EN Official Journal of the European Union C 111/21

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

2009/C 111/11

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘POMODORINO DEL PIENNOLO DEL VESUVIO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0576-28.11.2006

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’

2. Member State or third country:

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product (Annex II):

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

3.2. Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies:

‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ PDO designates the fruit of the small tomato ecotypes known by the folk names ‘Fiaschella’, ‘Lampadina’, ‘Patanara’, ‘Principe Borghese’ and ‘Re Umberto’ and traditionally grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. They are oval or slightly plum-shaped with a pointed apex, frequent ribbing towards the stalk and thick skin. Hybrids may not be used. In order to be eligible for protection, they must have the following characteristics. When fresh — size: no greater than 25 g; shape parameters: ratio between the largest and smallest diameters of between 1,2 and 1,3; outer colour: vermilion; colour of the flesh: red; texture: very firm; flavour: sweet and sour, lively and intense; refractive index: min. 6,5 °Bx; strongly attached to the stalk. When stored on ‘piennolo’ bunches — outer colour: dark red; colour of the flesh: red; texture: firm; flavour: lively and intense; turgidity: low at the end of storage.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

Production and storage activities must take place in the production area, and the following instructions for storing the tomatoes on ‘piennolo’ bunches must be followed:

— after being harvested, the natural bunches (known as ‘schiocche’) must be placed on plant fibre twine and tied in a circle so as to make a single large bunch (‘piennolo’) weighing between 1 kg and 5 kg at the end of storage. The ‘piennolo’ bunches made in this way must be hung above ground in a dry, ventilated place using hooks or appropriate supports,

— during the storage phase, the product, whether on ‘piennolo’ bunches or packaged, may undergo no chemical treatment. Use may be made only of physical systems for better protecting the product, which cannot adversely affect its characteristics, such as insect nets and ultrasound devices,

— the useful life of the ‘piennolo’ bunches is not precisely determined and is linked to how long the tomatoes retain their ideal appearance and organoleptic characteristics.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

Packaging of the tomatoes in the form in which they are marketed — either fresh or preserved — must take place on the production holdings or in the immediate vicinity, within the production area, so as to:

— limit all handling when the fruit is at its most resistant,

— prevent the transport over long distances of produce which is unpackaged and, as such, not adequately protected and thus exposed to possible mechanical stress and damage,

— help ensure traceability.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ PDO must be released for consumption in one of the following forms:

— fresh: the product must be put on sale as individual fruit or in bunches, placed in bulk in appropriate sealed containers, with a maximum capacity of 10 kg,

— on ‘piennolo’ bunches: the ‘piennolo’ bunches must weigh no more than 5 kg and be put on sale individually with the identifying logo of the PDO or in appropriate sealed containers,

— preserved, as individual fruit or bunches, placed in bulk in appropriate sealed containers, with a maximum capacity of 10 kg.

The labels must include the following: the wordings ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ and Protected Designation of Origin in larger characters than any other wording or element featured; the Community logo; the name, company name and address of the packager or producer and the quantity of product actually contained in the package. The logo is composed of a silhouette of the ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’, including a stalk which extends to depict the profile of Mount Vesuvius. The specific details of the logo and its colours are described exhaustively in the product specification.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production and storage area for ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ PDO covers the following municipalities in Naples Province: Boscoreale, Boscotrecase, Cercola, Ercolano, Massa Di Somma, Ottaviano, Pollena Trocchia, Portici, Sant’Anastasia, San Giorgio a Cremano, San Giuseppe Vesuviano, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Somma Vesuviana, Terzigno, Torre Annunziata, Torre del Greco, Trecase, and the part of Nola municipality with the following perimeter boundaries: the provincial road linking Piazzola di Nola and Rione Trieste (the stretch known as ‘Constantinopoli’), the Lagno Rosario stream, the border of Ottaviano municipality and the border of Somma Vesuviana municipality.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The specific nature of the area where the ‘Pomodorino’ is grown lies in the volcanic origin of the soils. This area owes it specific characteristics to the pyroclastic nature of the soils, which characterises the entire volcanic fabric of the Somma-Vesuvio complex. These soils have formed on the lava and layers of ash and lapillus and are characterised by a high degree of fertility, a sandy texture that makes them very loose and well-drained and a neutral or sub-alkaline pH with a high level of available macro and micro elements. The climate is prevalently dry, with moderate wind and high temperatures. Wide temperature variations between night and day help to naturally combat parasitic diseases.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

