EN Official Journal of the European Union C 147/16

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 147/07)

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 SPECIFICATION OF PROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS 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

‘MONTES DE TOLEDO’

EU No: ES-PDO-0205-01270 – 29.10.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

FUNDACIÓN C.R.D.O. ‘MONTES DE TOLEDO’ Alférez Provisional, 3 45001 Toledo ESPAÑA Tel. +34 925257402 Fax +34 925257402 E-mail: domt@domontesdetoledo.com Internet: www.domontesdetoledo.com

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

3. Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment

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4. Type of amendment(s)

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5. Amendments

Product description

Olive:

The following words are deleted:

‘Maturity index (as sampled on tree only): between 3 and 5 (developed by the Estación de Olivicultura y Elaiotecnia, finca “Venta del Llano”, Mengíbar, Jaén)’.

The following sentence is added:

‘Only olives of the Cornicabra variety that are fresh, healthy and have attained optimum maturity are used to produce “Montes de Toledo” PDO olive oil.’

The purpose of this amendment is to adapt the requirements to changes in production techniques allowing oils to be produced in large quantities using olives at different stages of maturity, whilst also highlighting the main distinguishing feature of this designation of origin, i.e. the fact that it is a monovarietal oil, produced only from Cornicabra olives.

Oil:

The following sentence is deleted:

‘The oil with the “Montes de Toledo” Designation of Origin is characterised by its high oleic acid and low linoleic acid contents, with a high content of total polyphenols, which makes it very stable, a quality for which it is appreciated and known in the trade.’

This sentence is being deleted because the characteristics referred to are already mentioned in the section on the product’s specific character and it does not constitute a restrictive condition but merely a general description; whilst the influence of the variety and the geographical area are indeed reflected in the composition as described, the content of the substances referred to may vary according to the agroclimatic conditions in individual growing years, without the authentic nature of the oils being lost.

Acidity:

The maximum value is to be changed from 0,7 to 0,5 °.

Improvements in production methods and processes made since the initial file was drafted (in 1998) are such that the limit can be lowered so as to provide consumers with a protected product of a better quality.

Ultraviolet absorbency K 270:

The maximum value is being raised from 0,15 to 0,20.

This amendment is being made because it has been found that, in oils made from green Cornicabra olives, the value for this parameter may naturally exceed 0,15, as a result of which oils meeting the requirements laid down for the extra virgin category and possessing exceptional organoleptic properties with intense fruitiness would be excluded.

According to an article entitled Influencia del índice de madurez de las aceitunas en la calidad de los aceites ‘cornicabra’ de las campañas 1995/96 y 1996/97 (F. Aranda Palomo, M.D. Salvador Moya, G. Fregapane Quadri), the extinction coefficient K270, which can be used to measure the carbonylic compounds (aldehydes and ketones) present in oils, decreases substantially as the maturity of the fruit increases, which is in contrast to the three results obtained by Gracía et al., 1996, for oils made from the Arbequina, Blanqueta, Lechín, Villalonga and Verdial varieties.

In particular, Cornicabra oils made from olives having a maturity index of 3,5 or less may be excluded from the highest (extra virgin) category of oil because the value laid down in the Regulation is exceeded, since, up to a maturity level of close to 4, these values do not fall below 0,15.

Organoleptic assessment:

The sentence:

‘From an organoleptic point of view, the oils of this variety give a very thick mouth-feel and are fruity and aromatic as well as having medium values for bitterness and pungency, with a very balanced aroma, provided that optimum maturity has been reached (Dr Francis Gutiérrez, Head of Tasting Panel, Institute for Fats and Oils, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Seville).’

is replaced by the following:

‘Oils with the “Montes de Toledo” designation of origin have medium to intense values for the positive attributes fruitiness, bitterness and pungency.’

The reason for this amendment is that the previous wording did not take account of the thresholds laid down for the use of the term ‘intense’ in Commission Regulation (EC) No 640/2008 (2). When the previous version of the specification was drawn up, these values were deemed to be ‘medium’, as no thresholds defining the intensity of the attributes had been laid down to mark the difference between ‘medium’ and ‘intense’. Such thresholds were put in place with the publication of the above Regulation, and it was found that many Cornicabra oils have bitterness and pungency values higher than 6, as a result of which these qualities would be described as ‘intense’. This does not correspond to the requirements of the specification as currently worded. It is therefore necessary to adapt the requirements to the characteristic profile of ‘Montes de Toledo’ oils, whose bitterness and pungency vary between ‘medium’ and ‘intense’, depending on the timing of the harvest, the climatic conditions during the growing year and the geographical location within the area.

