EN Official Journal of the European Union C 317/3

Publication of an amendment 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

(2015/C 317/03)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘HUILE D'OLIVE DE NIMES’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01283 – 21.11.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat des AOP Olive et Huile d'Olive de Nîmes Mas de l'Agriculture - 1120 Route de Saint Gilles 30 900 Nîmes FRANCE Tel. +33 466045034 Fax +33 466045031 E-mail: olive.nimes@orange.fr

The Syndicat des AOP Olive et Huile d'Olive de Nîmes is made up of olive producers and processors of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ and it has a legitimate interest in submitting an amendment application.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Headings in the specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Name of product — ☒ Description of product — ☒ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☒ Method of production — ☐ Link — ☒ Labelling — ☒ Other: inspection

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 — ☐ Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

5. Amendment(s)

Description of product

The description has been clarified in order to:

— on the one hand, supplement the organoleptic characteristics of the oils. The specification submitted when applying to register the PDO specified simply that ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ had the following characteristics: ‘When smelled, it exhibits aromas of artichoke and greenery. Those aromas of greenery acquire hints of garrigue and red fruit in the mouth.’ The inspections carried out since this designation was recognised make it possible to specify that the scents of greenery are ‘reminiscent of plants and vegetables (…), with odours of fresh grass, mown hay, raw artichoke and tomato seedlings.’ and that the fruity aromas in the mouth are predominantly those of: ‘grass, hay, pineapple, yellow plum and raw artichoke, possibly combined with aromas of red plum and apple.’.

— and, on the other hand, include the analytical characteristics of the olive oil when it is first placed on the market: the oleic acid content is limited to 0,8 g/100 g and the peroxide value is limited to 16 meq of oxygen peroxide per 1 kg of olive oil.

In this connection, bitterness (between 1,5 and 4,5 out of 10 according to the organoleptic scale of the International Olive Oil Council) and pungency levels (between 1,5 and 4,5 out of 10 according to the organoleptic scale of the International Olive Oil Council) have been introduced.

These amendments aim at characterising and identifying the product better.

Geographical area

Methods for identifying land parcels, provided for in the initial decree on the recognition of the designation, have been added to the specification.

Proof of origin

Owing to developments in national legislation and regulations, the text under the heading ‘Evidence that the product originates from the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together, in particular, provisions on declaration requirements and the keeping of registers for tracing products and monitoring production conditions.

That section has also been extended to include several provisions on registers and declaration documents, enabling traceability to be guaranteed and ensuring that product compliance with the requirements of the specification is monitored.

Method of production

— Varieties: without changing the relative share of the different varieties originally provided for, the wording has been amended to better highlight the fact that the predominant variety is the Picholine, in keeping with the link between the product and its origin. Consequently the Picholine, Négrette and Noirette varieties have been divided into ‘main variety’ and ‘secondary varieties’. Furthermore, an additional amendment has been requested. It consists of removing the reference to the maximum quantity of olives obtained from pollinator varieties authorised for the production of oil and initially set at 5 % (which is identical to the number of trees obtained from these varieties in the groves). For the production of olive oil, the olive quantities picked from trees of pollinator varieties are usually included in the overall volume of olives brought to the mill to make the PDO oil and they are minimal.

— Planting density: provisions stating that the minimum planting density is 24 m2 per tree (‘this area is obtained by multiplying the two inter-row distances and the space between trees’) have been added in order to clarify the provision and monitor compliance. A clarification has been added concerning trees that underwent the 1956 frost, taking into account the regrowth and coppicing that took place after the frost and led to multi-trunk trees. In that case, the distance between trees may be less than 4 metres.

— Pruning: the provision on the disposal of pruning debris has been removed, since, depending on the disposal methods used, pruning debris may be crushed on the spot instead of being removed from the parcel.

— Irrigation: the latest possible irrigation date has been set at 30 September in order to facilitate inspections.

— Maintenance of the groves: more detailed information has been provided on the arrangements for maintaining the groves. The notion of ‘cultivation practices’ has been clarified by specifying that it may refer to weeding or ploughing. This clarification also makes it possible to align the specification for this oil with that for ‘Olive de Nîmes’.

— Yield: the wording has been amended and the provision concerning yield overruns and reductions has been removed. Such an exemption is not considered appropriate.

— Harvesting: the wording concerning the age when the trees start producing has been amended: in order to clarify the provision for inspection purposes, it is stated that the trees must have been on the parcel for five years.

