EN Official Journal of the European Union C 52/17

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

2012/C 52/10

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CILIEGIA DI VIGNOLA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-0858-21.02.2011

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Ciliegia di Vignola’

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 the product to which the name in point 1 applies:

For the production of ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’, the following varieties are used:

— early: Bigarreau Moreau, Mora di Vignola,

— medium: Durone dell’Anella, Anellone, Giorgia, Durone Nero I, Samba, Van,

— late: Durone Nero II, Durone della Marca, Lapins, Ferrovia, Sweet Heart.

The ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ must have the following quality characteristics:

— consistent and crunchy pulp, with the exception of the Mora di Vignola,

— permanently shiny skin; the Durone della Marca variety is yellow and bright red; the colour of the other varieties ranges from bright red to dark red,

— sweet and fruity flavour,

— at least 10 degrees Brix for the early varieties and 12 degrees for all the others,

— acidity between 5 g/l and 10 g/l of malic acid.

The minimum sizes of the various varietal types are as follows:

20 mm: Mora di Vignola;

21 mm: Durone dell’Anella, Giorgia, Durone Nero II, Durone della Marca, Sweet Heart;

22 mm: Bigarreau Moreau, Lapins, Van;

23 mm: Durone Nero I, Anellone, Samba, Ferrovia.

When they are released for consumption, the fruit must be:

— whole and undamaged,

— with stalks attached,

— clean, free of any visible foreign matter,

— healthy, free of rot and visible pesticide residues,

— free of pests.

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:

All the stages of producing the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ up to the harvesting of the product must be carried out exclusively within the geographical area identified in point 4.

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

The ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is released on the market in the following packages, sealed in such a way that the packaging cannot be reused once opened:

— 5 kg cardboard, wood or plastic crates divided into two by cardboard separators positioned perpendicularly to the longest side,

— 40 × 60 cardboard, wood or plastic crates containing between 10 and 12 trays, holding 5 kg or 6 kg in total,

— 30 × 40 cardboard, wood or plastic crates containing 6 trays of 500 g, holding 3 kg in total,

— cardboard packaging holding 1 200 g, 2 000 g or 2 500 g,

— breathable polymeric film bags holding 250 g, 500 g or 1 000 g.

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only cherries of the same quality and variety; the size categories are as follows:

— 20 mm to 24 mm,

— 24 mm to 28 mm,

— more than 28 mm.

The ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is prepared for packaging and packaged immediately after harvesting, directly on the farm or at the cooperatives in the production area. This allows the product to reach the market and the consumer quickly and without further handling.

The packaging of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’, i.e. the proper preparation of the product for packaging and its placing in the appropriate packages, must be performed in the area of origin to guarantee the quality characteristics of the fruit, including its freshness and intactness, and to avoid repeated handling and transport operations damaging or bruising the epicarp, causing the product to rot and rendering it unfit for sale.

The product may be kept in cold storage provided that the temperature does not descend below – 0,5 °C and the relative humidity does not exceed 90 %. In order to conserve the freshness of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’, the fruit may be kept in cold storage for a maximum of four weeks.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

The label of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ PGI is as follows:

This label must appear on the packaging in which the product is sold, together with the European symbol for protected geographical indications.

The size of the label may vary according to the packaging, but the proportions of the standard dimensions must be maintained.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is a strip of land formed by the foothills along a stretch of the Panaro river and other smaller watercourses. The area is located between 30 and 950 metres above sea level and includes the territory of the following municipalities in the provinces of Modena and Bologna:

Province of Modena: Castelfranco Emilia, Castelnuovo Rangone, Castelvetro di Modena, Guiglia, Lama Mocogno, Marano sul Panaro, Modena, Montese, Pavullo nel Frignano, San Cesario sul Panaro, Savignano sul Panaro, Serramazzoni, Spilamberto, Vignola, Zocca.

Province of Bologna: Bazzano, Casalecchio di Reno, Castel d’Aiano, Castello di Serravalle, Crespellano, Gaggio Montano, Marzabotto, Monte S. Pietro, Monteveglio, Sasso Marconi, Savigno, Vergato, Zola Predosa.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The production area is characterised by foothills along a stretch of the Panaro river and other smaller watercourses on a strip of land which, for reasons of climate combined with specific pedological characteristics, is especially conducive to cherry growing. The climate is cool and barely continental, with abundant spring rain and summers which are never too dry. The amount of sunlight exposure is not too high.

