EN Official Journal of the European Union C 101/7

Publication of an 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

(2014/C 101/07)

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2)

‘ΣΤΑΦΙΔΑ ΣΟΥΛΤΑΝΙΝΑ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ’ (STAFIDA SOULTANINA KRITIS)

EC No: GR-PGI-0005-01058-16.11.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Σταφίδα Σουλτανίνα Κρήτης’ (Stafida Soultanina Kritis)

2. Member State or Third Country

Greece

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 product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Stafida Soultanina Kritis’ are dried grapes (sultanas) produced solely from Vitis vinifera L.

The product has the following characteristics:

— Golden to brown in colour, sweet taste, texture soft but meaty

— Sugar content: 75 % minimum

— Maximum moisture content: 16 %

The grades of ‘Stafida Soultanina Kritis’ are as follows:

— Νο 0: choice sultanas, large, around 170 berries/100 g (±5 %), capstems 2 % maximum, loose pieces of stem 1 max/12,5 kg box, pieces of stem embedded in the fruit 2 maximum/14 kg box, uniform golden to amber colour, high degree of purity, suitable for immediate consumption.

— No 1: choice sultanas, large, around 200 berries/100 g (±5 %), capstems 2 % maximum, loose pieces of stem 1 max/12,5 kg box, pieces of stem embedded in the fruit 2 maximum/12,5 kg box, uniform golden to amber colour, high degree of purity, suitable for immediate consumption.

— No 2: classic sultanas, of a size corresponding to around 250 berries/100 g (±5 %), capstems 4 % maximum, loose pieces of stem 2 max/12,5 kg box, pieces of stem embedded in the fruit 2 maximum/12,5 kg box, uniform amber to chestnut colour, suitable for immediate consumption or for use in the food industry.

— No 4: classic sultanas, of a size corresponding to around 290 berries/100 g (±5 %), capstems 4 % maximum, loose pieces of stem 2 max/12,5 kg box, pieces of stem embedded in the fruit 4 maximum/12,5 kg box, uniform chestnut to brown colour, suitable for immediate consumption or for use in the food industry.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

Grapes of the Sultanina variety of the species Vitis vinifera L., which are grown in Crete and harvested from mid-August through mid-September. The grapes must be harvested in Crete because the hot, dry climate and long hours of sunshine produce grapes, and then sultanas, with a higher concentration of sugars, and in order that drying can begin immediately after harvesting, to prevent the damage that would occur if the berries detached from the bunch.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

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

The grapes are grown and processed (turned into sultanas) within the defined geographical area. Processing needs to begin immediately after harvesting so that the raw material (grapes) is not impaired, which means that it must be done within the defined geographical area.

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

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The product will be produced solely in Crete.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

Crete is situated at the southernmost edge of Europe. Its geographical position, the climate and the morphology and the quality of the soil are the main factors behind the development of viticulture on the island. The specific characteristics of the geographical area are as follows:

— Cretan soil is rich in calcium carbonate.

— The average temperature during the period when the vines are flowering is 20-21 °C and may reach up to 25 °C, while during the period of berry development the average temperature is between 24 and 29 °C and may reach 34 °C.

— Relative humidity is low, ranging between 50 % and 73 % approximately.

— 90 % of rainfall occurs from October to April. There is a long period of low rainfall, lasting 5-6 months.

— Hours of sunshine average over 7,5 per day. June, July and August are the sunniest months.

The human factor is also important: the practice of dipping the grapes in an alkaline solution before they are dried determines in large measure the characteristic colour of the final product.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Stafida Soultanina Kritis’ is characterised by its golden to brown colour, high sugar content and low moisture content. The minimum sugar content is 75 % and maximum moisture content is 16 %.

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)

‘Stafida Soultanina Kritis’ is a distinctive product, whose characteristics derive from the soil and climatic conditions prevailing in Crete. The reason for applying for registration as a Protected Geographical Indication is its quality (sweetness, moisture level).

The calcareous soils that predominate in Crete give plants that grow well, crop early and produce very good quality fruit, as it contains more sugar. The low rainfall and long hours of sunshine in July-August, when the grapes are ripening, has a favourable impact on sugar concentration. It is well known that rain during this period leads to dilution of the sugars in the grapes, which affects their quality.

The colour ranges from golden to brown and is due to the grape variety (Sultanina), which has white flesh, and to the hot, dry weather and long hours of sunshine that prevail when the grapes are turned into sultanas. The darkening of the grapes is caused by enzymes which become inactive as the sugar content increases. The hot, dry conditions and the practice of dipping the grapes in an alkaline solution before they are dried result in rapid loss of water and a simultaneous increase in sugars, so the darkening stops and the sultanas acquire their characteristic colour.

The low relative humidity during the summer months (which does not exceed 65 % on average) discourages the development of fungi on the grapes and as a result the final product is free of ochratoxins and other mycotoxins. The humidity conditions are also favourable, especially during the flowering period (60-70 %), ensuring a good crop.

This particular variety started to acquire economic importance for Crete after 1922, when refugees from Asia Minor arrived and brought with them their experience in growing it. Gradually it replaced the Tachtas variety that had been used for dried grape production in Crete up until that time. Soon after the arrival of the refugees and the expansion of Sultanina cultivation, sultana production began. Historical data confirm that Stafida Soultanina has been a Cretan quality product since the inter-war period, winning two quality awards at the 12th and 16th Thessaloniki International Trade Fairs, in 1937 and 1951 respectively, which attests to the product’s exceptional quality and reputation. The extensive spread of viticulture led to the setting up of the Association of Sultanina Producer Cooperative Organisations (Κοινοπραξίας Συνεταιριστικών Οργανώσεων Σουλτανίνας (ΚΣΟΣ)) in 1941. The reasons for the rapid expansion of Sultanina cultivation are, in a nutshell, the good prices the products fetched before and shortly after the Second World War, the excellent soil and climatic conditions, which favoured viticulture, the prime quality of the product and the fact that the prices were supported by the State in the 1960s.

Publication reference of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/prodiagrafes_stafidaskritis151013.pdf

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

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p.12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3) See footnote 2.