EN Official Journal of the European Union C 440/4

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

(2016/C 440/05)

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

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION WHICH IS NOT MINOR

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

‘TERRE TARENTINE’

EU No: IT-PDO-0105-01356 — 24.7.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

O. P. AJPROL Soc. Coop. Agricola dei Produttori olivicoli già Associazione dei Produttori Olivicoli della provincia di Taranto [Cooperative (former association) of olive producers in the province of Taranto]. Address: S. S. 7 Appia, Km. 640.4 74010 Statte (TA) ITALIA Tel. +39 0994527778 Fax +39 0994551832 Email: info@ajprol.it; certified email (PEC): ajprol@pec.it

The above protection association is entitled to submit an amendment application pursuant to Article 13(1) of Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy Decree No 12511 of 14 October 2013.

2. Member State or Third Country

Italy

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

— ☐ Product name — ☒ Product description — ☐ Geographical area — ☒ Proof of origin — ☐ Production method — ☒ Link — ☐ Labelling — ☒ Other [details of the control body have been inserted]

4. Type of amendment(s)

— ☒ Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. — ☐ Amendment to the product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5. Amendment(s)

Description of product to which the name applies

The amendment concerns three chemical parameters cited in Article 8 of the specification. The proposed amendments are:

K232 from ≤ 1,7 to ≤ 2,4

Linolenic acid from ≤ 0,6 % to ≤ 0,9 %

Campesterol from ≤ 3,3 % to ≤ 3,5 %

When the Specifications were being drafted in the early 2000s, the chemical parameters that are now subject to the amendment request were achievable, albeit with some difficulty.

Following European recognition and in the light of the data compiled from the analyses systematically carried out on the product to certify its PDO status, the difficulty of meeting these parameters started to become apparent.

The difficulties were put down to momentary and short-lived adverse local circumstances.

Only subsequently was it realised that it was not a case of temporarily adverse local circumstances but in fact the result of widespread conditions that were most probably produced by climatic and environmental changes.

In evidence of this, we point out that even Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 (2) has been amended by increasing, for example, the linoleic acid value from ≤ 0,8 % to ≤ 1 %.

Years of checks on all the lots of olive oil produced in accordance with the provisions laid down by the legislation in force in the identified geographical area have demonstrated the extreme difficulty of obtaining the PDO certification for a large part of the oil produced.

The requested amendment would, by adopting values that are actually compatible with the soil and climate conditions of the identified area, allow PDO certification to be issued, which has today become greatly inhibited due to these overly restrictive limits.

The proposed amendments to the limit values of K232, the percentage of linolenic acid and the percentage of campesterol do not entail any significant amendments to the typical quality characteristics, nor do they entail any amendments to the organoleptic qualities or the stability of ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil PDO over time.

Proof of origin

At the time of registration, the information on the proof of origin was contained only in the summary sheet and there was no specific article in the product specification. A specific article has therefore been added to the specification based on the information already present in the summary sheet; additional details have been added to make the information clearer.

The fourth and fifth paragraphs of the summary sheet state:

‘The olives come from olive groves located in the production area and to this end producers enter their facilities in a register which has been duly created and updated by the inspection body. Production, processing, packaging and bottling are carried out within the defined geographical area and producers who plan to market their extra virgin olive oil under that name must, in order to ensure the traceability of the product, register their processing facilities in the special registers kept and updated by the inspection body; each year they must also register the quantity of olives processed and the amount of oil produced.’

Article 11, which has been added to the specification, states:

‘Every stage in the production process must be monitored and a record made of the inputs and outputs at each stage. The traceability of the product is ensured by entering the cadastral parcels on which the product is grown, as well as the details of the producers, millers and packagers, on lists managed by the inspection body, and by keeping registers of production and packaging. All natural and legal persons whose names appear in the lists will be subject to monitoring by the inspection body in accordance with the product specification and the inspection plan.’

Moreover, the information on specific rules concerning packaging in the fifth paragraph of the summary sheet and Article 9 of the specification is also given in point 3.5 of the Single Document, together with the necessary justification. Thus, point 3.5 of the single document is worded as follows:

‘“Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil PDO must be bottled and packed in the identified geographical area. This requirement makes it possible to keep any transport of the oil in bulk to a minimum, which often results in minor chemical changes that translate into significant organoleptic changes. Olive oil is extremely sensitive to aromatic interference that may be caused by the internal environment of the tank used for transporting the oil. In order to maintain the product’s specific characteristics throughout the production process and guarantee compliance with the quality requirements, “Terre Tarentine” oil has always had to be packaged within the area referred to in Article 4. Thanks to their specific knowledge of how to handle the oil during the pre-packaging and packaging phase, local producers are able to determine, among other things, the ideal filtration and settling times and methods and the ideal packaging temperature. Packaging in the area at the end of the production process is therefore necessary to ensure that the organoleptic and quality characteristics of “Terre Tarentine” extra-virgin olive oil PDO are preserved. Packaging in the area also allows the inspection body to monitor the entire production and packaging process as effectively as possible so as to guarantee the product’s typical characteristics and at the same time ensure its traceability.’

