EN Official Journal of the European Union C 150/11

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 150/11)

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 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

‘OLIVE DE NICE’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01277 — 17.11.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat interprofessionnel de l'olive de Nice

Box 58 MIN Fleurs 6 06296 Nice Cedex 3 FRANCE Tel. +33 497257644 Fax +33 493176404 E-mail: aoc.olive@aocolivedenice.com

The Syndicat interprofessionnel de l'olive de Nice is made up of producers and processors of ‘Olive de Nice’ and it has a legitimate interest to submit an amendment application.

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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

—

☐

—

☒

—

☒

—

☒

—

☒

—

☐

—

☒

—

☒

4. Type of amendment(s)

—

☒

—

☐

5. Amendment(s)

Description of product

The description of table olives and olive paste derived from Nice olives has been revised and supplemented. The changes concern the following aspects:

For table olives:

— the olive size is slightly increased, with 100 g comprising 40-70 fruit instead of 50-70 fruit. Indeed, with producers increasingly professionalising and the development of irrigation and more targeted fertilisation, olive sizes have slightly increased. However, this slight size increase does not change the fact that Nice table olives are ‘small’, distinguishing them from other table olives,

— the colour is clarified: the expressions ‘yellowish green to brown’ and ‘greenish yellow to brown’ were applied interchangeably in the different application documents submitted to register the PDO. For clarification purposes, we suggest harmonising the vocabulary and retaining the expression ‘yellowish green to brown’,

— the typical ‘smooth’ characteristic of ‘Olive de Nice’ olives is explained, and the fact that they are ‘not overly salty’ which is linked to the olive debittering technique,

— the description of the aromas perceived has been supplemented because ‘dried fruit’ aromas was insufficient to describe ‘Olive de Nice’ olives, which also have aromas of fruit conserves, clafoutis (fruit baked in batter), mature wine and leather,

— it has been made compulsory for there to be a rather significant quantity of stems present, either attached to the olives or loose in the solution. Indeed, their presence is specific to ‘Olive de Nice’ olives. This is due both to the features of the variety (fruit hanging by a long stalk) and the method of harvesting involving beating or shaking,

— the fact that the olives are whole, uncrushed and not split or manually flavoured is specified to define the olive more precisely with regard to the Codex standard for table olives (CODEX STAN 66-1981, revised in 1987).

For olive paste:

— the colour of the paste is clarified. The requirement for the olive paste to be a: ‘characteristic wine colour which is neither green nor too dark’ is replaced by ‘it varies in colour between brown, wine-red and black’. This clarification is provided to reflect the finely shaded colours of the olive. In fact, since there are no additives, the characteristics of the raw material are preserved in the olive paste. It is therefore not always ‘wine-coloured’, but may also present shades of brown or black,

— the smooth and delicate nature of the paste is specified. The paste must be smooth, but not excessively so, and homogeneous. The ‘non-coarse’ nature of the paste is evidenced by the granulometry which must be no more than 3,5 mm (mesh sieve). It is also stated that there is a small possibility that fragments of skin and stalks may be present,

— as is the case of table olives, information about the aromas of the olive paste has been added. The olive paste displays the same aromas as the table olive: fruit conserves, dried fruit, clafoutis, mature wine and leather, but also aromas of cakes, toasted bread and cherries. The aromas of cakes, toasted bread and cherries supplementing the description are specifically provided by the addition of ‘Huile d'olive de Nice’ (Nice olive oil), but also as a direct result of processing,

— it is specified that the paste is ‘neither too salty nor too bitter, never acidic and not flavoured’ and that it is prohibited to flavour the paste.

Geographical area

In the Specification, some errors identified regarding municipality names belonging to the PDO geographical area have been corrected; however, these amendments do not change the boundaries of the geographical production area, which remain the same.

Furthermore, the various stages which must take place within the geographical area of the designation have been clarified: ‘all of the processes, from the olives being grown to transformation into table olives or olive paste must be carried out in the defined geographical area’.

Moreover, arrangements for determining suitable parcels have been brought into line with the new national procedures.

Evidence that the product originates from the geographical area

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.

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

Method of production

Varieties

A definition of ‘old local varieties’ is added, notably: ‘varieties planted before the frost of 1956 with a significant number of trees in the production area’.

Plantation density

The amendment is intended to cater for the specific situation of olive trees planted on terraces compared to olive trees planted on flat land, as the majority of the PDO orchards are planted on steeply sloping land and this is indeed one of their specific features. This form of planting does not hinder the trees' root development and does not create competition for light, given that the land slopes. Therefore, we suggest taking the mathematical height of each terrace into account when calculating the required minimum distance between trees and not enforcing a minimum area of at least 24 m2 per tree in such cases.

