EN Official Journal of the European Union C 109/2

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2011/C 109/02

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘CILIEGIA DELL’ETNA’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0572-23.11.2006

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’

2. Member State or third country:

Italy

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 product to which the name in (1) applies:

The ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ protected designation of origin may be used for fruit of the Prunus avium L. sweet cherry tree, Rosaceae family, Mastrantonio (Donnantonio) ecotype. Its specific characteristics are:

— Sugars: ≥ 19 °Bx

— Acidity (grams of malic acid/100 ml): ≤ 0,4

— °Bx/acidity ratio: ≥ 47,5

— Firmness (N): ≥ 5,5

— Stalk length (mm): 35-55

— Minimum weight of the fruit (g): 7

‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ is bright red, medium to large, crunchy on the outside with very firm flesh and a long stalk.

The fruit is sweet but not cloying, and the low level of acidity gives it a very pleasant, well balanced flavour.

The sales classes of ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ are as follows:

— Extra (E): fruit weighing over 8,5 g,

— First Class: fruit weighing between 7 g and 8,5 g.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ PDO must be grown in the area defined in point 4 below. More specifically, harvesting must be in line with the natural ripening of the fruit and be carried out by hand with the stalk attached so as to avoid disease and rotting. From harvesting up until the time of sale, the fruit must be stored in cool, shady places to avoid loss of quality and shelf life.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ PDO must be packaged in the production area defined in point 4 so as to avoid a situation whereby transporting the product loose causes it to deteriorate and lose its distinctive characteristics. Indeed, handling and transport can cause the deterioration of the fruit, and in particular the exocarp and the flesh, with bruising, cracking and thus the development of mould, which would negate the quality of produce released for consumption under the ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ PDO name.

It is thus necessary for these operations to be carried out within the production area by staff with specific occupational skills, without the product being transported prior to packaging and with it being placed directly in appropriately sized containers after undergoing an initial selection process to remove inferior fruit. If marketing does not take place within 48 hours of harvesting, the fruit must be cooled using refrigeration equipment and undergo all methods for slowing down the breathing of the fruit.

‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ PDO must be marketed fresh in new, clean and dry packaging made of a material that is in line with the packaging rules in force. The containers must have a maximum capacity of 10 kg of produce, have rigid sides and be no higher than 12 cm so as to avoid damage caused by compacting during transport.

The packages must contain only cherries of the Mastrantonio (Donnantonio) ecotype of a uniform size and degree of ripening.

All packages must be wrapped in plastic film and closed with a suitable protective seal that breaks when the package is opened.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

The outer part of all packages must include not only the logo of the designation and the Community graphic symbol and associated wordings but also the information required by law such as the name, company name and address of the packager, the names of the holdings of origin of the fruit, where relevant, the net weight as sold, the date of packaging and the sales class. No indication of origin not expressly provided for or additional wording likely to mislead consumers may be added to the designation. The logo of the designation is rectangular and measures 100 mm × 38 mm. The top part features the words ‘Denominazione d'Origine Protetta’, the centre features the acronym ‘D.O.P’ and the bottom part features the designation ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’. The right-hand side of the logo features two differently sized cherries superimposed on a depiction of Sicily.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The production area of ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ extends from the Ionian Sea up to altitudes of 1 600 m above sea level on the eastern and south-eastern slopes of Mount Etna and includes the administrative territory of the following municipalities in the Province of Catania: Giarre, Riposto, Mascali, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Piedimonte Etneo, Linguaglossa, Castiglione di Sicilia, Randazzo, Milo, Zafferana Etnea, S. Venerina, Sant'Alfio, Trecastagni, Pedara, Viagrande, Nicolosi, Ragalna, Adrano, Biancavilla, S. Maria di Licodia, Belpasso, Aci S. Antonio and Acireale.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

The ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ PDO cultivation area is characterised by soils that have developed on volcanic substrates. In particular, the soil of volcanic origin and the significant temperature variations give ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ its red colour. The soils in the mountainous part of the area are rather shallow, highly stony at the surface, sandy in texture and rich in skeleton, while the soils in the hilly and coastal parts are more developed, deeper, loamy-sandy in texture and irrigable. The distribution of the area up to 1 600 m above sea level gives ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ unique characteristics in terms of ripening times. In effect, the ripening times cover a very wide range which, for the Mastrantonio (Donnantonio) ecotype, runs from the beginning of June until the final third of July. Hard frosts are rare and are caused by thermal inversions, which are less common in the better ventilated hilly areas. Absolute values for maximum temperatures peak at 44,3 °C in July and average at 39-40 °C. Annual precipitation levels are the highest in the province and in Sicily as a whole and increase with altitude.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The distinctive element of ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ as compared to other varieties in the area or the same variety grown outside the area is its low level of acidity together with its crunchiness and high sugar content. This allows the development of a mature, bright red, bulging fruit that is very sweet without, however, giving the cloying sensation typical of products with a high concentration of sugar. To these characteristics should be added the fact that the product has a wider range of ripening times than other cherries, as they reflect the progressive increase in altitude above sea level of the cultivation areas around Mount Etna.

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 Etna massif is renowned for its cherry production and for the quality of the cherries produced. The name ‘Etna’ is closely linked to cherries, since many consumers in Italy associate the area with cherries and vice versa. The distinctive characteristics of ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ stem directly from the morphological and soil/climate characteristics of the production area and the input of growers in preparing the land and managing the orchards. Indeed, although the easterly and south-easterly aspect of the geographical area of production, the high level of sunshine, the prevailing winds and the significant temperature variations are conditions that are conducive to cherry growing, the difficulties arising from the extreme proximity to the volcanic Mount Etna have required significant efforts on the part of local farmers to make the extensive, rough, barren areas of lava productive. The human input has involved carrying out difficult agronomic work to access groundwater, plough the soil and terrace the land, which has led to the development of orchards at various altitudes and given farmers specific skills in the management thereof. To this day, the continued commitment of local growers to looking after and correctly running the orchards on the slopes of Mount Etna make it possible to stagger the ripening of the fruit. This extends the harvesting period, makes it possible for ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ to take full advantage of the particularly favourable climate conditions and allows the production of a fruit that can be appreciated for its bright colour, firmness and delicate flavour. The quality of the product is confirmed by the success of the traditional festival celebrating it.

In other words, in addition to the natural environment, the human factor — its age-old tradition, the effort of transforming the ‘sciare’ (from the Arab for ‘scorched earth’) into fertile land, the widespread use of local irrigation systems that make possible fertirrigation and deficit irrigation in view of the long growing season during the dry period — has played a decisive role in creating the strong link between ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ and the Etna area.

Indeed, over the years a cultural context and significant ancillary economy have developed around ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ cultivation. This heritage is made up of trades, traditions and customs practised over the centuries by fruit growers, who continue to hand them down from one generation to the next. Examples include the use of the dialect names for the fruit, ‘cirasa’ or ‘ciriegia’; the technique of preparing the land known as the ‘terre scatinate’ (literally ‘unchained lands’), that is the land resulting from work to break up the lava; the growing techniques involving the use of the grafting methods known as ‘sgroppo’ or ‘pezza’; and the manual harvesting technique involving the use of ladders with thirty rungs and baskets known as ‘panari’.

To conclude, all the above elements make it possible to state, as many authors have already done, that the cultivation of ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ has deep roots in the Mount Etna area and that the experience gained by farmers in the locality over the generations, with the ongoing pursuit and implementation of specific growing techniques, has created the conditions for ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ growing to successfully establish itself over time, to the point where it has become part of the historical/traditional and cultural heritage of the area.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Ciliegia dell'Etna’ as a protected designation of origin in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 75 of 30 March 2006.

The full text of the product specification is available:

— on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/DocumentiPubblicazioni/Search_Documenti_Elenco.htm?txtTipoDocumento=Disciplinare%20in%20esame%20UE&txtDocArgomento=Prodotti%20di%20Qualit%E0>Prodotti%20Dop,%20Igp%20e%20Stg or

— by going directly to the home page of the Ministry (http://www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti di Qualità’ (on the left of the display) and then on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all'esame dell'UE [regolamento (CE) n. 510/2006]’.

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.