Link

At the time of registration, the information on the link was contained only in the first three paragraphs of point 4.5 and in point 4.6 of the summary sheet, and there was no specific article on the link in the product specification.

The information contained in the first three paragraphs of point 4.5 and in point 4.6 of the summary sheet, as reworded and supplemented, has therefore been included in Article 12. Therefore, concerning the link, Article 12 of the specification states:

‘Olive growing represents a major production factor and plays a key role in the local economy. The production area for the “Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil is located on the western escarpment of the province of Taranto. It is exposed to the south and protected to the north by the Murge hills and is marked by extremely specialised agronomic features and propitious soil and climatic conditions that typify the Tarantine Arco Jonico, which enjoys a mild climate. The soil is sandy, deep, and mostly red-brown in type, with stoniness, made up of flint and limestone shingle, varying from none to high; permeability varies from medium-high to very high. Clay content is equal to or less than 20 %, while limestone is equal to or less than 5 %. The climate is hot and dry; average rainfall ranges from a minimum of approximately 10 mm in July to a maximum of approximately 80 mm in November. The average annual temperature gravitates around 15-16 °C, with a minimum temperature of approximately 9 °C and a maximum of 30 °C. The exceptional soil and climatic conditions in the area of the Tarantine Arco Jonico, together with the characteristic environment of the production area for the “Terre Tarentine” PDO confer unmistakable qualities upon the oil produced. The hot and dry Mediterranean climate and the sandy and deep soils, that are mainly red-brown in type, favour the development of a wide range of polyphenols that produce the bitter and pungent taste. Furthermore, the very ancient genomes of the local varieties of century-old trees confer a distinctive and unmistakable flavour. The area of the Tarantine Arco Jonico is unique and the olive tree has acclimatised to local conditions so thoroughly that it is possible to this day to marvel at trees that are centuries old; the olive tree can genuinely be said to constitute local environmental and historical heritage. The unique climatic and soil conditions impart a flavour and taste to “Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil that is typically harmonious and distinctive, markedly different from olive oils produced in the nearby areas of Bari (pungent and strong) and Salento (sweet and delicate), also thanks to the combination of varieties grown (see point 3.3) which is not found to the same extent in any other production area. A typically harmonious taste means that unlike oil from the nearby area of Bari, which is dominated by the Coratina variety that gives it a markedly pungent and bitter taste with an intense fruity flavour, and unlike oil from the nearby area of Lecce, which is strongly marked by local varieties giving it a rather bland taste tending to flat and sweet with a slight fruity flavour, “Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil spontaneously develops a balanced taste between bitter, sweet and pungent with a moderate fruity flavour.’

Other

References to the Inspection Authority have been added that were not included in the specifications currently in force. Article 10 of the specification states that ‘Compliance with the product specification of “Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil PDO shall be verified, as required by Article 37 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, by the public inspection authority, the Taranto Chamber of Commerce, based at Viale Virgilio 152, 74121 Taranto, Tel. +39 0997783311, Fax +39 04922109797, Email pat@ta.camcom.it’

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘TERRE TARENTINE’

EU No: IT-PDO-0105-01356 — 24.7.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Terre Tarentine’

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

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

When released for consumption, ‘Terre Tarentine’ olive oil may or may not be filtered and must meet the following characteristics:

— Colour: yellow-green;

— Fluidity: medium;

— Taste: fruity with medium bitterness and a slight pungency; maximum total acidity by weight expressed in oleic acid: not over 0,6 g per 100 g of oil;

— Peroxide value: ≤ 12 Meq O2/Kg;

— K232: ≤ 2,4;

— K270: ≤ 0,150;

— Linoleic acid: ≤ 10 %;

— Linolenic acid: ≤ 0,9 %;

— Oleic acid: ≤ 70 %;

— Campesterol value: ≤ 3,5 %;

— Trilinolein: ≤ 0,2 %;

All other chemical/physical parameters that are not expressly mentioned must comply with Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 as amended and supplemented.