The soils, of alluvial origin, are generally loose, well drained and fresh, and are rendered particularly fertile by the sediments transported during flooding by the Panaro river and other smaller watercourses.

The production area of the cherries ranges from 30 to 950 metres above sea level. Cherry trees are not grown outside the identified geographical area. Cherry growing in the adjacent areas was judged to be economically unviable and was abandoned some time ago because the production levels and the quality of the product were much lower than those within the identified geographical area. Besides the specific soil and climatic conditions in the area and the special microclimate described above, other factors that contribute to the quality of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ are the knowledge and skills of the producers. These have been handed down from father to son over generations and consist in techniques relating to crop production, harvesting and packaging of the product, carried out exclusively by hand. This makes it possible to offer consumers a product with excellent commercial properties.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The size of ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ cherries is bigger than that laid down in marketing standards and can exceed 28 mm. As a result, as shown in market surveys and studies carried out by specialised companies at markets in Turin, Milan and Hamburg, the price of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is almost always higher than that of its direct competitors, and most consumers recognise the name Vignola as that of the cherry-growing area par excellence.

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 cherry tree is a species that favours cool locations and neutral or subacidic soils. As both of these conditions are met in the production area of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’, the species has had an ideal environment to spread and establish itself.

The characteristics of the soils in the geographical area where the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is produced are such that the cherry tree has thrived there.

The amount of exposure to sunlight, which is not too high, helps give the fruit its deep colour and contributes to its natural shine, allowing an aesthetically outstanding product to be placed on the market without the need for any particular treatment.

An equally important factor is the professionalism of the operators, particularly the producers, who, in their production, harvesting and packaging techniques, apply a wealth of knowledge that has been built up over time.

In fact, although there is a natural tendency towards innovation in the production process, harvesting, sorting and packaging are carried out strictly by hand by expert staff who have ‘lifelong’ experience of the cherry tree. This professionalism is bound up with the local culture and derives directly from tradition. It is know-how that has been passed down from one generation to the next and that today adds something extra to an already exceptional product, setting the cherries produced in Vignola apart from those produced elsewhere.

These same producers decided decades ago, through binding mutual commitments, to package only cherries of the minimum size mentioned in point 3.2 in order to protect local production and highlight the uniqueness of the cherries grown and packaged in the area of origin.

Moreover, the range of varieties which has become established in the geographical area over time, and the development whereby growing takes place at many different altitudes, enable a longer harvesting period and ensure the product is on the market for the whole production season, which pleases consumers and has a positive impact on prices.

The ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ is, therefore, unequivocally linked to the geographical area, the specific soil and climatic conditions, the exceptional microclimate, and the knowledge and skills of the producers. Equally important is the fact that farmers in the identified geographical area concentrated the supply of cherries in Vignola, where one of the oldest fruit and vegetable markets in Italy has been operating since 1928, later followed by other processing and marketing structures. All of these factors together have led to consumers identifying local production with the name ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’.

The establishment of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ name on the market has led to the development of related commercial activities and has had a major impact on the whole sector, from the production to the marketing of the fruit. In fact, the area has seen the development of farms, processing/marketing cooperatives, and a fruit and vegetable market with four commission agents, craftsmen, packaging manufacturers, transporters and pickers.

The importance of the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ for the area that has historically produced it has been demonstrated over the years by numerous fairs, festivals and publications. Of particular importance for Vignola is the ‘Festa dei Ciliegi in Fiore’ (cherry blossom festival), first held in April 1970, and the ‘Vignola, è tempo di Ciliegie’ (Vignola: it’s time for cherries) festival, organised since 1989.

Every year, the national ‘Città delle Ciliegie’ (cherry city) association, founded in June 2003, opens the nationwide ‘Ciliegie d’Italia’ (Italian cherries) competition at the national ‘Città delle Ciliegie’ festival, which is organised in a different town each year. Cherries from Vignola won the first prize in 2005 at Celleno VT, in 2006 at Orvieto TR and in 2009 at Bracigliano SA, thereby confirming the reputation for high quality that the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ has acquired over time.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising the ‘Ciliegia di Vignola’ PGI in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 283 of 3 December 2010 (ordinary supplement No 264):

The full 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

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità e sicurezza’ (at the top right of the screen) and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.