EN Official Journal of the European Union C 320/2

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

(2005/C 320/02)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognized in accordance with Article 12(3) 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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

‘GATA-HURDES’

EC No: ES/00121/28.03.2000

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This note is a summary produced for information. For full details, interested parties, and producers of this PDO in particular, are requested to consult the full version of the national rules or the relevant departments of the European Commission (1).

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name: Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada Dirección General de Alimentación Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación de España Address: Infanta Isabel, E-28071 Madrid Telephone: (34-91) 347 53 94 Fax: (34-91) 347 54 10 E-mail: sgcaproagro@mapya.es

2. Group:

‘Grouping of cooperative and privately-owned oil mills:’

— Sdad. Coop. Ltda. La Peraliega. Ctra. Cilleros, Km 1. 10896, Perales del Puerto (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill.

— Sdad. Coop. Ltda. San Dámaso. Donoso Cortés, 45.10890, Valverde del Fresno (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill and packaging plant.

— Antonio Pascual Alemán, S.L. Avd. Sierra de Gata, 36. 10896, Perales del Puerto (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill and packaging plant.

— Jacoliva. S.L. Avd. de la Paz, 5 10813 Pozuelo de Zarzón (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill and packaging plant.

— INDEXTRA. S.L. Llano de la Dehesilla, s/n 10691, galisteo (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill and packaging plant.

— FEJIDOSA. Cruce de Mohedas, s/n. 10664, Mohedas de Granadilla (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill and treatment of olives.

— Sdad. Coop. Ltda. San Martín.San Isidro. 10892, Corredera 12 (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill.

— Sdad. Coop. Ltda. Sierra de Gata. Gabriel y Galán 9. 10850 Hoyos (Cáceres). Activity: oil mill.

3. Type of product:

Extra virgin olive oil. Class 1.5 — oils and fats.

4. Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: ‘Gata-Hurdes’.

4.2. Description: Extra virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea) belonging o the Manzanilla Cacereña variety, satisfying the conditions in the specification.

Its distinguishing organoleptic characteristics are its excellent fruity flavour and aroma, slight if any bitterness and just a hint of a pungent aftertaste. Its flavour, therefore, is fruity and mild.

A golden yellow when the fruit is ripe, sometimes with greenish shades if the oil has been obtained from olives harvested before, or in the process of, turning colour.

The physical and chemical characteristics indicate that this is a dense oil with a specific fatty acid profile: it is clearly characterised by high ratios of unsaturates/saturates and oleic/linoleic acids, with the content in oleic acid usually above 75 %. It is also distinguished by its high resistance to rancidity.

4.3. Geographical area: A region of sierras in the northern part of the province of Cáceres, in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, western Spain. Natural areas of Sierra de Gata, Hurdes, Gabriel y Galán, Valle del Ambroz, Jerte and La Vera. A total of 84 municipalities are included, covering an area of 449 430 ha, with olive groves accounting for 30 329 ha.

4.4. Proof of origin: The Regulatory Council operates a quality and origin assurance system using a dedicated certification body which monitors the olive groves, the transfer of the olives to the oil mill, the production process, storage, packaging and marketing on the basis of olive-grove, oil-mill and industry registers, inspections, sample-taking and analysis, and follow-up of the final product. The Regulatory Council shall be authorised to certify the products which comply with the conditions set out in the specification. Products receiving certification will be identified separately by means of a distinctive back label when marketed.

4.5. Method of production: Olive groves throughout the region are typically or traditionally planted to a high or very high density, usually exceeding 250 trees per hectare, this being a distinguishing feature from other olive-growing regions.

In areas with steeper slopes, terracing is traditionally practised, giving rise to problems of mechanisation.

The traditional propagation method has consisted in using hardwood cuttings from the aerial part taken from young branches remaining after pruning. In parallel with the traditional system, one is now seeing the first orchards with plant material deriving from semi-hardwood cuttings rooted under mist propagation.

A feature of olive tree cultivation in the protected area is that it is based on slowly evolving techniques.

Another feature is the wide acceptance of organic production methods.

On modern holdings, cross-ploughing with a tractor and cultivator takes place once to three times a year, normally in the spring and at the beginning of the summer.

Fertilisation is done by spreading complex fertilisers on the soil.

As to pruning, there has been a development from totally free-form shapes towards low trees adapted to the harvesting of table olives by hand.

The olives must be picked directly from the tree at the time of year determined by persons with technical knowledge of the Designation.

The olives shall come from the groves listed in the Regulatory Council's register of olive-growing holdings.

Olives picked directly from the tree are required to be separated from those taken from the ground.

Transport shall take place in containers satisfying appropriate conditions of cleanliness and care of the olives. Delivery to the oil mill shall take place no more that 12 hours after harvesting.

On unloading at the oil mill, the quality of the fruit shall be noted, special attention being paid to the state of cleanliness, and the absence of bruising, disease and pests.

The cleaning apparatus must not dirty the olives in any way.

The batches must be clearly identified.