Proof of origin

The sentence:

‘Firstly, the olives must come from groves which are situated in the production area and have been certified, and in which it has been established that only the authorised variety is cultivated.’

is replaced by the following:

‘Firstly, the olives must come exclusively from groves situated in the production area.’

The reason for this amendment is that the morphological characteristics of Cornicabra olives include sufficient distinguishing features to allow verification of the requirement relating to variety to take place upon arrival at the oil mill.

The sentence:

‘Olive growers must sign a contract with the “Montes de Toledo” PDO Regulatory Board (Fundación “Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Montes de Toledo”) by which they undertake to adhere to the production conditions laid down in this specification.’

is replaced by the following:

‘Producers of the product must sign a contract with the “Montes de Toledo” PDO Regulatory Board (Fundación “Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Montes de Toledo”) by which they undertake to ensure that the suppliers of the olives used in its production adhere to the production conditions laid down in this specification.’

This amendment is designed to make the product certification process under standard UNE-EN-ISO-IEC 17065 more efficient by obviating the need to sign a contract with each of the thousands of olive growers in the area. Producers will carry out checks on their suppliers as part of their product traceability system, and the inspection body will carry out the corresponding compliance checks during the regular assessments that are made.

The following sentences are added:

‘The oil is packaged within the defined geographical area. In this way, the typical characteristics of the product can be maintained, the inspection bodies have total control of production and the final handling of the product is sure to remain in the hands of the producers, who best know how the oils are affected by factors in the packaging process, such as time and method of decanting, filtration operations, diatomaceous earth, cellulose and packaging temperatures, and by the cold and storage. This safeguards the quality of the product and, at the same time, guarantees the traceability of the oils.’

Method of production

The section relating to the soils in which the olive groves are planted is deleted, as it provides no more than a descriptive account of the soils most typical of the area and does not lay down any restrictive conditions that have a bearing on the quality and specificity of the product.

The sentence:

‘The olives are picked from the trees using the traditional methods of beating with poles, hand picking or vibration, and the method must be varied from one year to the next so as to limit damage to the olive tree.’

is replaced by the following:

‘The olives are picked from the trees using the traditional methods of beating with poles, hand picking or vibration, and the method may be varied from one year to the next so as to limit damage to the olive trees.’

This amendment is being made to reflect changes in harvesting methods since the registration application was drawn up which mean that the method does not have to be changed from one year to the next.

The sentence:

‘The trailer or container must be cleaned using a high-pressure water jet before each loading.’

is replaced by the following:

‘The trailer or container must be maintained in a suitably clean condition.’

This is because the aim is to ensure cleanliness regardless of the method used.

The sentences:

‘The yards must be supervised by a person responsible for ensuring correct recording and grading. They must have systems in place to ensure segregated unloading of tree- and ground-harvested olives so as to prevent any mixing, and to ensure the separate processing, of olives of different qualities.’

are replaced by the following:

‘The yards must be supervised by a person responsible for ensuring correct recording and separation of the various varieties and qualities. They must have systems in place to ensure segregated unloading of tree- and ground-harvested olives and of varieties other than the sole permitted variety so as to prevent any mixing, and to ensure the separate processing, of olives of different qualities.’

This is because of the need to ensure separate processing of the sole authorised variety.

The sentence which reads:

‘The troughs and hoppers must be washed using high-pressure water jets before each day’s harvest is unloaded and whenever it is deemed necessary.’

is replaced by the following:

‘Oil mills must have in place a system for the regular cleaning of troughs and hoppers.’

This is because the aim is to ensure that such cleaning systems exist, regardless of the method used.

The sentence which reads:

‘The water used for washing and processing must be of sanitary quality and must not contain chlorine or its derivatives.’

is deleted because it relates to a requirement that is contained in the legislation in force.

The sentence which reads:

‘Talc may be used only as a processing aid, in which case the quantities used must be between 0,5 % and 2,0 %.’

is deleted as talc is the only processing aid currently permitted by law for use in the extraction of virgin olive oil.

The sentences which read:

‘Oil mills must classify the oils produced on the basis of the physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of “Montes de Toledo” oil described above. They must have, or buy in the services of, technicians and laboratories accredited for this purpose.’

are replaced by the following:

‘Oil mills must classify the oils produced on the basis of the physico-chemical and organoleptic properties of “Montes de Toledo” oil described above. They must have, or buy in the services of, technicians and laboratories designated for this purpose.’

This is because it is not considered essential for the technicians and/or laboratories used for self-monitoring to be accredited.

The sentences which read:

‘All settling tanks must have a lid, be conical in shape or have flat bottoms inclined so that it is possible to drain them and clean them out regularly. Flat-bottomed settling tanks must not be in a horizontal position.’

are to be replaced by the following:

‘All settling tanks must have a lid and be such that they can be drained and cleaned out regularly.’