The rules on the minimum distance between trees (set at 4 metres) have been clarified as regards trees planted on or after 27 April 2001 (date when the initial decree recognising the PDO was published).

Intercropping

In accordance with local customs, fruit trees, which are not considered to affect the product's final quality, may be grown in olive orchards provided that they do not represent more than 5 % of the total number of trees on the parcel in question.

Irrigation

We suggest setting an irrigation deadline to replace the initial clause authorising irrigation ‘until the colours begin to turn’, in so far as this is imprecise and the date that colours begin to turn may vary slightly by geographical subsector (coastal or inland) within the geographical area, potentially creating inspection difficulties.

The deadline has therefore been set at 1 November.

Yield

The maximum authorised yield is increased from 6/ha to 10 t/ha. Indeed, the trees in recently planted orchards are now producing and the yield from such olive groves is close to 8-10 t/ha. It is also no longer rare to find mixed-variety olive orchards, and in such orchards, trees display significant branch growth and produce substantial olive yields. Producers professionalising and parcels being redeveloped also contribute to yield optimisation.

Moreover, the method for calculating yield has been specified in such a way that all scope for interpretation is avoided. It is therefore stated that yield must be calculated with regard to the quantity harvested (and not total tree production including olives that fall to the ground and are not collected or covered by the designation).

The age when trees start producing is specified (at least 5 years old), to ensure that the olives in question are of sufficient quality.

Date of harvest

Initially, the harvest start date was set by order of the prefect based on a proposal from the competent authority.

Within the context of simplifying administrative procedures at national level, we suggest that the Director of the INAO sets this date based on a reasoned proposal from the group.

Harvesting

The phrase ‘shaking down the fruit by mechanical means’ is replaced by ‘mechanical methods’. This editorial amendment does not change the different harvesting methods authorised for the PDO ‘Olive de Nice’.

Storage method for harvested olives

In order to preserve to a maximum the quality of the raw material for table olives, we suggest deleting the option of storing olives in box pallets which are not suitable because of the large volume they hold (risk of olives heating up or being squashed). Only slatted crates are authorised.

Processing conditions

This version of the Specification explains more clearly the consecutive steps to produce table olives and olive paste: the first step is to prepare the olives which are then made into table olives or olive paste.

Placing in brine and sorting the olives

We suggest deleting the requirement to wash the olives in advance. Indeed, first of all, washing is not essential given that olives collected in nets are clean, and secondly, according to certain studies, the washing process may prompt the development of ‘alambrado’ disease, which affects olives preserved in brine.

We also suggest delaying sorting the olives until after they have been placed in brine, just before they are transformed into table olives or paste. Although olives were sorted on the evening they were harvested in the past, this is no longer the case. On account of harvesting mechanisation, the volume harvested each day is much greater and the tedious sorting process is now carried out during the quieter periods after the harvest.

Moreover, for olive paste, given that the final quality of the product is not affected if the olives are smooth, whole, uncrushed and without splits, we suggest removing this sorting requirement for olives used to make olive paste.

Furthermore, the preliminary task of removing any leaves from the olives, which has always been carried out but was not referred to, has been added. A deadline for placing the olives in brine has been set at a maximum of 24 hours after harvesting to preserve the initial quality of the olives used. To the same end, quality requirements are introduced for olives used to make table olives or olive paste: the olives must be ‘healthy, i.e. free from insect holes or disease. There is, however, a 5 % tolerance for olives with insect holes or diseases, but worm-infested olives must be completely discarded’.

Producing olive paste

The percentage of ‘Huile d'olive de Nice’ olive oil used to homogenise the paste rises from a maximum of 7 % to a maximum of 12 %; this change has become necessary to guarantee the paste's smoothness and taste quality.

Labelling

The wording of labels specifically referring to the designation has been brought into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012:

For olive paste, the words ‘pâte d'olive’ (olive paste) are now compulsory in addition to the name of the designation of origin. Moreover, the European Union's PDO logo and the words ‘appellation d'origine protégée’ (protected designation of origin) or ‘A.O.P’ are amongst the references that must be included on labels for products covered by the designation of origin ‘Olive de Nice’.

Other

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

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘OLIVE DE NICE’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01277 — 17.11.2014

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Olive de Nice’

2. Member State or Third Country

France

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

The PDO ‘Olive de Nice’ refers to both table olives and olive paste obtained exclusively from the Cailletier variety.