The quality of the product shall be maintained throughout the process, in each of the different systems known.

The oil obtained is stored in duly identified containers, which must satisfy the requirements of hygiene and cleanliness set out in the specification.

Packaging of the oil protected under the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Gata-Hurdes’ must take place in the defined geographical area, as prescribed by the applicant group. This is necessary to safeguard quality and to guarantee traceability and inspection throughout the certification process and until its completion.

The process is complete when a numbered back label guaranteeing the certified product's quality and origin is put on its packaging. The back label is issued by the Regulatory Council, whose responsibilities are defined in its rules of procedure as follows:

As regards territory, the area of production.

As regards products, those protected by the Designation, whatever the stage of production, storage, packaging, distribution and marketing.

As regards people, those in the different registers.

Consequently, packaging must take place in the geographical area defined in section C of this specification, in order for the Inspection Body to ensure traceability and guarantee inspection throughout the process, and to safeguard the quality of the protected product.

Packaging must take place in the defined geographical area in order to safeguard quality. This is because a mountain area is involved with difficult access routes and bulk transportation would involve subjecting the oil to inappropriate environmental conditions, exacerbated by the longer transport time. There is no doubt that this would affect the oil's organoleptic characteristics, thereby altering the distinctive profile defined in the Designation.

Only oils which have been certified by the Regulatory Council may be packaged under the Designation of Origin, in packages which it has approved and which are identified by means of labels and back labels complying with the Council's rules.

4.6. Link: The relief of the area defined by the Designation is typical of the sierra, corresponding to the southern slopes of the Central Cordillera, with elevations ranging from 400 to 2 000 metres. Olive trees are cultivated on the lower elevations and up to about 800 m.

The soils have formed over siliceous materials, mainly granite rocks which are surrounded by shale and sandstone over large areas.

As to climate, according to J. Papadakis, the area is characterised by winters of type ‘Avena Cálido’ (warm oats), except in the north-east where, under the influence of the zone of Gredos, they become type ‘Avena Fresco’ (cold oats). Summers are of the type ‘Maíz’ (maize). Average annual rainfall varies between 600 and 1 300 mm, making the area a transition zone between a wet and a dry Mediterranean climate.

Practically the entire Designation area lies in the Tagus basin. The main river network is made up of the Tietar, Jerte, Eljas and Alagón rivers.

Prospecting work carried out in the western part of the region — municipalities of Valverde del Fresno, Eljas, San Martín de Trevejo and Villamiel — has unearthed some lithic artefacts connected with the pressing process, in deposits dating back to Roman times.

From the early part of the century, Sierra de Gata was the region most known outside Spain for its oils, perhaps on account of the international prizes won. It produced an average of 650 000 kg of oil, in addition to extracting olive-residue oil and making soaps.

In Hurdes, olives were and still are the leading crop, going back roughly as far as those grown in Sierra de Gata.

In the other regions covered by the Designation, olives were the main crop until the introduction of modern fruit cultivation and the extensification of irrigation crops.

As is known, all olive trees of a single variety originate from one and the same tree, supposedly formed from grafting another variety onto the indigenous wild olive tree. The fact that, in the region covered by the Designation, a single variety is present is a clear indication of the region's homogeneity in terms of olive trees.

The presence of centuries-old olive trees of this variety thus dates recognition no later than the sixteenth century. The Manzanilla Cacereña is considered to be one of the twenty-four principal varieties of olive tree in Spain because of its predominance in the northern part of the province of Cáceres, accounting for 47 % of the total nationwide.

The variety is not very vigorous, takes root easily and adapts well to poor soils and cold regions. Flowering is early, and the variety is considered self-compatible and to have a low rate of ovarian abortion. Its fruits ripen early and irregularly, presenting low resistance to detachment, which facilitates harvesting by machine.

It is very attractive because of its dual suitability for culinary purposes and milling, the speed with which it comes into production, and its high and constant productivity in normal growing conditions. Its oil content is low, approximately 15 % of wet matter.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name: Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Gata — Hurdes. Address: Apartado 25, 10850 Hoyos (Cáceres). Telephone: 927 514 528 Fax: 927 514 528

Pursuant to Article 10 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92, the Regulatory Council fulfils the requirements laid down in standard EN 45011 of 26 June 1989 relating to food certification bodies.

4.8. Labelling: Certification that an extra virgin olive oil meets the criteria established by the Regulatory Council is verified by means of the back label on the product's packaging. Labels shall be printed by the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (National Mint) and have continuous numbering in order to avoid duplication and forgery. The Designation name must appear on the trademark labels.

4.9. National requirements: The national legal framework applying to the ‘Gata-Hurdes’ Designation of Origin is as follows:

Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits, and the regulations contained therein, approved by Decree No 835/1972 of 23 March 1972.

Royal Decree No 728/1988 of 8 July 1988 specifying the rules governing generic and specific Designations of Origin for non-wine products.

Royal Decree No 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 laying down rules on the processing of applications for entry in the Community register of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications.

(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture, Agricultural products quality policy unit, B-1049 Brussels.