Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2020/C 204/18)

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) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘LIMONE DELL’ETNA’

EU No: PGI-IT-02444 – 12.12.2018

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name

‘Limone dell’Etna’

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 product to which the name in (1) applies

The name ‘Limone dell’Etna’ identifies the lemons grown in the area along the Etna coastal strip, in an area between the Alcantara river in the north and the northern boundary of the municipality of Catania. It is reserved for the cultivars ‘Femminello’ (and clones thereof) and ‘Monachello’ of the botanical species Citrus limon (L.) Burm. The link with the geographical area is based on the characteristics and qualities of the product.

When released for consumption, the product must have the following characteristics and quality parameters:

Cultivar and production periods Fruit characteristics Quality parameters ‘Femminello’ ‘Primofiore’ winter fruit fruit harvested on or after 15 September skin colour: from light green to lemon yellow; shape: elliptical; weight: at least 90 g; flesh colour: from light green to lemon yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 34 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 % ‘Femminello’ ‘Bianchetto’ or ‘maiolino’ spring lemon fruit harvested on or after 1 April skin colour: light yellow; shape: elliptical or ovoid; weight: at least 90 g; flesh colour: yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 34 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 % ‘Femminello’ ‘Verdello’ (or summer lemon) fruit harvested on or after 15 May skin colour: from green to light yellow; shape: elliptical-spheroidal; weight: at least 80 g; flesh colour: from light green to lemon yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 30 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 % ‘Monachello’ ‘Primofiore’ winter fruit fruit harvested on or after 15 October skin colour: from light green to lemon yellow; shape: elliptical; weight: at least 90 g; flesh colour: from light green to lemon yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 25 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 % ‘Monachello’ ‘Bianchetto’ or ‘maiolino’ spring lemon fruit harvested on or after 1 April skin colour: light yellow; shape: elliptical or ovoid; weight: at least 90 g; flesh colour: yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 25 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 % ‘Monachello’ ‘Verdello’ (or summer lemon) fruit harvested on or after 15 May skin colour: from green to light yellow; shape: elliptical-spheroidal; weight: at least 80 g; flesh colour: from light green to lemon yellow juice characteristics: colour: lemon yellow yield > 25 % acidity > 5,5 % total soluble solids: Brix value of the flesh > 7 yield of essential oils > 0,3 %

Fruit bearing the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ protected geographical indication must be marketed fresh, belong to class ‘Extra’ or ‘I’, and be of size 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Provided that it complies with the specific quality parameters of the juice and the yield of essential oils, fruit whose class, size, shape, weight or skin colour differ from those laid down may, in addition to the fruit specified above, bear the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ PGI and be used for processing only. Such fruit may not be sold to the end consumer as fresh fruit.

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

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

All steps in the production of ‘Limone dell’Etna’ must take place in the geographical area identified in section 4 below.

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

‘Limone dell’Etna’ lemons may be released for consumption loose or in any type of packaging that complies with the legislation in force.

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

Stickers must be affixed on 100 % of the fruit released for consumption loose. The stickers must feature the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ PGI logo which is described and shown below.

‘Limone dell’Etna’ lemons may also be released for consumption via retail sale bearing a label that is displayed visibly and gives the same information as that required on packaging.

Lemons intended for processing that may not be sold to the end consumer as fresh fruit may be sold ‘loose’, without stickers, in packages or containers that comply with the legislation in force and feature, on at least one of the sides, in clear and legible print, the wording ‘Limone dell’Etna IGP destinato alla trasformazione’ (‘Limone dell’Etna PGI intended for processing’) and specifying the cultivar and batch, or directly from the trailers of dedicated vehicles with it being strictly prohibited for fruit other than ‘Limone dell’Etna’ PGI to be present.

The label on the packaging must feature, in clear and legible print, not only the European PGI symbol, the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ PGI logo, described below, and the information required by law, but also the name of the cultivar, the product class and the size. The use of private brands is permitted provided that they do not mislead consumers and are allowed under the legislation in force. It is prohibited to add any descriptions and wordings other than those expressly allowed by the product specification, including adjectives such as ‘fine’ (‘fine’), ‘superiore’ (‘superior’), ‘selezionato’ (‘selected’), ‘scelto’ (‘choice’) and similar. Laudatory terms may not be used.

