Publication of the amended single document following the approval of a minor amendment pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

(2021/C 495/06)

The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

The application for approval of this minor amendment can be consulted in the Commission’s eAmbrosia database.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’

EU No: PDO-ES-0118-AM01 – 10 February 2020

☒ PDO ☐ PGI

1. Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’

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

‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ is the name given to extra virgin olive oil produced from olives of the Empeltre, Arbequina and Royal varieties that have been grown, processed and packaged in the production, processing and packaging area set out in the product specification.

The olives used must be exclusively of the Empeltre, Arbequina and Royal varieties. The Empeltre variety must account for at least 80 % of the olives used, on account of its predominance in the area of production and the traditional characteristics of the product. The other varieties may account for no more than 20 % of the olives used.

The oils covered by the ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ designation of origin must be of the extra virgin category and have the following characteristics:

Organoleptic characteristics:

Appearance Clear, with no hint of film, cloudiness or dirt that would impair the oil’s transparency Colour Yellow, with hues ranging from golden yellow to old gold Taste Fruity at the beginning of the season, with a slight almondy taste; not bitter, with a hint of sweetness and slightly pungent Minimum assessment required from the tasting panel Classification as ‘extra virgin olive oil’

Physical and chemical characteristics:

Maximum acidity (% oleic acid): ≤ 0,80

Maximum peroxide value (mEq O2/kg): 20

Maximum K270 (nm): 0,15

Maximum K232 (nm): 2,00

Maximum moisture content and volatile matter (%): 0,15

Maximum impurities (%): 0,10

3.3. Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Olives of the Empeltre, Arbequina and Royal varieties grown in the geographical area defined in point 4 are the raw material used to produce ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’.

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

The olives must be grown and the oil produced solely within the geographical area defined in point 4.

The olives to be used for the extraction of oil protected by the designation of origin must be obtained from registered plantations located in the defined geographical area. They must be of the authorised varieties and have been grown following the practices set out in the product specification.

The oil must be extracted in registered mills located within the production area which meet the conditions laid down.

The oil must be extracted within 48 hours of harvesting. The process comprises the following stages:

— Washing of the olives

— Milling. Two types of mill may be used: a crusher (traditional method) or a mechanical mill (continuous method).

— Churning of the paste

— Separation of the phases. Two methods may be used: — The traditional method, by pressing, separation of solids and decanting — The continuous method, using centrifuges

— Storage

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

Oils covered by this designation of origin must be packaged within the municipalities that make up the production area.

The oils must be packaged in glass, ceramic, polyethylene (PE) or metal containers with a maximum capacity of five litres.

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

The plants that package the oil, which need to have obtained a certificate of conformity from the inspection body selected by the Regulatory Board, must include the words Denominación de Origen Protegida ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ (‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ protected designation of origin’) on the packaging labels, alongside the numbered label issued by the Regulatory Board, which enables the product to be traced when marketed.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area of the oils covered by the ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ designation of origin is the ‘natural district’ located in the west of the Autonomous Community of Aragon, straddling the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel.

The geographical area includes the following municipalities: Aguaviva, Alacón, Albalate del Arzobispo, Alborge, Alcañiz, Alcorisa, Alloza, Almochuel, Almonacid de la Cuba, Andorra, Arens de Lledó, Ariño, Azaila, Beceite, Belchite, Belmonte de San José, Berge, Bordón, Calanda, Calaceite, Cañizar del Olivar, Caspe, Castelserás, Castelnou, Castellote, Chiprana, Cinco Olivas, Cretas, Crivillén, Escatrón, Estercuel, Fabara, Fayón, Fórnoles, Foz-Calanda, Fuentes de Ebro, Fuentespalda, Gargallo, Híjar, Jatiel, La Cebollera, La Codoñera, La Fresneda, La Ginebrosa, La Mata de los Olmos, La Portellada, La Puebla de Híjar, La Zaida, Lagata, Letux, Lledó, Los Olmos, Maella, Más de las Matas, Mazaleón, Mequinenza, Molinos, Monroyo, Nonaspe, Oliete, Parras de Castellote, Peñarroya de Tastavins, Quinto de Ebro, Ráfales, Samper de Calanda, Sástago, Seno, Torrecilla de Alcañiz, Torre de Arcas, Torre del Compte, Torrevelilla, Urrea de Gaén, Valdealgorfa, Valdeltormo, Valderrobres, Valjunquera, Vinaceite.

