EN Official Journal of the European Union C 137/11

Publication pursuant to Article 8(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 of the single document for a designation of origin or a protected geographical indication registered under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92

(2016/C 137/08)

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘NÍSPEROS CALLOSA D’EN SARRIÁ’

EU No: ES-PDO-0117-01352 — 1.7.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Nísperos Callosa d’En Sarriá’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

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 (1) applies

Loquats — Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. The main varieties are Algar or Algerie and Nadal, with Golden and Magdall used as pollinating varieties. They are grown for human consumption fresh.

The particular characteristics of the authorised varieties are:

— colour: varies from yellowish to orange,

— taste: sweet or slightly sour,

— flesh: yellowish or whitish, firm and shiny,

— skin: thick and pliable,

— shape: oval, sometimes more elongated at the end that is attached to the branch.

The loquats of the authorised varieties must have the following quality characteristics:

— whole,

— sound,

— clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter,

— free of abnormal external moisture,

— free of foreign odours and/or tastes,

— stalk attached.

The fruit must be picked when at the peak of ripeness both inside and out. All these characteristics should enable them to withstand handling and transport and satisfy established trade requirements at destination.

The PDO loquats must be of categories ‘extra’ or ‘I’ with a minimum diameter of 32 mm.

Packaged fruit: there must be no damage to the flesh, but slight flaws in the appearance of the skin are permitted, provided that they do not affect the general condition of the fruit, its quality, conservation or appearance. The fruit must have a minimum of 7,5 °Brix.

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

—

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

All steps in production must take place in the defined geographical area. There are no geographical restrictions with respect to packaging.

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

The wording or labels identifying ‘Níspero Callosa d’En Sarriá’ intended for consumption must include the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin logo and the words ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ and ‘Níspero Callosa d’En Sarriá’. The labelling must also include a conformity mark, known as a secondary label, identified by an alphanumeric code, to be affixed by the registered packhouse in such a way that it cannot be reused and assuring traceability.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The fruit are grown in the north-eastern part of the province of Alicante.

The production area comprises the area around Callosa d’En Sarriá, covering a series of localities in the comarca of Marina Baixa; it includes the whole of the Guadalest valley and stretches along the coast from Altea to Villajoyosa.

The geographical boundaries of this area are: the Mediterranean Sea to the east, the Sierra de Bernia to the north-east and the rivers Sella and Amadorio to the west.

It comprises the land situated in the municipalities of Aigues, Alfaz del Pí, Altea, Beniarda, Benidorm, Benifato, Benimantell, Bolulla, Callosa d’En Sarriá, Confrides, Finestrat, Guadalest, La Nucia, Orcheta, Polop, Relleu, Sella, Tarbena and Villajoiosa in the province of Alicante.

5. Link with the geographical area

(a) Geographical area Natural factors: The area is located in a fairly mountainous region. It is crossed by the foothills of the Baetic System, the Sierra de Aitana, Sierra de Bernia and Sierra de Almedia, with peaks of 600 to 1 100 m. The land is made up of various different geological formations, Triassic and Quaternary predominating. The subsoil is Triassic and essentially made up of limestone, marl and gypsum. Generally speaking, the soil is clayey, well supplied with calcium carbonate and poor in organic matter and phosphorus. The climate is mainly dry Mediterranean, except along the coast and in the mountains, where it is maritime Mediterranean and subtropical respectively. The average annual temperature is between 15 °C and 19 °C; the most notable feature is that the temperature almost never falls below zero degrees, and the average annual minimum is between 9 °C and 15 °C. Precipitation is scant and the annual average is 800-900 mm. Human factors: Loquats were first brought to Spain by merchant seamen over 2 000 years ago. They were planted all along the eastern and south-eastern part of the Iberian peninsula, and found to thrive especially well in the Callosa d’En Sarriá area and in the Algar and Guadalest river basins. For 30 years now they have been grown here as a monoculture, especially in Callosa d’En Sarriá. This is almost the only area in Spain where loquats are grown. Over the years the local growers have developed specific thinning techniques to achieve the best possible fruit size. Thinning is also done to improve the yield and the quality of the fruit. The method used is attuned to the fruit growth cycle and the local climate. Thus, the first stage entails removing shoots and secondary panicles. This is done at the end of summer, when temperatures are still warm and these shoots and secondary panicles have barely started to develop. The next stage takes place when the trees are in full bloom, at the beginning of autumn, when the average temperature is mild but there is noticeable temperature variation; this is the best time to remove part of the panicle. The final stage of thinning is carried out in the months when temperatures are lowest, when the fruit is already formed but there is still some time to go before it begins to ripen. At this stage just a few fruits are left on each panicle.

(b) The loquats grown in the Callosa d’En Sarriá area are a deeper orange colour and are sweeter than loquats grown elsewhere.

(c) Causal link between the geographical area and the characteristics of the product: The defined area has very specific orographic features. Several sierras form a perimeter surrounding all the towns and villages, creating a distinct microclimate. This microclimate is characterised by mild temperatures throughout the year and slightly higher rainfall than on the Mediterranean coast. The combination of mild temperatures and somewhat higher rainfall gives the fruit a deeper yellowish-orange colour than that of loquats grown elsewhere. The thinning method that has been developed in the area, attuned to the fruit growth cycle and the local climate, helps produce fruit of a certain size and with a sugar content of at least 7,5 °Brix.

Publication reference of the specification

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

http://www.agricultura.gva.es/pc_nisperoscallosa