‘Limone dell’Etna’ PGI logo

The logo depicts two lemons and the wording ‘Limone dell’Etna IGP’ (‘Limone dell’Etna PGI’).

The logo may not be modified in any way, nor may it be partially used or modified.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area where ‘Limone dell’Etna’ lemons are grown is located in the province of Catania along the strip of land between the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna and comprises the administrative territory of the following municipalities: Aci Bonaccorsi, Aci Castello, Aci Catena, Aci Sant’Antonio, Acireale, Calatabiano, Castiglione di Sicilia, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Giarre, Mascali, Piedimonte Etneo, Riposto, Santa Venerina, San Gregorio di Catania, Valverde, Zafferana Etnea.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link between the product and the geographical area is the key element making it stand out and is based on the quality characteristics of the fruit.

The name ‘Limone dell’Etna’ identifies lemons grown in the area on the lower slopes of Mount Etna and brings to mind the qualitative features and the elements typical of the area and its tradition that have been handed down from generation to generation for more than two centuries.

As regards the quality characteristics, the epicarp of ‘Limone dell’Etna’ is very rich in oil glands and contains essential oils of high aromatic quality. In particular, the ‘citral’ (mixture of the aldehydes geranial and neral) responsible for the characteristic lemon flavour stands out.

The quality characteristics of the essential oils in ‘Limone dell’Etna’ give the fruit a specific character that is appreciated by consumers. These characteristics have also been the subject of study. Specifically, studies carried out by the former Experimental Institute for Citrus Fruit – now the Acireale-based Olive, Fruit and Citrus Research Centre of the Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis (CREA-OFA) – and by the Organic Chemistry Institute at the University of Messina on the quality of the essences obtained from lemons of the ‘Femminello’ cultivar sampled in typical areas of Sicily have shown that the essential oils obtained from fruit from the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ production area are characterised by an average citral content (3,61 %) that is higher than that of lemons from other areas studied, namely Siracusa (3,49 %) and Bagheria (3,29 %) (Source: Industrie e Conserve No 2, 1969, pp. 110–116).

The same has been found for the ‘Monachello’ variety of ‘Limone dell’Etna’. According to another study carried out by the Olive, Fruit and Citrus Research Centre in Acireale (CREA-OFA) on the quality of the essences obtained from lemons of the ‘Monachello’ cultivar, the essential oils obtained from fruit from the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ production area are characterised by a higher average citral content, since their geranial and neral content of 1,67 % and 0,82 % respectively are higher than those of lemons from the localities of Lascari (province of Palermo) (0,70 %–0,59 % and 0,85 %–0,72 %) and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (province of Messina) (1,15 % and 0,77 %) (Source: ‘Contributo alla conoscenza delle essenze di limone di alcune cultivar italiane’ in Rivista Italiana Essenze, Profumi, Piante Officinali, Aromi, Saponi, Cosmetici, Volume XLVII, No 7, July 1965, pp. 370–377; ‘Ricerche sugli olii essenziali del flavedo di 44 cloni di limone’ in Essenze Derivati Agrumari, Volume LVII, No 3, July–September 1987; ‘Determinazione delle caratteristiche analitiche e della composizione enantiomerica di oli essenziali agrumari ai fini dell’accertamento della purezza e della qualità’ in Essenze Derivati Agrumari, Volume 74, No 1, January–April 2004).

The quality of ‘Limone dell’Etna’ lemons can be attributed to the fact that they develop and ripen in an environment that is very specific in terms of soil and climate, with volcanic soils typical of the areas close to the volcanic Mount Etna and a climate made milder by the sea.

‘Limone dell’Etna’ lemons are grown in volcanic soils of varying degrees of development situated on old volcanic lithological formations. The soils are heterogeneous in terms of their grain size and texture: the hilly part of the defined area has soils that are rather shallow, very rocky on the surface, sandy in texture and very stony, while in the coastal part the soils are more highly developed, deeper and with a sandy loam texture (Source: Chemical/Agricultural Laboratory, SOAT (Operational Unit for Technical Assistance), Acireale).