— The harvesting techniques have been specified (‘direct harvesting from the tree, either manually or mechanically’), and the proposed methods are similar to the practices defined in the previous specification. The maximum percentages of spoiled olives have been specified according to the different types of spoilage (less than 5 % of olives damaged by pests, less than 10 % of hail-damaged olives, no frostbitten or mouldy olives) in order to guarantee the sanitary quality of the olives used. Besides, in order to simplify administrative procedures, the date when harvesting begins is set by the Director of the INAO instead of by prefectural order and exemptions are no longer possible. The minimum maturity level has been lowered so that now at least 10 % of the olives must have gone from clear green to yellow (instead of 25 %): this amendment is justified by the specificity of the Picholine variety, which darkens very late and may remain green even once it has reached physiological maturity. The time between harvesting and delivering the olives to the mill has been adjusted according to the type of container used. In order to prevent any deterioration of the olives, the maximum delivery time of 3 days has been reduced to 24 hours if box pallets are used in harvesting.

— Processing conditions: the specification has been supplemented with a provision on a maximum period for storing the olives at the mill (4 days) and with provisions on the conditions for storing the olives at the mill before crushing, in order to prevent any deterioration of the olives. The maximum time between harvesting and crushing has been reduced to 6 days (as opposed to 8 days currently) in order to have greater control over the quality of the olives. The share of the Picholine variety has been increased from 60 % to 70 % of the total mass of olives used to obtain the oil in order to take into account the higher yield of olive trees of the Picholine variety compared to the other varieties in the oil. The treatments authorised have been specified (leaf stripping, crushing and mixing have been added) so as to avoid any mistaken interpretation of the provisions of the specification.

Labelling

The wording of labels specific to the designation has been brought into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012: addition of a requirement to affix the European Union PDO symbol and the words ‘appellation d'origine protégée’ (‘protected designation of origin’] or ‘AOP’ (‘PDO’] instead of the national terms.

Other: inspection

In the light of changes to national legislation and rules, the section entitled ‘National requirements’ now contains a table indicating the main points to be checked, their reference values and the evaluation methods to be used.

The contact details of the inspection bodies have been updated.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘HUILE D'OLIVE DE NIMES’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01283 – 21.11.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

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

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

The characteristics of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ are inherently linked to the predominance of the Picholine variety in the oil:

— when smelled, the aroma is reminiscent of plants and vegetables, with scents of fresh grass, mown hay, raw artichoke and tomato seedlings.

— the fruitiness in the mouth is predominantly characterised by grass, hay, pineapple, yellow plum and raw artichoke, possibly combined with aromas of red plum and apple.

The bitterness varies between 1,5 and 4,5 out of 10 according to the organoleptic scale of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC).

The pungency varies between 1,5 and 4,5 out of 10 according to the organoleptic scale of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC).

The oil is green in colour, sometimes with yellow reflections.

The free acidity content of the olive oil obtained, expressed as oleic acid, must not exceed 0,8 g/100 g of oil.

The peroxide value must be equal to or below 16 milliequivalents of oxygen peroxide for each kilogramme of olive oil when first marketed.

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

Olives of the Picholine variety represent at least 70 % of the mass of olives used.

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

Operations related to the production of the raw material and its processing must be undertaken within the defined geographical area.

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

—

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

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by legislation on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, designation of origin ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ labels must include the following:

— the name of the designation: ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’, the words ‘appellation d'origine protégée’ (‘protected designation of origin’]. These details must all be in the same field of vision and on the same label;

— the European Union PDO logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical production area of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ covers the olive production area of Gard and the eastern part of that of Hérault, except for the Causses, the mountains of the Cévennes and the Camargue.

Its natural borders are the River Rhône to the east and the Camargue region to the south. The northern border is a climatic one, the line up to which Picholine is grown. To the north-east it follows the border of the Department of Gard (garrigue massifs at an altitude of more than 300 metres). To the west, the border goes beyond the Vidourle Valley and follows a line of wooded peaks from Ganges to Pic St Loup and le Lez.

The production area covers 223 municipalities, 183 in Gard and 40 in Hérault.

The olives are harvested and processed in the geographical area, which covers the territory of the following cantons and municipalities:

Department of Gard:

All the municipalities of the following cantons: Aramon, Lédignan, Marguerittes, Nîmes, Quissac, Saint-Chaptes, Saint-Mamert-du-Gard, Sommières and La Vistrenque.

