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Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2006/C 148/08)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

Application for registration according to Article 5 and Article 17(2)

‘ACEITE MONTERRUBIO’

EC No: ES/0198/15.5.2001

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary has been drawn up for information only. For full details, interested parties are invited to consult the full version of the product specification obtainable from the national authorities indicated in section 1 or from the European Commission (1).

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Group:

Name — Address:

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.   Type of product:

Class 1.5. Oils and Fats

4.   Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1   Name: ‘Aceite Monterrubio’

4.2   Description: Extra virgin olive oil extracted from the fruit of the olive (Olea europaea L.). The ‘Cornezuelo’ and ‘Jabata’ (‘Picual’) varieties are used to obtain 90 % of this oil, with the remainder coming from of the ‘Mollar’, ‘Corniche’, ‘Pico-limón’, ‘Morilla’ and ‘Cornicabra’ varieties.

It is a greenish-yellow colour, very stable with a fruity, almond flavour, aromatic and slightly bitter and spicy.

Its characteristics are:

Maximum acidity: 0.5 %

Moisture: Lower than 0.1 %

Impurities: Lower than 0.1 %

K270: Less than 0.20

Peroxides: Lower than 20

4.3   Geographical area: The geographical zone of production, manufacture and packaging is situated in the province of Badajoz, in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, and includes sixteen municipalities in the ‘La Serena’, ‘La Siberia’ and ‘Campiña Sur’ regions.

Manufacture and packaging take place in the production zone.

4.4   Proof of origin: Olive oil protected by the designation of origin ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ (‘Monterrubio Oil’), is produced from olive groves and using oil presses entered in the relevant registers of the Regulatory Board, in accordance with procedure PC-01: Application for Entry in the Registers of the Quality Manual.

Oils marketed with the designation of origin ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ are required to undergo a process of certification carried out by the Regulatory Board, in accordance with internal procedures PC-02: Product Certification Process, PC-03: Evaluation of Results and Granting of Certification and PC-04: Maintenance, Suspension and Cancellation of Certification. The quality of the product, which must be as stated in the Specification, will be verified through the said certification process.

4.5   Method of production: The Serena region has an average production of 1 500 Kg/Ha from 150 olive trees/Ha.

Traditionally cultivation involves the following cultivation methods:

Cultivation

Fertilisation

Pruning (manual and mechanical)

Suckering (with herbicide)

Harvesting (olives picked directly from the tree)

Two processes are used to extract the oil:

Discontinuous or traditional process

Continuous or phased process

The discontinuous process is carried out as follows:

SIFTING a WASHING a CRUSHING a EXTRACTION a DECANTING a STORAGE

FIELD OIL PRESS

The continuous process is carried out as follows:

CLEANING a WASHING a GRINDING a EXTRACTION a DECANTING a STORAGE a PACKAGING

OIL PRESS

Olive oil bearing the PDO ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ must be packaged in the designated geographical area, as required by the applicant group. This is necessary to protect quality and ensure traceability and control over the whole certification process to its final stage, when the numbered back label guaranteeing the oil's quality and origin is applied to the container holding the certified product. These back labels are issued by the Regulatory Board, whose responsibilities are defined in its Rules of Procedure as follows:

as regards territory, the zone of production;

as regards products, those protected by the designation at all stages of production, storage, packaging, distribution and marketing;

as regards people, those in the various registers.

This means that packaging must take place in the designated geographical area, as defined in section C of this Specification, to ensure traceability and control by the inspection structure over the whole process and ensure the quality of the protected product.

4.6   Link: 

History:

The La Serena region is situated in the east of the province of Badajoz. For centuries its name and history have been linked to one of the oldest institutions of the country, La Mesta The division of lands that throughout history had been in the power of the nobles with large estates was of vital importance for the development of the olive groves in the region. The land was divided up among the people of the various towns, and these were the people who introduced cultivation on both large and small areas of land.

The first written reference to the olive groves of the production area dates from 1791 in ‘Viajes de La Serena’, (‘Travels in La Serena’) by Antonio Agúndez Fernández who, referring to Monterrubio de La Serena, mentions the abundance of wild olive trees, which facilitated the grafting of the olive tree.

Today the olive is the second most important crop in the region in terms of both production and surface area occupied. Olives occupy some 18 000 ha, and in some towns of the region even constitute a monoculture.

Nature:

The combination of the region's unique edaphological and climatic conditions, the perfect harmony between the crop and nature, the area's population patterns, advanced social and economical development and a culture deeply rooted in olive cultivation have resulted in the production of the PDO ‘Aceite Monterrubio’. Critics and consumers alike appreciate this distinctive extra virgin olive oil.

The geographical zone of the PDO ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ is found in the eastern extreme of Lower Extremadura, in the foothills of Sierra Morena. It is an area of gullies and gentle hills. The olive groves blend into holm oak woods and cereal farms, with a significant amount of low scrub on the high land of the sierras. The landscape is typical of a subtropical Mediterranean area with mild winters and hot, dry summers, where low levels of precipitation prevent other types of agricultural exploitation.

There follows a more detailed description of the properties of the area that make ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ a product that is characteristic of and native to the area.

4.7   Inspection body: 

The Regulatory Board of the Designation of Origin (PDO) complies with standard UNE-EN 45011.

4.8   Labelling: The name of the designation of origin ‘Aceite Monterrubio’ and the information determined in the applicable legislation must appear prominently on the labels, back labels and seals of packaged oils.

The label must clearly indicate the origin of the product. Labels which, for whatever reason, could confuse the consumer will not be approved; similarly, any labels that have already been authorised by the Regulatory Board may be rejected.

4.9   National requirements: 

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(1)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Agricultural Product Quality Policy, B-1049 Brussels.

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