This is because the aim is to ensure that settling tanks can be cleaned out and drained, regardless of the method used.

Labelling

The sentences which read:

‘The logo of the designation and the words “Denominación de Origen Protegida Montes de Toledo” must appear on all labels. The containers in which the protected oil is packaged for consumption must bear a seal of warranty, label or numbered secondary label issued by the inspection body so that they cannot be reused.’

are replaced by the following:

‘The logo of the designation of origin and the words “Denominación de Origen Protegida Montes de Toledo” or “DOP Montes de Toledo” must appear on all labels. The containers in which the protected oil is packaged for consumption must have affixed to them, in such a way that they cannot be reused, a seal of warranty and a numbered secondary label issued by the inspection body and bearing the logo of the designation of origin.’

National requirements

This section is amended as follows in order to bring it into line with the rules in force:

‘— Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs;

— Orden de 9 de mayo de 1998 de la Consejería de Agricultura y Medio Ambiente, por la que se dictan disposiciones de aplicación del Reglamento (CEE) no 2081/92 del Consejo, de 14 de julio de 1992, relativo a la protección de las indicaciones geográficas y de las denominaciones de origen de los productos agrícolas y alimenticios (Official Journal of Castile-La Mancha No 23 of 22 May 1998).

— Real Decreto 1335/2011, de 3 de octubre, por el que se regula el procedimiento para la tramitación de las solicitudes de inscripción de las denominaciones de origen protegidas y de las indicaciones geográficas protegidas en el registro comunitario y la oposición a ellas.’

Other (inspection body)

This section will be worded as indicated below, the list of the inspection body’s constituent documents being deleted as it is not relevant to the specification.

‘Product certification will be performed by the “Montes de Toledo” PDO Regulatory Board, a non-profit foundation whose assets are used on a permanent basis for the pursuit of its objectives and which is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency (ENAC) as complying with standard UNE-EN/ISO-IEC 17065.

Updated information on inspection bodies authorised to verify compliance with this specification is to be found on the following website:

http://pagina.jccm.es/agricul/paginas/comercial-industrial/figuras_calidad/reg_op/buscar_reg_ent.htm

The current inspection authority is:

Name: Fundación “Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen de aceite Montes de Toledo” Address: C/Alférez Provisional, 3 45001 Toledo ESPAÑA Tel. +34 925257402 Fax +34 925257402 E-mail: domt@domontesdetoledo.com

This inspection body is authorised by the Autonomous Community of Castile-La Mancha and is accredited by ENAC for the requirements laid down in standard UNE-EN 17065 (General requirements for bodies certifying products).

The inspection body must take the steps necessary to assess compliance with the specification, in accordance with requirements of the certification system for the product concerned.

It must conform to the standards in force – and meet any other requirement, e.g. as regards sampling, testing and inspection – forming the basis of the certification system used in its quality manual.

Its specific functions are to consist in:

— inspection of samples;

— conformity assessment of the product’s properties as laid down in the specification;

— audit of documentary records for the production of the protected olive oils.’

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘MONTES DE TOLEDO’

EU No: ES-PDO-0205-01270 – 29.10.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name

‘Montes de Toledo’

2. Member State or Third Country

Spain

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 product to which the name in (1) applies

Extra-virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea Europea L.), of the Cornicabra variety, by mechanical processes or other physical means that do not lead to deterioration of the oil, conserving the taste, aroma and characteristics of the fruit from which it is obtained.

Physical, chemical and organoleptic properties.

— acidity: maximum 0,5 °;

— peroxide value: maximum 15 meq O2/kg;

— ultraviolet absorbency K 270: maximum 0,20;

— moisture content: maximum 0,1 %;

— impurities: maximum 0,1 %;

— the colour varies, depending on the timing of the harvest and the geographical location within the area, from golden yellow to intense green;

— from an organoleptic point of view, ‘Montes de Toledo’ DO oils possess medium to intense fruitiness, bitterness and pungency.

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

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

The olives must be grown and the oil produced in the area defined in point 4.

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

— The oil must be stored in mills and packaging plants which have been certified by the Regulatory Board and have facilities suitable to ensure optimum conservation.

— The packager must have systems for packaging the PDO oils separately from any other oils. Likewise, it must have approved systems for measuring oil.

— The oil must be packaged in containers of glass, coated metal, PET or vitrified ceramic.

— In order to preserve the typical characteristics of the product at all stages, the packaging process is to be carried out within the accepted geographical area. In this way, the inspection bodies can have total control of the production and the final handling of the product remains in the hands of the area’s producers. They are the ones who best know the specific reactions of these oils to factors in the bottling process, such as time and method of decanting, filtration operations, diatomaceous earth, cellulose, bottling temperatures, reaction to cold and storage. The aim of all of this is to maintain the typical characteristics of the product.