In addition, studies carried out at CREA-OFA (Acta Italus Hortus, No 9, 2013, pp. 61–65; Food Chemistry, No 211, 2016, pp. 734–740) have shown that ‘Limone dell’Etna’ has high concentrations of manganese and strontium because of the specific type of land, which is predominantly volcanic owing to the presence of the volcanic Mount Etna, and because of the composition of the basaltic rocks.

Besides the characteristic of the soils, there are other natural factors that help create optimal conditions for growing ‘Limone dell’Etna’.

The factors that influence the climate of the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ growing area are primarily temperatures and topography.

Temperatures are strongly influenced by the proximity to the Ionian Sea and the presence of the complex volcano Etna. Favourable temperatures mean that, over the centuries, lemon growing has spread along the Etna coastal strip and in the hills directly flanking the coast, in an area between the Alcantara river in the north and the northern boundary of the municipality of Catania in the south.

The topography plays a crucial role in determining rainfall: at a latitude characterised by semi-arid or dry climates, the presence of the volcano leads to high rainfall, which in the lemon production areas totals around 600–700 mm/year. The occurrence of summer storms, which are relatively frequent on the eastern side of the mountain, help to keep temperatures down.

The atmospheric humidity readings on the eastern side of Mount Etna, with particular reference to the weather station at CREA-OFA in Acireale (194 m above sea level), show that, over the past 27 years (1990–2017), average annual humidity was around 67 %, with average highs not exceeding 88 % and average lows not falling below 43 %.

Sunshine and wind are other important climate factors that have a decisive influence on the crop.

The average hours of sunshine recorded via the Monthly Bulletin (from 1936 to 1939) at the Collegio Pennisi Monitoring Station (Source: Il clima di Acireale nei suoi elementi metereologici anno 1943) show that the number of hours in Acireale exceeds that of other towns. This is confirmed by the cloudiness readings at that monitoring station.

A specific feature that is present only in the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ area is the special growing technique known as ‘forzatura’ (‘forcing’) or ‘secca’ (‘dry’). Used by local producers, it allows fruit to be produced in summer and is typical of the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ growing area.

This technique, which makes it possible to force the tree to flower in summer and to give fruit in the period from May to September of the following year, was devised three centuries ago by specialists in the Ionian/Etna area, has been handed down from generation to generation for more than two centuries and is still now typical of the Acireale coastal area. Irrigation is not carried out in the month of June/July, causing water stress in the tree. After that period, though gradually intensifying irrigation and stimulating nitrogen-based fertilisation, the tree is awoken from its forced lethargy and this triggers a second flowering that will give fruit in the following year. The fruit obtained with this technique are known as ‘verdelli’.

An association between the image of Mount Etna and lemon growing goes back a very long way, as demonstrated by the tissue paper in which the lemons were wrapped in packages dating from the start of the century.

References to Etna lemon-growing can also be found in novels from that era. In 1894’s ‘I Vicerè’ (‘The Viceroys’), Federico De Roberto wrote about the work carried out to reclaim land and prospect for water by digging through the centuries-old lava of Mongibello to plant oranges and lemons.

Etna lemon-growing is well-known because of the production tradition that has characterised it for over two centuries. Bibliographic research has revealed a work of great historical and scientific interest, namely the study on Etna lemon-growing carried out by Giulio Savastano, a renowned early 20th century scientist, which was published in 1922 in the Annali della Regia Stazione Sperimentale di Agrumicoltura e Frutticoltura di Acireale under the title ‘La biologia colturale del limone nel versante orientale etneo’. In that paper, Savastano spoke of the historical, biological and agronomic reasons why lemon trees had found an ideal environment in the coastal strip on the eastern side of Mount Etna, described as the ‘regione etnea del limone’ (‘Etna lemon region’), which 100 years later now corresponds to the ‘Limone dell’Etna’ geographical area.

The toponyms Riviera dei Limoni and Città del Lemone Verdello, which are still commonly used, testify to how important the history of lemon-growing is to the area.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The consolidated text of the product specification is available 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 ‘Qualità’ (at the top right of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP 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.