Besides its small size, the specific characteristics of the ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ are a weight of between 20 g and 30 g, a low ratio of 1,2-1,3 between the largest and smallest diameters, the significant firmness of the skin, a particularly strong attachment to the stalk which is such as to ensure that the bunches tend to hold together well during harvesting and storage, a high concentration of sugars, acids and other soluble solids which mean that it is a product with a long shelf-life during which none of its organoleptic qualities suffer ill effects. The high osmotic pressure of the juice contained in the tomatoes, generated by the high concentration of soluble solids, means that the fruit maintains its typical turgidity for a long period, losing only a little water during storage.

Growing practices are conditioned by the characteristic configuration of the plots, which are very fragmented and often terraced and laid out in an irregular manner. The majority of growing activities are carried out by hand following traditional agricultural practices.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The specific characteristics of ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ are very closely linked to the area where it is grown. The volcanic origin of the soils and all the pyroclastic material accumulated during the eruptions of the Somma-Vesuvio volcanic complex have made this land highly fertile. The sandy texture has made it very loose and well-drained and led to a neutral or sub-alkaline pH with a high level of available macro and micro elements. When grown, the product absorbs all of this and thus takes on its very characteristic qualities. Parasitic diseases are naturally combated by the dry climate characterised by wide temperature variations between night and day. Small tomatoes, stored on ‘piennolo’ bunches or preserved, are one of the oldest and most traditional products of the Vesuvius area. The earliest documented and technically detailed evidence can be found in the 1885, 1902 and 1916 publications of the ‘Regia Scuola Superiore di Agricoltura’ (Royal Higher School of Agriculture) in Portici. In past centuries, growing this type of tomato became popular owing to its ease of cultivation and its suitability for long storage over the winter months as a result of the firmness of its skin. The diffusion of this type of tomato in the past was linked to the need to have fresh tomatoes in the winter months in order to be able to properly garnish home-cooked dishes, which have always been very common in the Naples area, such as pizzas and pasta dishes requiring intense flavour and aromas. The effect of the human factor was to put in place a well-calibrated growing and storage method which is typical of the area and involves the selection of the best tomatoes for production of the seed, the pruning needed to ensure that the plants can grow in an unrestricted direction, tying of the stalks and elimination of the excess shoots until the tomatoes have been harvested. During harvesting, natural bunches are picked whole when at least 70 % of the tomatoes are red, with the remainder still maturing. The procedure for storing the tomatoes on ‘piennolo’ bunches, which makes it possible to consume them, whole and unprocessed, for the whole winter following the harvest, links this product to the area. The traditional procedure involves picking the natural bunches of tomatoes whole and interweaving the stalks with hemp rope, thereby making a single large bunch which is hung from the roof of special ventilated rooms or on verandas or terraces. All of this, combined with the specific environmental context of the Vesuvius area, has created a product which is unique for its type as regards its organoleptic qualities and shelf life, and this is the product that is still grown and stored to this day.

Reference to publication of the specification:

The Government launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ PDO in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 1 of 2 January 2006. The full text of the product specification is available on the internet at the following website:

http://www.politicheagricole.it/NR/rdonlyres/edfyuuvfqgxxuvtepyi2yi6j2nwjrariuzulkqihodewpc3gfm7634vhogmz6dczzgzz566qxa37uolt7nr53we3pcd/20061130_Disciplinare_esameUE_Pomodorino_Piennolo_Vesuvio.pdf

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.