‘Olive de Nice’ table olives are small in size (100 g comprising not fewer than 40 fruit and not more than 70), finely shaded in colour ranging from yellowish green to brown and from wine-coloured to mauvish black. They have smooth skin and firm flesh which comes away easily from the kernel. They are slightly bitter and never acidic or too salty. They have an aroma that is typical of fruit conserves (prunes, cherries), clafoutis, or dried fruit, as well as notes of mature wine and leather.

They are whole, uncrushed and not split or manually flavoured. They are also well-known for being accompanied by a rather significant quantity of stalks, whether attached to the olives or loose in solution.

‘Olive de Nice’ paste has an aroma that is typical of fruit conserves (prunes, cherries), clafoutis, cakes, toasted bread, dried fruit and notes of mature wine, cherry and leather. It varies in colour between brown, wine-red and black. Its texture is homogeneous and smooth, but not excessively so. Nevertheless, there is a small possibility of finding fragments of skin or stalk. The paste is neither coarse (it is passed through a maximum 3,5 mm mesh sieve) nor overly salty or bitter and never acidic. All forms of flavouring are prohibited.

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 of the processes, from the olives being grown to their transformation into table olives or olive paste, must be carried out in the defined geographical area.

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

—

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

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by legislation on the labelling and presentation of foodstuffs, labels for table olives and olive paste carrying the protected designation of origin ‘Olive de Nice’ labels must include the following:

— the name of the designation of origin ‘Olive de Nice’, the words ‘pâte d'olive’ (for olive paste) and the words ‘appellation d'origine protégée’ (protected designation of origin) or ‘A.O.P’. These details must all be in the same visual field. They must be indicated in conspicuous, clearly legible and indelible characters of a sufficient size to stand out from the label on which they are printed so as to be clearly distinguishable from all other written or graphic information,

— the European Union PDO logo.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The defined geographical area for olives and olive paste covered by the protected designation of origin ‘Olive de Nice’ is within the following municipalities in the Department of Alpes-Maritimes:

— Aiglun, Antibes, Biot, Bouyon, Cannes, Clans, Conségude, Les Ferres, Malaussène, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Massoins, Nice, Roquestéron-Grasse, La Tour, Tournefort, Vallauris, Villars-sur-Var,

— the municipalities in the following cantons: Le Bar-sur-Loup (except the municipalities of Caussols and Courmes), Breil-sur-Roya, Cagnes-sur-Mer-Centre, Cagnes-sur-Mer-Ouest, Le Cannet, Carros, Contes, L'Escarène, Grasse-Nord, Grasse-Sud, Lantosque, Levens, Menton-Est, Menton-Ouest (except the municipality of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin), Mougins, Nice 13th canton, Roquebillière (except the municipality of Belvédère), Roquesteron, Saint-Laurent-du-Var-Cagnes-sur-Mer-Est, Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey (except the municipalities of Escragnolles and Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey), Sospel (except the municipality of Moulinet), Vence, Villefranche-sur-Mer (except the municipalities of Cap-d'Ail and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat).

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

This geographical area forms part of a wider area characterised by olive growing and processing facilities and relies on the original features of the natural landscape (topography, pedology, climate).

Nice olive groves are situated in the heart of a region where the mountains and the sea meet and merge with each other. The major drainage system is the Var and the valleys of its tributaries, the Vésubie, the Tinée and the Estéron. Olive-growing has developed downstream of these valleys, where sites are less constricted than those further upstream. Such steep-slope olive groves are situated on hills, subcoastal plateaux and slopes often arranged into ‘terraces’. The soil, which is particularly suitable for growing olive trees, is colluvial and rich in congelifracted limestone and limestone clay, with a silty-clay texture.

The olive-growing area has a Mediterranean climate with occasional heavy rainfall due to the mountains. Temperatures are mild (4 to 11 °C in winter), there is high precipitation (800 à 1 100 mm) and excellent sunlight exposure (2 760 hours/year). Extreme frost never appears along the coastal fringe and is rare in inland areas below 750 m in altitude. In these circumstances and without strong winds, the Cailletier variety, with its fruit high up and long branches, has become established over the centuries as the dominant variety in Nice's orchards.

Olive trees have always been one of the most important crops for people living in the ‘Comté de Nice’ (an administrative division within the States of the House of Savoy, 1526-1847) and the Côte d'Azur. The harvest generally starts in November and extends into April, with a more intensive harvesting period between January and March, when olives are harvested by ‘twisting’ (at least 50 % of the olives must be wine-red in colour). The olives must be picked directly from the tree and no leaf detachment product may be used, or harvested in the traditional way by beating or shaking the tree, or by mechanical methods.

