EN Official Journal of the European Union C 77/6

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

2010/C 77/05

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 of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘SEGGIANO’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0561-30.10.2006

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Seggiano’

2. Member State or third country:

Italy

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil must be obtained exclusively from olive groves of which at least 85 % of the trees belong to the ‘Olivastra Seggianese’ cultivar, the chemical/physical and organoleptic characteristics of which are as follows:

maximum total acidity by weight, expressed as oleic acid: not exceeding 0,50 %;

maximum peroxide value: 12;

K232: max. 2,20;

K270: max. 0,20;

total polyphenols: over 200 ppm;

total tocopherols: greater than or equal to 100 ppm;

percentage of unsaturated fatty acids: greater than or equal to 78 %;

colour: from green with yellow tones to golden;

aroma: fresh, clean and clear olive fruitiness with grassy notes of artichoke and secondary white fruit aromas;

flavour: clean and clear with grassy notes covering the range of olfactory tones and a harmonious blend of bitterness and spiciness;

median fruitiness: over 2.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

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

The olive trees must be grown and the ‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil must be pressed exclusively within the geographical production area.

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

‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil must be packaged within the geographical production area so as to ensure that it does not suffer a loss of quality and lose its specific characteristics by being transported in bulk.

It is now well known that the most significant cause of loss of quality in extra virgin olive oil is oxygen or, in more general terms, aeration. This is why very specific measures are laid down in relation to storage of the oil, with a prohibition on decanting and transport which would inevitably lead to the oil being aerated and thus mixing with oxygen.

3.7. Specific rules on labelling:

The following must be included on the label: the name of the protected designation of origin ‘Seggiano’, the abbreviation ‘DOP’ or the words ‘Denominazione di Origin Protetta’ and the logo, which is composed of a stylised olive within an arch, which is in turn within a concentric circle whose open segment is completed with the words ‘Seggiano D.O.P.’.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area of ‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil covers the following municipalities in Grosseto province: Arcidosso, Castel del Piano, Cinigiano, Roccalbegna, Santa Fiora, Seggiano, Semproniano and part of Castell’Azzara. The boundaries of the part of Castell’Azzara municipality included in the production area are exactly defined by the river Fiora and provincial roads 4 and 34.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The geographical production area for ‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil covers the south-western part of Monte Amiata (1 738 m above sea level), a mountain of volcanic origin in southern Tuscany. This peripheral part of the mountain is unusual owing to the widespread presence of dense rocks which are absent or very uncommon on the other slopes of the volcano. This characteristic results from the presence of two less high mountains, Monte Labbro (1 193 m above sea level) and Monte Civitella (1 107 m above sea level). This area’s geology is marked by the superposition of the volcanic structure of Monte Amiata — which was formed in the late Pliocene and quaternary epochs — over an area composed of sedimentary soils. The area’s climatic conditions are influenced by both the closeness of Monte Amiata and the proximity of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The mean annual temperature varies from 12,3 °C, recorded at the Santa Fiora station for the higher altitude area, to 13,4 °C, recorded at the Manciano station for the lower areas. The climate is humid, with rainfall exceeding 1 000 mm per year and with snow that varies from year to year as regards both intensity and frequency but which never settles for very long owing to the exposure of the slope.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil is a delicate oil with an immediate aroma of fresh and clear olive fruitiness with grassy notes of artichoke and secondary aromas of white fruit. Some characteristics of this oil are typical and constant and enhance its nutritional properties even more than its organoleptic properties. Specific mention may be made of its high antioxidant content (so-called minor compounds, which make up around 2 % of its composition), polyphenols accounting for up to 450 mg per litre and a preponderance (around 83 %-84 %) of unsaturated fatty acids as compared to saturated fatty acids.

The oil produced in the territory of ‘Seggiano’ PDO and deriving from the ‘Olivastra Seggianese’ variety has higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eicosenoic acid) and more stearic acid as compared to oils produced in the rest of the province.

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):

The chemical, physical and organoleptic characteristics of ‘Seggiano’ extra virgin olive oil are strongly linked to the close tie between the cultivar and the geographical area. The direct influence of the cold climate of Monte Amiata and the age-old proximity of the olive groves to the mountain heights have led to the ‘Olivastra Seggianese’ cultivar becoming established in the area.

The olive tree is one of the characteristic features of this area. The fact that this crop has established itself on this slope is due to the mildness of the climate, the beneficial influence of the sea and the significant exposure to sunlight, in addition to the activity of humans, who have literally constructed the agricultural land in these valleys by using terraces to compensate for differences in height and by overcoming the excessively stony soil by breaking it up by hand. Over the centuries, a local cultivar, ‘Olivastra Seggianese’, which is highly resistant to the cold, has become established in this area. This is not a mere biological curiosity, but rather constitutes the specific characteristic linking this type of tree with the area. The consolidation of this genotype is the result of a centuries-long process, as it was the only one capable of resisting the harsh frosts and extremely intense winter and spring snowfalls that occurred in the past. The cultivar developed in this area and accounts for almost all its olive trees.

In addition, historical documents from 1550 laying down fines for those who uprooted or cut olive trees reveal the importance of the olive tree in the local economy. During the 16th century, the number of olive trees being planted was constantly on the increase, motivated by the possibility to sell the produce. Documents and accounts from the period describe the transformation of the area at that time.

Reference to publication of the specification:

The full text of the product specification is available:

— at the following site: http://www.politicheagricole.it/DocumentiPubblicazioni/Search_Documenti_Elenco.htm?txtTipoDocumento=Disciplinare%20in%20esame%20UE&txtDocArgomento=Prodotti%20di%20Qualit%E0>Prodotti%20Dop,%20Igp%20e%20Stg or

— by going directly to the home page of the Ministry (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti di Qualità’ (on the left of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE [regolamento (CE) n. 510/2006]’.

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