Publication of an application for registration of a name 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

(2020/C 211/13)

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) within three months from the date of this publication

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’

EU No: PGI-ES-02459 – 27.5.2019

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1. Name(s)

‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’

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, oil, etc.)

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

Extra virgin olive oil obtained solely by mechanical means from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.). It is a green, fruity oil of medium or strong intensity. On the palate it has light to medium bitterness and pungency.

‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ is produced from the arbequina, picual and koroneiki olive varieties, alone or combined, which together account for at least 90 %. The remaining 10 % can come from other varieties listed in the register of commercial varieties.

Physico-chemical characteristics:

— Acidity (expressed as oleic acid): 0,5 % maximum

— Peroxide value: ≤ 12 meq O2/kg

— K 232 ≤ 2

— K 270 ≤ 0,16

— Polyphenols ≥ 200 mg/kg olive oil

Organoleptic characteristics:

Median interval Minimum Maximum Green fruitiness ≥ 3 ≤ 7 Bitter ≥ 1,5 ≤ 4 Pungent ≥ 2 ≤ 5 Balance The median of the bitter attribute and the median of the pungent attribute are not more than 2 points above the median of the fruitiness

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 the production of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’, from growing the olives to processing must take place on the island of Ibiza (Eivissa).

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

‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ must be sold in dark glass bottles, or in containers made of coated metal or other material which protects the oil from light. The capacity of the containers must not exceed 5 litres.

Packaging in the production area is essential in order to preserve the characteristics of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’, and it must be packaged in the facilities where it is produced.

Ibiza is an island with long hours of sunshine, relatively high temperatures and high ambient humidity, three factors which could adversely affect the quality of the olive oil. In these circumstances and on the basis of the producers’ experience, ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ has traditionally been packaged in the facilities where it is produced and is not transported in bulk to other facilities.

The producers know that the way in which ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ is handled and packaged is crucial for guaranteeing the quality of the final product, and if there are no restrictions or if it is not done properly, the aromatic quality of the final product will undoubtedly be qualitatively and quantitatively reduced.

It must also be remembered that Ibiza is an island, at a distance from mainland Europe, which implies a long journey by sea. Transporting ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ in tankers would involve decanting and more contact with the air, and there would be a higher risk of its characteristics being altered, in particular aroma and taste. This is why transporting ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ in bulk is not permitted.

Division into smaller quantities and repackaging is not permitted.

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

The protected geographical indication ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ must be prominently displayed in the label’s main visual field, distinct from the other information. The words must be the largest in the main visual field and may not be accompanied by any other words. The words ‘Indicación Geográfica Protegida’ [Protected Geographical Indication] must appear on the label next to the name ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’.

The labelling must also include the year of production of the oil and a sequential alphanumeric code to facilitate traceability checks.

It is forbidden to add any qualifying terms to the protected geographical indication ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’. Optional terms must be true and verifiable. Olive varieties may be mentioned only in cases where 100 % of the olives are of the variety or varieties indicated.

Holdings, plantations or estates may be mentioned only in cases where the oil has been produced solely from olives harvested from their olive groves.

Optional terms must be displayed on the label in characters that are not more than half the size (height and width) of those used for the name of the protected geographical indication.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is the island of Ibiza in the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands.

The island of Ibiza is situated between coordinates 38° 58′ 48″ N and 1° 25′ 48″ E, in the Mediterranean Sea, between Cap de la Nau (Alicante) and Mallorca.

5. Link with the geographical area

The link with the environment is based on the high polyphenol content, the marked bitterness and pungency, and the product’s reputation.

The chalky soils and long hours of sunshine (more than 2 700 hours of sun/year) assure a high level of aromatic components. The low altitude of the olive groves, some of which are at sea level, increases the polyphenol content.

Ibiza’s Mediterranean climate, with long hours of sunshine, provides the right conditions for olive growing, especially as regards photosynthesis and biomass accumulation in plant organs. The mild spring temperatures (average 19 °C) and long hours of sunshine promote flowering and pollination. The high summer temperatures (average 26 °C) and sunshine help the olives to ripen quickly so that harvesting begins in September, making Ibiza one of the first places in Europe to begin the olive harvest. The absence of frost favours the production of top quality olives which yield oils that are stable, without defects and have a high polyphenol content.

