EN Official Journal of the European Union C 271/5

Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2016/C 271/05)

This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION THAT IS NOT MINOR

Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘POMODORO DI PACHINO’

EU No: PGI-IT-02131 — 5.4.2016

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Consorzio di Tutela dell’IGP Pomodoro di Pachino [Consortium for the Protection of the PGI Pomodoro di Pachino — the Pachino tomato]

Address: Via Nuova sn 96018 Marzamemi (SR) ITALIA Tel. +39 0931 595106 Fax +39 0931 595106 Email: segreteria@igppachino.it

The ‘Consorzio di Tutela dell’IGP Pomodoro di Pachino’ [protection association] is entitled to submit an amendment application pursuant to Article 13(1) of Decree No 12511 of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy of 14 October 2013.

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Product name — ☒ Product description — ☐ Geographical area — ☐ Proof of origin — ☒ Production method — ☐ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☒ Other: Updated legal reference

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendment to the product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

Product description

Article 2 of the product specification

1. The sentence: ‘The “Pomodoro di Pachino” PGI includes the following types of fruit: — smooth round; — ribbed; — cherry tomatoes’ Should be amended as follows: ‘The “Pomodoro di Pachino” PGI includes the following types of fruit: — smooth round; — ribbed; — cherry tomatoes; — plum and mini plum.’

Article 2 has been amended with the addition of a new type of fruit: plum and mini plum tomatoes. This is a type of tomato that grows in clusters and is perfect for sauces and mixed salads; the fruit are elongated in a shape that resembles a date, or a plum. The weight of the individual fruit varies between 15 and 35 gr. depending on the variety.

The producers have asked for the addition of plum and mini-plum tomatoes so as not to discriminate against farmers located within the production area of the Pomodoro di Pachino IGP that has been identified as the ‘Defined Geographical Area’.

‘Plum and mini plum’ tomatoes have been grown since the Eighties, albeit in small quantities, and similarly to the three types of smooth round, ribbed and cherry tomatoes, share the positive characteristics of the produce from this geographical area.

Thanks to their popularity on the market, plum and mini plum tomatoes now account for a considerable share of production, equal to the production of the other types of ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ Pachino tomatoes. Adding ‘plum and mini plum’ tomatoes protects the product by linking it to the production area and enhances the PGI by providing the consumer with a guarantee of the product’s origin.

We therefore ask that the product specification and the Single Document be amended.

Production method

Article 4 of the product specification

2. The sentence: ‘— transplanting is carried out between August and February, with the exception of cherry tomatoes which can be transplanted throughout the year;’ should be amended as follows: ‘— transplanting is carried out between August and February, with the exception of cherry, plum and mini plum tomatoes which can be transplanted throughout the year;’

3. The sentence: ‘Maximum production for the PGI “Pomodoro di Pachino” must not exceed the following quantities per type: — smooth round tomatoes: 120 tonnes per hectare; — ribbed tomatoes: 90 tonnes per hectare; — cherry tomatoes: 70 tonnes per hectare;’ should be amended as follows: ‘Maximum production for the PGI “Pomodoro di Pachino” must not exceed the following quantities per type: — smooth round tomatoes: 120 tonnes per hectare; — ribbed tomatoes: 90 tonnes per hectare; — cherry tomatoes: 70 tonnes per hectare; — plum and mini-plum tomatoes: 90 tonnes per hectare;’

Article 4 should be amended accordingly following the addition of a new type of tomato to indicate in the product specification the transplanting period and the maximum production amounts.

The plum and mini plum give quality produce even at yields of 90 tonnes per hectare and, as with cherry tomatoes, can be transplanted throughout the year.

Other [updated legal references]

The references to Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (2) have been updated with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘POMODORO DI PACHINO’

EU No: PGI-IT-02131 — 5.4.2016

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1. Title

‘Pomodoro di Pachino’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

The protected geographical indication (PGI) ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ refers to fresh tomatoes grown in the defined area, corresponding to the botanical species Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.

The ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ PGI includes the following types of fruit:

— smooth round;

— ribbed,

— cherry tomatoes;

— plum and mini plum.

The main characteristics of the ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ are the following:

— firm flesh;

— small placenta cavity;

— high sucrose content, measured on the basis of a quantity of soluble solids greater than Brix 4,5.

The fruit must belong to the ‘extra’ and ‘prime’ product categories and must be:

— whole,

— fresh in appearance

— sound (produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded),

— clean, free of any visible foreign matter;

— free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

—

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

The cultivation of ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ must take place in the defined geographical area, using a protected environment (glasshouses and/or tunnels covered with polyethylene film or other covering); where cultivation is in the summer, the crop may be protected by suitable structures covered with insect-proof nets.

