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

(2003/C 45/02)

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 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 (X) PGI ( )

National application No: 12/2001

1. Responsible department in the Member State Name: Ministero delle Politiche agricole e forestali

Address: Via XX Settembre n. 20

I-00187 Roma

Tel. (39) 06 481 99 68

Fax (39) 06 42 01 31 26

2. Applicant group 2.1. Name: Associazione Castanicoltori del Monte Baldo Veronese

2.2. Address: C/o Municipio del Comune di San Zeno di Montagna

Via Cà Montagna n. 11

I-37010 San Zeno di Montagna (VR)

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (X) other ( )

3. Type of product: Class 1.6 Fruit and vegetables and cereals, processed or otherwise - Chestnuts

4. Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. Name: Marrone di San Zeno

4.2. Description: Marrone di San Zeno PDO applies to "locale Marrone" chestnuts, a variety produced by selection in the area of origin and belonging to ecotypes of the species "Castanea Sativa Mill", propagated agamically by local producers.

The fruit must conform to the following characteristics:

- no more than three fruit per husk,

- variable size, i.e. the number of fruit per kilogram must be 50 or more but not more than 120,

- ellipsoidal in shape with a slightly stubby tip; sides mainly convex but with a varying degree of convexity; hilum scar similar to a flattened hoop tending towards a rectangle, does not extend over the sides, lighter in colour than the pericarp,

- slender, clear, light brown pericarp with darker stripes towards the middle,

- thin episperm (film), which penetrates slightly into the seed and peels easily,

- the seed tends towards straw yellow in colour, has a slightly rough surface, is soft and has a sweet taste.

4.3. Geographical area: The Marrone di San Zeno production and processing area is situated between 250 and 900 metres above sea level in the territory of Monte Baldo, i.e. between Lake Garda and the Adige river valley. It comprises parts of the following municipalities: Brentino-Belluno, Brenzone, Caprino Veronese, Costermano, Ferrara di Monte Baldo and San Zeno di Montagna, all of which are in the homogeneous Monte Baldo mountain community area.

4.4. Proof of origin: There is historical evidence that the chestnuts were grown in the Middle Ages. The oldest available written evidence are a parchment dating back to 1285, which refers to a "bosco cum castagnariis iacente in curia Lubiarae in ora ubi dicitur castagnarius banconus", and a 1352 record of a dispute opposing the monastery of Saint Anastasia of Verona and the Malaspina Family, which states that, in addition to "salgariis, pertegariis et stropegariis", "castagnariis" abounded. These historical records attest to the presence of chestnuts on the southeastern flank of the Monte Baldo in the municipality of Caprino Veronese.

At the end of the 19th century there were, throughout the Tasso valley (the eastern flank of the Monte Baldo), "imposing chestnut trees with a rich foliage"; chestnut-growing then spread to the municipalities of Malcesine, Brenzone and Castion di Costermano and, above all, the area of San Zeno di Montagna.

Proof of the enduring presence of the product can be found in particular in entries in a register of chestnut groves kept by the inspection body.

This records the land register details of chestnut groves and, for each parcel, the name of the owner, the manager, the locality, the number of trees, the maximum quantity of chestnuts it can produce and the age of the chestnut grove.

Applications for registration or, in the case of chestnut growers who are already registered, for updating the records, must be submitted by 31 December of the year preceding the one in which the PDO product is due to be marketed.

Producers whose chestnut groves have been entered in the register must declare to the inspection body the quantity of PDO chestnuts actually produced which they intend to market; the declaration must be made within 30 days of harvesting.

4.5. Method of production: The chestnut groves must be located in the traditional Castanetum-growing belt, in other words between 250 and 900 metres above sea level.

The trees must be trained/pruned in a way which does not alter the typical characteristics of the "Marrone di San Zeno".

The number of trees in production may vary from a minimum of 30 per hectare to a maximum of 120 per hectare.

Harvesting, set to tie in with dehiscence, may be carried out manually or using mechanical means provided there is no damage to either tree or fruit.

The yield may not exceed 30 kg of fruit per tree or 3,6 tonnes per hectare.

The chestnuts are sized and graded with a view to verifying whether they satisfy the requirements applicable.