The hot, sunny summers, with little rainfall (average rainfall 34 mm), create water stress for the olive trees, which contributes to a high polyphenol concentration (average value 292 mg/kg) and strengthens the bitter and pungent attributes. The polyphenol content of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ is significantly higher than that of other extra virgin olive oils, which have concentrations of between 150 and 180 mg/kg.

Harvesting the olives while they are still green and have scarcely begun to change colour gives ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ distinctive characteristics, notably the green fruity aroma and high polyphenol content. Harvesting the olives while green means that they yield less oil but it has unique characteristics.

The short distance between the olive groves and the mills and the prompt milling of the green olives, at a low temperature, ensure the production of oils with low acidity and a low hydroxiperoxide content and hence low peroxide and K232 values.

The correct storage conditions, where the oil is protected from contact with the air and from light, and packaging in the demarcated production area ensure stable oils with a low peroxide value and low levels of conjugated dienes and trienes.

The experience and knowledge of the olive growers and oil millers is crucial for obtaining oil with the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’. Guided by experience, the growers determine the planting density on the basis of the agronomic characteristics of the land parcel and decide on the growing practices, especially pruning and training. To obtain oil with the distinctive characteristics of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’, especially a high polyphenol content and high levels of green fruitiness, bitterness and pungency, the time of harvesting is of critical importance and here again the knowledge and experience of the growers comes into play, in choosing exactly the right time to harvest the olives in each parcel and sometimes from each tree.

Ensuring that the distinctive characteristics of the olives are preserved in ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ is the work of the master millers, who, guided by their experience and observation of the characteristics of the olives, determine the extraction time and temperature of each batch.

Historical documents attest to the excellent reputation of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’. In Descripciones de las Islas Pithiusas y Baleares (1797), José Vargas wrote: ‘The harvest on Ibiza is now (…) an oil that is among the best in Spain and so plentiful it should be traded’. In the Reales Ordinacions de la isla y real fuerza de Iviza (1751), ‘Aceite de Ibiza’ is described as preciosísimo (exquisite) and compared to the best: ‘… the best olive oil is from Spain, rivalled only by that from Ibiza’.

This historical reputation has remained unaltered with the passage of time and today ‘Aceite de Ibiza’/‘Oli d’Eivissa’ is appreciated by consumers, experts, cooks and restauranteurs more than ever before.

The restrictions placed by Community legislation on the use of geographical terms in the marketing of olive oil have made it difficult for producers to use the names ‘Aceite de Ibiza’ and ‘Oli d’Eivissa’ in the face of financial penalties. Despite this, these terms, and the map of Ibiza, have continued to appear on labels, commercial documents, test reports and web pages.

Regarding the reputation of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’, it should be noted that well-known chefs, such as Jean-Louis Neichel and María José San Román (2018), have recognised the quality of ‘Aceite de Ibiza’. Various experts have also drawn attention to its quality and distinctive characteristics. For example, Ismael Diaz Yubero, member of the Real Academia de Gastronomía and winner of a National Gastronomy Award in 2013, notes that ‘Aceite de Ibiza’ has the character required to make it distinctive and deserves to fetch a higher price because of these special qualities’.

There are also numerous references attesting to the reputation of ‘Oli d’Eivissa’. The book Conèixer i gaudir dels aliments de les Illes Balears (2002) includes ‘Oli d’Eivissa’ among the Balearic Islands’ most traditional food products. In 2007 the University of the Balearic Islands included ‘Oli d’Eivissa’ in its account of traditional foods of the Balearic Islands typical of the Mediterranean diet, and in 2018 the Government of the Balearic Islands added ‘Oli d’Eivissa’ to the catalogue of traditional foods of the Balearic Islands.

The Ruta de l’Oli d’Eivissa (‘Oli d’Eivissa’ route) and the Eivissa-Sabor culinary event have been organised on Ibiza since 2014. ‘Oli d’Eivissa’ features in the advertising material for these events in recipes and as a distinctive local product, along with other traditional Ibizan products. There are references in travel guides, such as ibizaspain.es, and the Mejor pa amb oli’Eivissa award is further evidence of its excellent flavour.

Publication reference of the specification

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

The consolidated text of the specification can be consulted at:

http://www.caib.es/sites/qualitatagroalimentaria/es/aceite_de_ibiza/

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