The municipalities of the following cantons: Anduze (except for the municipalities Générargues and Saint-Sébastien-d'Aigrefeuille), Remoulins (except for the municipalities Pouzilhac and Valliguières), Rhôny-Vidourle (except for the municipalities Aimargues and le Cailar), Sauve (except for the municipality Fressac), Uzès (except for the municipality La Capelle-et-Masmolène), Vézénobres (except for the municipality Brouzet-les-Alès).

The following municipalities: Alès; part of Allègre-les-Fumades; Aubord; part of Beaucaire; part of Bellegarde; Belvezet; Bernis; Bouquet; Conqueyrac; Fons-sur-Lussan; Fontarèches; Générac; part of Goudargues; Jonquières-Saint-Vincent; La Bruguière; La Cadière-et-Cambo; Lussan; Méjannes-les-Alès; Mons; Rochefort-du-Gard; Saint-Christol-Les-Alès; part of Saint-Gilles; Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas; Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort; Saint-Laurent-la-Vernède; Saint-Privat-des-Vieux; Saze; Vallérargues; part of Vauvert; part of Verfeuil.

Department of Hérault:

The municipalities of the following cantons: Castries (except for the municipality Jacou); Claret (except for the municipality Ferrières-les-Verrerie); Lunel (except for the municipalities Marsillargues, Saint-Just and Saint-Nazaire-de-Pézan);

The following municipalities: Les Matelles, Moules-et-Baucels, Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel, Sainte-Croix-de-Quintillargues, Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles, Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers and Saint-Vincent-de-Barbeyrargues.

A map delineating the boundaries of the geographical area has been lodged with the municipal authorities of the partly covered municipalities. A map of these municipalities is available on the website of the competent national authority in line with the requirements of the INSPIRE Directive.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The establishment of traditional olive groves is characterised by an interaction between human know-how, the varieties present and the surrounding ecosystem.

The olive trees in the geographical area are subject to precipitation of 700-1 000 mm, principally in the form of heavy rainfall in the spring and autumn. Except for a few groves along the edge of Cévennes and more recent groves in la Costière, the olive trees have been planted in predominantly chalky soils, which enables the drainage necessary for the trees to survive. At the same time, these soils do not have much agronomic value, as such soils are reserved for more lucrative crops.

The geographical area is subject to frequent, sometimes violent, winds and the winters can be harsh. In these conditions, the main variety used is the Picholine, which is relatively cold-resistant, with fruit that do not fall easily, even once they are ripe. It should also be noted that the olive trees, both of the Picholine and local varieties, are kept relatively short so as to protect them from gale-force winds.

The groves are situated on slopes that preferably face south and in areas with little frost (not on bottom land and in closed plains where fog stagnates).

Finally, a maximum altitude has been specified for the planting of the olive trees, in particular the Picholine variety. Its fruit ripen late, which increases the risk of frostbite and therefore endangers the production of oil. Therefore the Picholine variety does not usually grow at an altitude higher than 350 metres and it is harvested early.

The olive growers' know-how is reflected in their ability to select the best areas for the production of high-quality olive oil (exposure, altitude), in the tradition of keeping the olive trees short and in the early harvesting of the olives, when they have just reached maturity (when at least 10 % are turning colour).

5.2. Specificity of the product

The olives are delivered and processed rapidly, with at least 70 % of the olives representing the Picholine variety, which gives this designation its specificity. ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ is characterised by a relatively marked bitterness and pungency, with very clear plant and vegetable aromas when smelled and in the mouth.

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 oil is produced using mainly the Picholine variety, which is favoured owing to the hardiness that has helped it adapt perfectly to the climatic and soil conditions. This variety demonstrates a certain resistance to the winter cold and its fruits resist the strong winds of autumn.

While the taste of the fruit and the botanical properties of the tree have helped spread the Picholine variety worldwide, it should be remembered that the variety originates in the area and is selected from the Plant de Collias variety, Collias being a municipality in the geographical area. This explains why the variety is particularly well suited to the features of the geographical area and makes up most of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’.

The environmental factors and the practices applied (in particular, the ripeness of the olives used and the required minimum share of the Picholine variety in the oil) combine to make ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ a special and original product, which has been well promoted on the market.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-bb09848f-1fb0-455e-955d-bc5985e35cc5/telechargement

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