, 2026, with the official reference 2026-08474 and the signature of the regional minister Marcelino Marcos Líndez.

The regulation stems from a request submitted by the DOP’s Regulatory Council on July 27, 2026, after the council’s own plenaries approved the text on December 18, 2025, and May 25, 2026. The body is the recognized group of producers for this quality designation and, therefore, a legitimately interested party in the proceedings.

The file is classified as a “normal modification” in accordance with Article 24.4 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, regarding geographical indications of agricultural products, and Article 4.4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27, which allows the Member State to approve these types of changes and communicate them to the European Commission. The ministry’s competence derives from Article 10.1.14 of Organic Law 7/1981 of the Statute of Autonomy and Article 18 of the Law of the Principality of Asturias 2/2019, on food quality and differentiated quality.

Ice cider enters the specifications

The approved modification includes the incorporation of ice cider among the products covered by the designation, in addition to other drafting improvements to the specifications. The descriptive memorandum accompanying the request details each change and justifies its necessity in accordance with European regulations.

The ministry considers that the modifications are “correctly justified regarding their necessity” and that they meet the requirements to be classified as normal, following the checks provided for in Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.

The consolidated version of the modified specifications and the single document are published on the website of the Principality of Asturias, https://www.asturias.es, under the path Topics / Agriculture and forest management / Agri-food / Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications.

No oppositions and effect from the BOE

The processing followed the channel of the Law of the Principality of Asturias 2/2019 and Royal Decree 189/2026, of March 11. By Resolution of July 30, 2026, the publication of the request in the BOPA and in the Official State Gazette (BOE) was ordered.

The milestones of the procedure were as follows:

• Publication of the application in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado): August 6, 2026.
• Publication of the application in the BOPA: August 10, 2026.
• Opposition period: two months from said publication.
• Oppositions filed: none.

The resolution further orders the publication of the approval act in both gazettes and the communication of the modification to the European Commission. The application of the changes within Spanish territory takes effect from the day of their publication in the Official State Gazette.

Publication and appeal process

The text recalls that the resolution concludes the administrative process and opens two possibilities for challenge, which cannot be pursued simultaneously:

• Contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Courts of Oviedo, within two months from the day following notification.
• Optional appeal for reversal (recurso potestativo de reposición) before the same body that issued the act, within one month from the day following notification, in accordance with Article 28 of the Principality of Asturias Law 2/1995 and Article 123 of Law 39/2015.

The change affects the entire regional cider sector, as the specification is the regulation that establishes the production practices, product characteristics, and labeling rules of the designation. The introduction of ice cider expands the range covered by the PDO and requires registered operators to adjust their production and labeling to the new consolidated version of the specification.

Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 208 of October 27, 2026, section I, pág. 1-2 (official reference: 2026-08474).