EN Official Journal of the European Union C 89/13

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 89/06

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 from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘INSALATA DI LUSIA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-0433-22.11.2004

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Ministero delle politiche agricole e forestali Address: Via XX Settembre n.20 00187 Roma ITALIA Tel. +39 064819968 Fax +39 0642013126 e-mail: qtc3@politicheagricole.it

2. Group:

Name: Cooperativa Ortolani di Lusia s.c.r.l. Address: Via Provvidenza, 1 45020 Lusia (RO) ITALIA Tel. +39 0425607069 Fax +39 0425667722 e-mail: ortolani@gal.adigecolli.it Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3. Type of product:

Class 1.6: Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed, listed in Annex II – Lettuce

4. Specification: (summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Insalata di Lusia’

4.2. Description:

The Protected Geographical Indication ‘Insalata di Lusia’ is exclusively reserved to the Cappuccia and Gentile varieties of Lactuca Sativa.

Stem: short, maximum 6 cm, and very fleshy, from which the leaves grow.

Taste: fresh and crisp.

Plant: in the greenhouse, the product has a more compact structure and a slightly more open bulb as compared to the crop in the open field.

Essential characteristics:

— lightness of the head,

— softness, resulting from the absence of fibrousness, accompanied by turgidity, even 10-12 hours after being picked, absence of lignification,

— crispness as a result of the young, fresh and turgid leaves,

— perceptible flavour, which means that it does not need to be dressed with sodium chloride.

4.3. Geographical area:

The production area includes the following municipalities, which are located in the provinces of Rovigo and Padua:

— Rovigo province: Lusia, Badia Polesine, Lendinara, Costa di Rovigo, Fratta Polesine, Villanova del Ghebbo and Rovigo,

— Padua province: Barbona, Vescovana and Sant’Urbano.

4.4. Proof of origin:

Each stage in the production process is monitored, with all inputs and outputs being documented. The traceability of the product is guaranteed in this way, as well as by entering the land registry plots on which the product is grown and the names of the producers and packers in lists managed by the inspection body, and by declaring to the inspection body the quantities produced.

All natural and legal persons recorded in the relevant lists are subject to checks by the inspection body, according to the terms of the specification and the corresponding inspection plan.

4.5. Method of production:

The soil must contain no less than 30 % sand and no more than 20 % clay. Also, water must be available for irrigation. ‘Insalata di Lusia’ may be grown either in the open field or under shelter.

In order to prepare the soil, ploughing (or an equivalent form of tillage) must be carried out at least one a year in order to bury to a depth of 30-40 cm the crop residues from the previous crop and the fertilisers used for basal dressing.

Given the difficulties that such tillage can entail in restricted spaces, digging over or grubbing are permitted as alternatives for cultivation in greenhouses.

For subsequent growing cycles, it is permitted to carry out forms of tillage suitable for restoring the structure of the soil and burying any crop residues by means of ploughing, digging over, hoeing or grubbing.

After these tillage operations, in other words prior to transplanting, rotary tillage or harrowing takes place, followed by rolling in order to refine and level out the soil, thereby creating the best conditions for the seedlings planted to take root.

Given the physical/agronomical characteristics of the soil in the defined area, no type of crop rotation is compulsory.

Transplanting is carried out using balled seedlings with at least three true leaves. The following planting arrangement is used: 30-40 cm between rows; 30-35 cm between plants.

For nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the quantity of fertiliser to be used for each growing cycle must be decided on the basis of soil analysis and may not exceed the following units/hectare: nitrogen 150, phosphorus 100, potassium 200.

It is compulsory to use mature cattle manure or other organic compounds.

The use of chemical nitrogen fertilisers must be spread over at least two operations, with that carried out prior to transplanting not accounting for more than 50 % of the amount to be used, and the last being carried out no later than 15 days after transplanting.

The following irrigation methods are permitted: use of the ‘hose’ (drip irrigation) or low-pressure sprinkling (small sprinklers) in order to avoid soil compacting.

Weed control must be carried out using agronomical techniques (mulching, false sowing-beds, hoeing, rotary tillage) and/or chemical products (herbicides). For each growing cycle, maximum production per hectare is 55 tonnes for the Cappuccia cultivar and 50 tonnes for the Gentile cultivar.

After harvesting, the heads are cleaned up (removal of the lower leaves), after which the heads of lettuce are placed in the containers used for sale. Both operations are carried out in the field in order to avoid additional handling which would damage the quality of the product.