Prior to being released for consumption, the chestnuts may undergo traditional physical treatments such as the "novena" and the "rissara". The novena consists in a nine-day water treatment, without additives, and changing all or part of the water every other day. The rissara consists in leaving the fruit and the husks in piles in the open for 8-15 days.

The "Marrone di San Zeno" is marketed fresh, in food-grade bags of 0,3 kg, 0,5 kg, 1 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg, 4 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg; larger packs (25 kg or 50 kg) must be marketed in bags made of jute or another suitable material. All the packs must be sealed in such a way as to prevent the fruit from being removed without breaking the seal.

4.6. Link: The chestnuts are grown on the flanks of the Monte Baldo Veronese mountain, between the Adige river and Lake Garda.

The chestnut groves are located in the traditional Castanetum-growing belt between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. This is an area, which, thanks to the presence of Lake Garda, enjoys a Mediterranean climate but is situated in northern Italy.

The chestnut groves are in acidic soil with a texture tending towards "loose" and enjoy a temperate/humid climate, in other words conditions that are likely to give the product its distinctive characteristics.

Historical research (by Clara Campagnari and Gina Scardoni) shows that chestnut-growing has for centuries been of major economic importance to farmers in the San Zeno di Montagna area.

Research published in the Atti dell'Accademia di Agricoltura, Scienze e Lettere di Verona deals at some length with the harvesting, storage and marketing of the chestnuts. Towards the end of the last century the latter were sold by traders or by the growers direct at the weekly market at Caprino Veronese. Beating the trees with sticks to make the chestnuts fall was a job reserved for men, and it was generally the women who picked the husks on the ground, using a soft wooden device known as a "giova" and placing them in wickerwork baskets which were then emptied first into conical baskets and then onto the "rissare", which are still in use today (C. Corazzin and M. Biasi).

From the 1920s onwards the municipality of San Zeno di Montagna celebrated, in November each year, the traditional "Sagra del marrone" (chestnut festival), as evidenced by photographs in the possession of the municipality. After the war the festival was renamed "Mostra mercato del marrone" (chestnut fair and market), the 29th edition of which was due to be celebrated in 2002.

The fruit comes solely from the traditional "Marrone" variety obtained by selection in the area of origin.

4.7. Inspection body Name: CSQA

Address: Via San Gaetano, 74

I-36016 Thiene (VI).

4.8. Labelling: Every pack must have a label bearing the logo.

This shows two circles, one showing Saint Zeno giving his blessing and the other, two twin stylised dehiscent husks with a chestnut emerging from them. The circle on the left includes, at the bottom, the words "San Zeno", whereas the circle on the right shows the word "Marrone" at the top and "di San Zeno" at the bottom. The abbreviation "DOP" is shown in a heraldic scroll at the bottom between the two circles.

Each circle has a diameter of 26 mm. The heraldic scroll measures 2,5 mm vertically and 20 mm horizontally.

The circle on the left shows, against a white background, Saint Zeno giving his blessing. His skin is brown (Pantone 478 C) and there is blue water (Pantone 299 C) almost up to his chest. His headgear is red (Pantone 193 C) and he has a yellow crosier (Pantone 124 C). His ornaments are yellow (Pantone 124 C) at the top and red (Pantone 193 C) at the bottom. A green fish (Pantone 576 C) hangs from a line attached to the crosier, supported by the Saint's left hand as he emerges from the water. The circle on the right shows, against a white background, brown chestnuts (Pantone 478 C) in green husks (Pantone 576 C).

The words are all in black against a white background. The size of the letters is as follows:

- "San Zeno" in the circle on the left: 1,6 mm;

- "Marrone di San Zeno" in the circle on the right: 1,8 mm;

- "DOP" in the heraldic scroll: 1,9 mm.

The label must also state the weight, year of production and the location of the packing station.

The words "Marrone di San Zeno" DOP may not be accompanied by any indications which are not provided for in the rules governing production, in particular any indication which is of a laudatory nature or which may mislead the consumer.

4.9. National requirements: -

EC No: IT/00209/2001.10.09.

Date of receipt of the full application: 6 November 2002.