Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2003/C 11/05)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO ( ) PGI (x)

National application No: 3/2002

1. Responsible department in the Member State Name: Ministero delle Politiche agricole e forestali

Address: Via XX Settembre, 20, I-00187 Roma

Tel. (39) 06 481 99 68

Fax (39) 06 42 01 31 26

E-mail: qualita@politicheagricole.it

2. Applicant group 2.1. Name: Consorzio agrumicoltori tarantini - CAT

2.2. Address: Via Murat, 29-31, I-74019 Palagiano (TA)

Tel. (39) 0998/88 53 04

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) other ( )

3. Type of product: Class 1.6 - Fresh fruit and vegetables

4. Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. Name: Clementine del Golfo di Taranto

4.2. Description: Fresh fruit of the species Citrus clementine Hort. ex Tanaka of the following varieties: Comune, Fedele, Precoce di Massafra (or Spinoso), Grosso Puglia, ISA, SRA 63 and SRA 89.

The principal characteristics of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto are as follows:

- spheroidal shape, slightly flattened at the top and bottom,

- smooth or slightly rough orange-coloured peel no more than 30 % of which may be green,

- orange-coloured flesh,

- size 6 (43/52 mm) or larger,

- minimum juice content: 40 % by weight,

- ripeness index (ratio between the soluble solid content expressed in degrees Brix and the titratable acidity expressed as citric acid): 6:1 or more,

- seedless: a maximum of three seeds present in up to 5 % of the clementines.

4.3. Geographical area: The geographical area of production of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto is situated in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region and comprises the municipalities of Palagiano, Massafra, Ginosa, Castellaneta, Palagianello, Taranto and Statte.

4.4. Proof of origin: The origin of the clementine is unclear. According to some sources it is a hybrid which occurred naturally in Algeria in 1898, whereas according to Tanaka it is a citrus fruit similar to the Cantonese mandarin (Citrus clementine Hort.). It was first introduced in the province of Taranto in the 18th century, but did not become a widespread specialised citrus crop there until the 20th century. The geographical and socioeconomic centre of the area covered by the designation is situated in the municipalities of the province of Taranto that border on the gulf of the same name. In the 1950s, thanks to the discovery or provision of suitable irrigation resources or facilities as part of a land reform, citrus-growing became, after a period of expansion and specialisation, a major crop in the area of production. The Gulf of Taranto's warm, sunny and fairly dry weather encourages the growth and ripening of the fruit and helps give it excellent characteristics in terms of colour, flavour and conservation. Traceability is underpinned by the fact that growers of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto must have their citrus groves entered in a register kept by the inspection body. They are required to provide the relevant land register details, so that the citrus groves can be identified, along with their surface area and the layout and year of planting.

4.5. Method of production: Trees bearing Clementine del Golfo di Taranto are grown in a ball or vase-like shape. Pruning takes place annually, during the spring, and is light, especially in the first few years.

The density is 350 to 750 trees per hectare, but does not exceed 500 trees per hectare in new groves. Irrigation is a major feature of cultivation: it is practised almost throughout the year whenever rainfall is insufficient. The commonest method is drop irrigation or a direct jet, maintaining a certain distance from the top of the tree to avoid possible attacks of mould around its collar. The maximum production allowed is 50 tonnes per hectare. Picking is done manually, using scissors and taking care to avoid any damage to the fruit. The fruit must be dry when picked, and either have no leaves or only a few leaves attached. Fruit without a calyx (rosetta) is discarded and de-greening is not allowed.

4.6. Link: The land bordering on the Gulf of Taranto is to be regarded as ideal for citrus growing in that, in addition to being homogeneous and almost invariably flat, it is fertile, deep and well drained. Two features of the area are its excellent southern exposure and the Murgia, a hilly ridge which provides protection from cold northern winds. Using plants and nets, growers often build windbreaks to protect the clementines from the sirocco, libeccio and other southern winds which, since they come in from the sea, can harm the trees. The temperatures are well suited to citrus growing since they rarely fall below 0 °C. In addition, appreciable differences between daytime and night-time temperatures during the period of ripening contribute to the aesthetic and organoleptic characteristics of the fruit. Spontaneous mutations of the variety initially and habitually grown (Comune) have occurred in the area of production thanks in part to the suitability of the weather. In view of their morphological and qualitative characteristics these mutations - which in some cases have taken on the name of the geographical locality (viz. Grosso Puglia and Precoce di Massafra) - are likely to play a major role in production in the future. Cultivation of the species is now highly specialised in the area and has acquired added significance. Confirmation of the economic and social importance of the clementines is to be found in the Sagra del Mandarino, which dates back to 1970 and provides an opportunity for debate and discussion on the subject of the crop and its prospects as the product becomes more and more established on domestic markets on the strength of its qualitative (organoleptic and commercial) characteristics.

4.7. Inspection body: Name: IS.ME.CERT - Istituto mediterraneo di Certificazione

Address: Via G. Porzio centro direzionale Is. G1, I-80143 Napoli

4.8. Labelling: Clementine del Golfo di Taranto must be marketed in closed packs (to prevent removal of the contents) of up to 3 kg or, alternatively, in unsealed packs of more than 3 kg but not more than 25 kg with the designation's logo on 90 % or more of the fruit in the pack. On the packs the words "Clementine del Golfo di Taranto" must appear in characters at least twice as large as those used for the rest of the information and, immediately below, the words "Protected Geographical Indication". The packs must bear the designation's logo: a circular shape consisting of two green concentric circles with, in the middle, a bright orange clementine with a green stalk and leaf. The area between the two circles contains the words "Protected Geographical Indication".

4.9. National requirements: -

EC No: IT/00247/2002.08.09.

Date of receipt of the full application: 9 August 2002.