Once these operations have been carried out, the product is transported to the main premises of the producer’s holding, where the lettuce is washed without being removed from the container. Once washing has been carried out, packaging is completed by placing a transparent film on the upper part of the container.

If an individual farm is part of a producers’ cooperative, the aforementioned operations can be carried out at the premises of the cooperative.

It is important for packaging to take place in the area, since the stages of harvesting, cleaning up, washing and packaging must take place in a short space of time in order to prevent degradation of the physical and organoleptic characteristics of the product. Indeed, subjecting ‘Insalata di Lusia’ to excessive handling and long journeys would lead to the turgidity and crispness of the leaves being lost.

4.6. Link:

‘Insalata di Lusia’ is appreciated by consumers for the lightness of its head, how well it keeps, the lack of fibrousness (the plant is largely composed of water), the crispness of its young, fresh and turgid leaves and its taste, resulting from its natural flavour.

These qualities are linked to the geographical area and the particular combination of several soil-related and climatic factors in the ‘Insalata di Lusia’ production area, such as the presence of loose, fertile soil rich in mineral salts, the atmospheric humidity and the constant presence of water along the channels.

As regards taste, the distinctive characteristic of ‘Insalata di Lusia’ is the perceptible flavour, which makes it unnecessary to dress it with salt. This is the result of the presence of high levels of mineral salts in the soil. Indeed, the soil in the PGI area is made up of a superficial layer of sand brought by numerous floods, caused in pre-Roman periods and in the early Middle Ages by several branches of the Tartaro breaking their banks and, in the medieval and modern eras by the Adige flooding. The last great flood of the Adige occurred at the end of the 1800s and the immense sand dunes formed by this event were levelled out by means of long-term work lasting until 1960. It is on this sand, which has been consolidated by a century of spontaneous vegetation, that ‘Insalata di Lusia’, a lettuce richer than others in potassium and calcium, is planted.

The high water table under the cultivated land, which is fed by the Adige and which, in this area, is completely suspended, and the irrigation ditches which are always kept open, keep the moisture level of the soil steady, so that irrigation can be restricted to the stage immediately subsequent to transplanting. This entails less leaching from the leaves and thus less dispersion of the nutrients which they contain and less need for fungicidal treatment.

The surface water table is at a depth of one metre and is kept regular thanks to a system of artificial channels. Taken together, these factors make it possible to reduce the number of irrigation operations, and thus the spread of rot, leaving intact the fresh taste and crispness which are typical of ‘Insalata di Lusia’ and distinguish it from lettuce produced in other areas.

The availability of guaranteed water from the Adige river, the height of the water table and the composition of the soil allow the lettuce to be grown even in summer (July and August), with excellent results. This guarantees its availability on the market for 10-11 months of the year.

Indeed, the loose, medium soil with course composition, which is typical of the area along the banks of the river Adige, and the good level of permeability, which encourages the draining of rainwater, allow the stages of the production process to be carried out in an optimal manner in any climatic/meteorological conditions.

In addition to what has already been stated, the experience gained over fifty years of growing the lettuce and the expert work of the producers has made it possible to refine the production techniques, thereby optimising the synergies arising from a correct balance of climatic and agronomical factors.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: CSQA Srl Certificazioni (Private body complying with standard EN 45011) Address: Via S. Gaetano, 74 Thiene (VI) ITALIA Tel. +39 0445366094 Fax +39 0445382672 e-mail: f.broggiato@csqa.it

4.8. Labelling:

In order to be made available for consumption, lettuce displaying the ‘INSALATA DI LUSIA’ PGI must be packaged in containers made of plastic, wood, cardboard, polystyrene or other materials for foodstuffs.

The content of each package must be uniform and comprise only lettuce of the same variety, origin, type, category and size. The visible part of the package must be representative of the content as a whole.

The upper part of the package containing the product must be protected with a transparent sheet made of material for foodstuffs bearing the ‘INSALATA DI LUSIA’ PGI logo only. This sheet must allow the product both to be visible and to breathe naturally.

The logo of the PGI must be visible on the containers and must not be smaller than any other inscriptions included on the package.

The logo is made up of the letters ‘i’ (with an elliptical dot) and ‘L’. The inner sides of the letters are concave and form an elliptical frame in which is located, in stylised form, the medieval tower in Lusia. The outer and upper parts of the logo are surrounded by a frame, outside of which, in the upper central part, is the acronym ‘IGP’ (Italian for PGI). At the bottom of the logo, within the frame, are the words ‘INSALATA di LUSIA’.

‘INSALATA DI LUSIA’ PGI logo labels may not be reused after being affixed to containers.

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