5. Link with the geographical area

The varieties that may be used to produce ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ are those traditionally grown in the production area. Empeltre and Royal can, on the basis of existing documentary references, be regarded as native varieties, while Arbequina was introduced in the 19th century from nearby Catalonia. The earliest known reference to oil from the area is to be found in ‘Ora maritima’ [Sea coast], which was penned by the fourth-century Latin poet Rufus Festus Avienius and is itself based on a text dating back to 550 BC. ‘Ora maritima’ describes how sailors would travel upstream along the Ebro in order to engage in trade with the people who lived along its banks and, in the process, obtain supplies of oil, wine and wheat. In ‘Ora maritima’, the Ebro is referred to as an Oleum flumen or ‘river of oil’. Ignacio de Asso, who in 1798 wrote the ‘Historia de la Economía Política de Aragón’ [History of the Political Economy of Aragon], frequently referred to olive trees in Bajo Aragón.

‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ began to forge its current reputation towards the end of the 19th century, when a thriving Tortosa, the main market for oil from Lower Aragon, attracted large firms keen to exploit the qualities of the local oil. Soon afterwards, a number of firms sprang up in Alcañiz, their aim being to obtain their oil direct from Lower Aragon, bypassing Tortosa and the fierce competition there altogether. Another major documentary reference, this time to the reputation of ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ in the early 20th century, is a book written in 1918 by Isidro Aguiló y Cortés and entitled ‘Elaboración del Aceite de Oliva’ [Production of Olive Oil]. In the first third of the 20th century, ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ was held in high regard by gastronomes such as Teodoro Bardají and Dionisio Pérez. Over time, it has become common to hear outside the region that ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ is the best olive oil in the world, a view echoed by Daniel Magrané in his book ‘El aceite de oliva en España’ [Olive oil in Spain] (Espaso Calpe, 1961).

The area of production is situated in Lower Aragon, i.e. the south-eastern part of the Ebro basin, an area which essentially coincides with the valleys of the Aguavivas, Martín, Regallo, Guadalope and Matarraña rivers. It is characterised by its dryness, its low and irregular rainfall and its extremes of temperature, caused by the fact that the terrain protects the area from both Mediterranean and Atlantic maritime influences, producing a continental type of climate. Moreover, the cierzo, the prevailing strong north-easterly wind, serves to accentuate the dryness.

The area is flat to slightly undulating, with altitudes ranging from 122 metres in Caspe to 632 metres in Alcorisa. The soil is calcareous, with gypsum and carbonate horizons, this being a characteristic of lacustrine sedimentation in the hot, dry climate of the Miocene epoch.

Average annual rainfall ranges from 327,9 mm in Caspe to 367,9 mm in Alcañiz. The average annual temperature is around 14,3 oC in Alcañiz and 15 oC in Caspe. The average maximum temperature is 19,9 °C in Alcañiz and 20,6 oC in Caspe, and the average minimum 8,8 °C and 9,3 oC respectively. This shows that there is a wide temperature range: more than 18 oC. From March to October, maximum temperatures exceed 25 °C. In the summer months, the average maximum temperature exceeds 35 oC. Another characteristic of the area’s climate is temperature inversion. In winter, when there are anticyclones, the cold air settles in the lower layers and forms prolonged cold fogs with maximum temperatures lower than 6 °C, while in the higher areas, free of fog, maximum temperatures reach over 15 °C.

Appropriate techniques for growing, upkeep of the soil, fertilisation, pruning, and control of pests and diseases supplement an environment which, by virtue of its geographical characteristics, is suited to the cultivation of olive trees.

Reference to publication of the product specification

Product specification for the ‘Aceite del Bajo Aragón’ PDO

(1) OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.