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

The Protected Designation of Origin ‘Terre Tarentine’ may be used only for oil obtained from the following olive varieties that are planted in olive groves in the geographical area, either on their own or in combination: Leccino, Coratina, Ogliarola and Frantoio, which must make up at least 80 % of the olives pressed to produce the oil, in mutually variable percentages; the remaining 20 % is made up of other lesser local varieties growing in the olive groves in the production area.

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

All the stages in the production process: namely cultivation, harvesting and oil extraction, must take place within the identified geographical area.

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

‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil PDO must be bottled and packed in the identified geographical area. This requirement makes it possible to keep any transport of the oil in bulk to a minimum, which often results in minor chemical changes that translate into significant organoleptic changes. Olive oil is extremely sensitive to aromatic interference that may be caused by the internal environment of the tank used for transporting the oil. In order to maintain the product’s specific characteristics throughout the production process and guarantee compliance with the quality requirements, ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin oil PDO has always had to be packaged within the area referred to in point 4. Thanks to their specific knowledge of how to handle the oil during the pre-packaging and packaging phase, local producers are able to determine, among other things, the ideal filtration and settling times and methods and the ideal packaging temperature. Packaging in the area at the end of the production process is therefore necessary to ensure that the organoleptic and quality characteristics of ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra-virgin olive oil PDO are preserved. Packaging in the area also allows the inspection body to monitor the entire production and packaging process as effectively as possible so as to guarantee the product’s typical characteristics and at the same time ensure its traceability.

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

The name of the Protected Designation of Origin must appear on the label in distinct, indelible lettering of a colour that strongly contrasts with that of the label itself such as to be clearly distinguishable from the other information given on the label. The year of production of the olives from which the oil is produced must be indicated on the label, together with the mention ‘best before date’ indicating the month and the year of a date that does not exceed 15 months from the date of production.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the olives intended for pressing to produce the extra virgin oil ‘Terre Tarentine’ are grown and processed includes the entire administrative area of the municipalities of the province of Taranto: the territory of the municipality of Taranto entered in the register under the letter ‘A’, Ginosa, Laterza, Castellaneta, Palagianello, Palagiano, Mottola, Massafra, Crispiano, Statte, Martina Franca, Monteiasi and Montemesola.

5. Link with the geographical area

Olive growing represents a major production factor and plays a key role in the local economy.

The production area for the ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil is located on the western escarpment of the province of Taranto. It is exposed to the south and protected to the north by the Murge hills and is marked by extremely specialised agronomic features and propitious soil and climatic conditions that typify the Tarantine Arco Jonico, which enjoys a mild climate. The soil is sandy, deep, and mostly red-brown in type, with stoniness, made up of flint and limestone shingle, varying from none to high; permeability varies from medium-high to very high. Clay content is equal to or less than 20 %, while limestone is equal to or less than 5 %. The climate is hot and dry; average rainfall ranges from a minimum of approximately 10 mm in July to a maximum of approximately 80 mm in November. The average annual temperature gravitates around 15-16 °C, with a minimum temperature of approximately 9 °C and a maximum of 30 °C.

The exceptional soil and climatic conditions in the area of the Tarantine Arco Jonico, together with the characteristic environment of the production area for the ‘Terre Tarentine’ PDO confer unmistakable qualities upon the oil produced. The hot and dry Mediterranean climate and the sandy and deep soils, that are mainly red-brown in type, favour the development of a wide range of polyphenols that produce the bitter and pungent taste.

Furthermore, the very ancient genomes of the local varieties of century-old trees confer a distinctive and unmistakable flavour.

The area of the Tarantine Arco Jonico is unique and the olive tree has acclimatised to local conditions so thoroughly that it is possible to this day to marvel at trees that are centuries old; the olive tree can genuinely be said to constitute local environmental and historical heritage. The unique climatic and soil conditions impart a flavour and taste to ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil that is typically harmonious and distinctive and markedly different from olive oils produced in the nearby areas of Bari (pungent and strong) and Salento (sweet and delicate), also thanks to the combination of varieties grown (see point 3.3) which is not found to the same extent in any other production areas. A typically harmonious taste means that unlike oil from the nearby area of Bari, which is dominated by the Coratina variety that gives it a markedly pungent and bitter taste with an intense fruity flavour, and unlike oil from the nearby area of Lecce, which is strongly marked by local varieties giving it a rather bland taste tending to flat and sweet with a slight fruity flavour, ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil spontaneously develops a balanced taste between bitter, sweet and pungent with a moderate fruity flavour.

Reference to publication of the specification

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

The consolidated text of the product specifications is available on the internet: 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 ‘Prodotti DOP e IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP, IGP e 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.

(2) OJ L 248, 5.9.1991, p. 1.