The ‘Olive de Nice’ is the traditional form of olive used in the well-known ‘salade niçoise’ (‘Nice salad’). It is made following the traditional recipe of the Nice region, using olives prepared by soaking them in sodium chloride brine without any additive other than salt for at least three months before sale.

The olive paste is made directly from olives stored in brine. It is obtained by drying and de-salting the olives, removing the kernels by centrifugation and homogenising the paste while adding a quantity of ‘Huile d'olive de Nice’ olive oil representing not more than 12 % of the paste by weight.

5.2. Specificity of the product

‘Olive de Nice’ table olives are small in size (100 g comprising 40-70 fruit), whole, uncrushed and not split or manually flavoured, known for their finely shaded colour ranging from yellowish green to brown and from wine-coloured to mauvish black. They have smooth skin, a large kernel and firm flesh which comes away easily from the kernel. They are also known for their slight bitterness and lack of acidity. Their flavour is reminiscent of fruit conserves (prunes, cherries), clafoutis, dried fruit and the smell of mature wine or leather. It is also common to find stems still attached to the olives or loose in solution. ‘Olive de Nice’ olives are exclusively of the Cailletier variety. The olive paste has an aroma reminiscent of fruit conserves (prunes, cherries), clafoutis, cakes, toasted bread, dried fruit and notes of mature wine, cherry and leather. Like table olives, it varies in colour between brown, wine-red and black. It is also known for its texture that is homogeneous and smooth, yet not excessively so. It is appreciated for its flavour that is neither too salty nor bitter and never acidic.

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 characteristics of the geographical area have shaped Nice's olive-growing landscape and the specific characteristics of the ‘Olive de Nice’. Because of its geographical location (at the extremity of the Alps which fall away into the sea), the department of Alpes-Maritimes has a limited agricultural land area. Arable land is rare and olive trees are planted on terraces. Nice's olive groves create a characteristic landscape made out of slopes which incorporate dry stone walls built to hold back the soil and provide protection against erosion. Olive cultivation is the only alternative to abandoning the land in certain threatened areas.

The specific Mediterranean climate in the geographical area, with few strong winds and little frost, excellent sunshine exposure and abundant rainfall in spring and autumn, is beneficial for cultivating olive trees, even in areas up to 700 metres in altitude.

Under these specific circumstances, the Cailletier variety, which is perfectly adapted, occupies 95 % of the plantations in the geographical area. On the one hand, the mild climate, and on the other hand, the fact that the groves are essentially arranged into ‘terraces’ in both coastal and mountainous regions, explain why the harvest period extends from November until April, starting once the fruit have begun to ripen. Moreover, on account of the variety's characteristics (tall trees with fruit that hang low) and the custom of harvesting in one single visit, the olive colour is not uniform because of the varying sun exposure that trees receive. Therefore, the olives harvested are yellowish green to brown and wine-coloured to mauvish black.

Olives of this variety are small in size, with a large kernel and firm flesh. For this reason, they are not very fleshy, which makes them particularly suitable for soaking in sodium chloride, a slow debittering process. This is a form of preparation specific to the Nice region. This preparation without additives other than salt preserves the characteristics of the raw material and ensures that the ‘dried fruit’ aromas present in ‘Huile d'olive de Nice’ are also present in the table olives. Using this technique, the olives gradually lose most of their bitterness and are ‘conserved’. This releases other aromas such as those of fruit conserves, cakes or mature wine, and the olives remain smooth. The presence of stalks, attached to the olives or loose in the solution, is due to both the features of the variety (fruit hanging by a long stalk) and, when practised, the method of harvesting by beating or shaking the trees.

Similarly, the simple technique used to produce the olive paste creates a product that is original, natural and without additives, while retaining the characteristics of the raw material and carrying aromas typical of the table olive. Adding a limited quantity of ‘Huile d'olive de Nice’ helps to form the homogeneous and smooth texture that is typical of the paste.

‘Olive de Nice’ olives therefore have a reputation that vastly extends beyond their regional area and the traditional area where they are consumed within the context of Mediterranean cooking. They are sold in particular in Paris and the Paris region, but also elsewhere in numerous countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and northern European countries.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation (2))

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-41f32a74-4491-4034-a352-eb0a9979554c/telechargement

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

(2) See footnote 1.