Cultivation other than in soil is not permitted.

3.5. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ PGI may be packaged directly on-farm or in suitable packaging premises within 24 hours of picking.

Wrapping and packaging must be carried out in facilities located within the municipalities, including those partly within the production area. Packaging must be carried out in the area in order to avoid losses at the marketing stage due to damage to the outside of the tomato which can then give rise to mould rendering the product unsellable.

‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ PGI that are to be placed on the market must be packed in new single-use packaging of various types as allowed by the rules in force weighing no more than 10 kg.

The cover on the packaging must be such that their contents cannot be removed without showing signs of having been tampered with. The product may also be placed on the market in open packaging provided that individual fruits are identified with adhesive labels bearing the Pomodoro di Pachino PGI distinctive logo.

3.6. Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The following must be affixed on the packaging:

— the distinctive logo shown below.

— the name of the packer and/or dispatcher,

— the commercial characteristics: type, category, weight of the package;

— the wording: ‘pomodoro prodotto in coltura protetta’ [tomato produced subject to a protected geographical indication];

— the EU symbol.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ tomatoes are grown in an area comprising the whole of the municipality of Pachino and Portopalo di Capo Passero and part of the municipalities of Noto (Province of Syracuse) and Ispica (Province of Ragusa), located in south-eastern Sicily.

5. Link with the geographical area

The region where ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ tomatoes are grown has the highest temperatures and receives the greatest amount of solar radiation, averaged out over the year, in Europe (data provided by Landsat and Meteosat satellites). The proximity of the sea means that its climate is mild and spring and winter frosts are infrequent.

This combination of factors together with the quality of the water used for irrigation (salinity level ranging from 1 500 to 10 000 μS/cm) has shaped the development of glasshouse crops, and been a decisive factor for growers in the area as to the crops they have had to choose and, at the same time, for the distinctive organoleptic qualities of ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’.

The characteristic which established the reputation of ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ was its early ripening, observed by local farmers when it was first planted. Additional characteristics which have been recognised over time by the consumer, such as their flavour, the consistency of their flesh, their glossiness and long life following harvesting, have been such as to establish ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ on the market.

Tomato-growing is typical of Pachino horticulture. Tomatoes were first cultivated in 1925 on holdings located along the coast supplied with irrigation water from groundwater wells.

Early experience showed that tomatoes grown in the area were ready for harvesting some 15-20 days earlier than in other areas.

However, interest in growing the crop was circumscribed by the widespread cultivation of vines. Around about the Fifties, cultivation was extended over a very much larger area also located along the coast, using techniques for bringing on and protecting the crop in the early stages. The environment of the coastal area, despite favourable thermometric conditions, is prone to sudden exceptional plunges and changes in temperature between day and night which have occasionally been responsible for the destruction of entire horticultural crops.

The most widespread means of protection was individual covers for single plants made from prickly pear (cactus) cladodes or tiles or multiple covers consisting of mats made from stubble woven with iron wire and supported on canes. In the early Sixties the first growing tunnels appeared consisting of cane sheds covered with polyethylene film. In subsequent years they consisted of sturdier structures with cane being replaced by chestnut stakes and a deal frame. The protected growing of crops is therefore the outcome of a development process that began in a rudimentary and quasi-natural way to bring on the cultivation and harvesting of tomatoes.

The serious problems facing vine-growers in the Seventies led to a rapid switch in many areas to glasshouse cultivation and the setting up of the first associations which began to market tomatoes bearing the name of their place of origin ‘Pachino’.

Growing techniques were improved with the use of modern localised irrigation systems and galvanised metal glasshouses began to prove a success.

Over time then ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ tomatoes have become renowned on national and export markets on account of their distinct qualitative characteristics.

The particular soil and climate conditions in the production area confer on the product these qualitative characteristics which combined with the production techniques adopted by growers make the crop characteristic of the geographical area.

The features of ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ tomatoes are linked to their intrinsic characteristics, which set them apart: their flavour, the consistency of their flesh, their glossiness and long life following harvesting; such qualities are all sought by consumers, who look to buy Pomodoro di Pachino on the market, which thus becomes well-known and acquires a reputation both in Italy and abroad.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 6(1) second subparagraph of this Regulation)

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Pomodoro di Pachino’ PGI as a protected designation of origin in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 40 of 19.2.2016.

The consolidated text of the product specification can be consulted on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti, DOP e IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP, IGP e STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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