Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2002/C 51/12)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the Member State concerned within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under point 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO ( ) PGI (x)

National application No 1/2001

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Name: Ministero delle Politiche agricole e forestali

Address: Via XX Settembre 20, I-00187 Roma

Tel. (39-06) 481 99 68

Fax (39-06) 42 01 31 26

e-mail: qualita@politicheagricole.it

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name: Consorzio per la tutela del carciofo romanesco

2.2. Address: Via Fabio Massimo 72, I-00192 Roma

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) Other ( )

3. Type of product: Class 1.6 Fruits, vegetables, cereals - Cynara scolymus L.

4. Specification (Summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio"

4.2. Description: The fresh artichoke known as "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" has the following characteristics:

- spherical, compact buds with characteristic opening at apex,

- green to purple in colour,

- outer bracts green in colour and purple-tinged,

- diameter of top heads not less than 10 cm,

- diameter of primary and secondary capitula ("buds") not less than 7 cm.

4.3. Geographical area: "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes are grown in suitable areas of the following municipalities of the provinces of Viterbo, Rome and Latina in the Lazio region: Montalto di Castro, Canino, Tarquinia, Allumiere, Tolfa, Civitavecchia, Santa Marinella, Campagnano, Cerveteri, Ladispoli, Fiumicino, Rome, Lariano, Sezze, Priverno, Sermoneta and Pontinia.

4.4. Proof of origin: Some authors claim that artichokes were cultivated in Lazio in Etruscan times. According to Montelucci (cf. Pignatti), the artichoke originates in the western Mediterranean; the plant was unknown to the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews, but depictions of artichoke leaves have been found decorating the walls of certain tombs in the Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia. The author credits the Etruscans with the domestication of the species. The large populations of Cynara cardunculus in the hilly land between Civitavecchia and Tolfa and towards Cerveteri support this theory. In more recent times, artichoke growing in Lazio expanded rapidly after the Second World War, given the low production costs and the fact that the plants continued to produce well for six or seven years. The crop's great success and the need to publicise the quality of artichokes grown in the area were behind the organisation of the first "Artichoke Festival" in Ladispoli in 1950. Product traceability is ensured by the register of producers, held by the authorised quality-control body set up for the purpose, which keeps it up to date and monitors production methods, product characteristics, the output of producers on the register and the rules governing release for consumption.

4.5. Method of production: "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes are grown from the "Castellammare" and "Campagnano" cultivars and their clones.

Before planting, the soil must be prepared carefully, fertiliser dug in and the surface levelled off. Transplanting takes place from August to October. Artichoke plantations are maintained for up to four years under a three-year crop rotation system. Typical field operations involve cutting back the plants and pinching out; the former involves eliminating the stalks that have produced heads while the latter entails manually removing superfluous shoots. "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes are grown from a single shoot per plant. Harvesting starts in January and may continue into May, depending on weather conditions.

4.6. Link: The climate in the "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" production area is uniformly very favourable for artichoke cultivation. The average temperature varies between + 3 °C and + 6 °C in the coldest month (January). Thanks to the moderating effect of the sea, the minimum temperature never falls below 0° C, which is excellent for growing artichokes.

The average temperature in the warmest month (July) ranges from + 21 °C to + 24 °C, with annual sunlight of between 2000 and 2200 hours. In both quantity and distribution, precipitation in the area is suitable for artichoke cultivation.

The soil used for cultivation is of average texture, with a pH of between 6,5 and 7,5 and an active lime value of between 2 and 3.

These natural, climatic and soil factors are decisive for the special characteristics of "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes; the latter also owe much to human factors and traditional techniques, such as shredding and burying the plant residue in order to return organic matter to the soil and removing all except one shoot per plant to foster growth. The combination of these natural and human factors gives "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes their characteristic and unique qualities, not found in other cultivars or even where the same two cultivars referred to in point 4.5 are grown in other areas.

It is hardly necessary to emphasise the reputation of the product, which is celebrated at many "artichoke festivals" and constitutes a mainstay of the area.

4.7. Inspection body Name: Agroqualità - Società per la certificazione della qualità nell'agroalimentare srl

Address: Via Montebello, I-00185 Roma

4.8. Labelling: In addition to the protected geographical indication "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio", labels may bear names, company names and marks other than those with complimentary implications or likely to mislead the consumer.

Geographical indications and place names referring to municipalities specified in point 4.3 and districts, areas, farms and other localities within those municipalities in which the artichokes have actually been produced may also be used. The mark, comprising the oval-shaped logo with an artichoke depicted in the centre and the letters "IGP" for the protected geographical indication, must compulsorily be shown. The precise description and reference colours are set out in the production specification for the "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio". The logo is shown in the annex.

Packs must be sealed and may be wrapped in plastic netting or transparent plastic film. The mark must be displayed on the side of the pack. If the artichokes are sold in bunches, the mark must be shown on a band around the bunch.

For traditional local consumption within the Lazio Region only, main head "Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio" artichokes may be sold in bunches of 10, with the leaves and with stalks more than 10 cm in length, or in bunches of unspecified numbers containing cone-shaped artichokes without leaves.

4.9. National requirements: -

EC No: G/IT/00183/2001.02.08.

Date of receipt of the full application: 28 November 2001