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

The logo of the designation and the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida Montes de Toledo’ or ‘DOP Montes de Toledo’ must appear on all labels.

The containers in which this oil is packaged for consumption must have affixed to them, in such a way that they cannot be reused, a seal of warranty and a numbered secondary label issued by the inspection body and bearing the logo of the designation of origin.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The area is in the interior of the Autonomous Community of Castile-La Mancha, in the south-east of the Province of Toledo and the north-east of the Province of Ciudad Real, of which the central axis is the Montes de Toledo mountain range. The geographical production area is made up of 128 municipalities in the Provinces of Toledo and Ciudad Real. Of those municipalities, 106 are in the Province of Toledo and 22 in Ciudad Real.

Municipalities in the Province of Toledo:

Ajofrín, Alameda de la Sagra, Albarreal de Tajo, Alcaudete de la Jara, Aldeanueva de Barbarroya, Aldeanueva de San Bartolome, Almonacid de Toledo, Añover de Tajo, Arges, Bargas, Belvis de la Jara, Borox, Burguillos de Toledo, Burujón, Cabañas de la Sagra, Calera y Chozas, Campillo de la Jara, Cañumas, Carmena, Carpio de Tajo (El), Carranque, Casasbuenas, Cebolla, Cedillo del Condado, Cobeja, Chueca, Cobisa, Consuegra, Cuerva, Dosbarrios, Espinoso del Rey, Esquivias, Estrella (La), Gálvez, Guadamur, Guardia (La), Herencias (Las), Hontanar, Huerta de Valdecarábanos, Illescas, Layos, Lominchar, Madridejos, Magán, Malpica de Tajo, Manzaneque, Marjaliza, Mascaraque, Mata (La), Mazarambroz, Menasalbas, Mesegar, Mocejón, Mohedas de la Jara, Montearagón, Mora, Nambroca, Nava de Ricomalillo (La), Navahermosa, Navalmorales (Los), Navalucillos (Los), Noez, Numancia de la Sagra, Olías del Rey, Orgaz, Palomeque, Pantoja, Polán, Puebla de Montalban (La), Pueblanueva (La), Pulgar, Recas, Retamos, Robledo de Mazo, Romeral (El), San Bartolome de las Abiertas, San Martín de Montalbán, San Martín de Puso, San Pablo de los Montes, Santa Ana de Puso, Sesena, Sevillana de la Jara, Sonsaca, Talavera de la Reina, Tembleque, Toledo, Torrecilla de la Jara, Titanes, Turmequé, Utena, Urda, Ventas con Peña Aguilera (Las), Villa luenga de la Sagra, Villaminaya, Villamuelas, Villanueva de Bogas, Villarejo de Montalbán, Villaseca de la Sagra, Villasequilla de Yepes, El Viso de San Juan, Yébenes (Los), Yeles, Yepes, Yuncler, Yunclillos and Yuncos.

Municipalities in the Province of Ciudad Real:

Alcoba, Anchuras, Arroba de los Montes, Cortijos (Los), El Robledo, Fernancaballero, Fontanarejo, Fuente el Fresno, Herencia, Horcajo de los Montes, Labores (Las), Luciana, Malagón, Navalpino, Navas de Estena, Picón, Piedrabuena, Porzuna, Puebla de Don Rodrigo, Puertolápice, Retuerta del Bullaque and Villarrubia de los Ojos.

5. Link with the geographical area

The soil and climatic conditions of the Montes de Toledo mountain range, and the work of numerous generations of olive growers, have resulted in the natural selection of the Cornicabra variety as the best adapted to the area and the only one used in the production of ‘Montes de Toledo’ olive oil. With regard to the link between the geological and soil conditions, it should be noted how the formation of soils that are generally not very fertile has again left its mark on a crop which is subject to continuous stress, these aspects having in turn acted as a means of natural selection, leading to product differentiation. The Cornicabra variety, together with the area’s soil and climatic conditions, give the oil its specific physico-chemical properties, namely a high oleic acid and a low linoleic acid content and a high polyphenol content, and its specific organoleptic properties in terms of a very thick mouthfeel, being fruity and aromatic as well as having medium to intense bitterness and pungency.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation (3))

http://pagina.jccm.es/agricul/paginas/comercial-industrial/consejos_new/pliegos/20131204_PLIEGO_DOP_ACEITE_MONTES_TOLEDO.pdf

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

(2) OJ L 178, 5.7.2008, p. 11.

(3) See footnote 1.