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
Date: 2001-02-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Aragon, designation of origin, location of production, olive oil, product designation

C 51/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16.2.2001

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

(2001/C 51/02)

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 57

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Name:

Subdirecci(cid:243)n General de Denominaciones de Calidad (cid:151) Direcci(cid:243)n General de Alimentaci(cid:243)n
(cid:151) Secretar(cid:237)a General de Agricultura y Alimentaci(cid:243)n del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y
Alimentaci(cid:243)n de Espaæa

Address: Paseo Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid

Tel.

Fax

(34) 913 47 53 94

(34) 913 47 54 10

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name: Asociaci(cid:243)n para la Defensa y Promoci(cid:243)n del Aceite de Oliva del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n (Adaba)

2.2. Address: Plaza DeÆn, 2, E-44600 Alcaæiz (Teruel)

Tel.

Fax

(34) 978 83 46 00

(34) 978 83 16 56

2.3. Composition: Producer/processor (x)

other (

)

3. Type of product: Extra virgin olive oil (cid:151) Class 1.5 (cid:151) Oils and fats.

4. Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: (cid:145)Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n(cid:146).

4.2. Description: Extra virgin olive oil produced from the Empeltre, Arbequina and Royal varieties,
with Empeltre accounting for at least 80 % of the total, in view of its predominance in the area of
production and the fact that the characteristics of the product are historically very closely related
to it. In line with tradition the remaining varieties may account for no more than 20 % by volume
of the composition of Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n.

Organoleptic characteristics:

Appearance

Clear, with no hint of film, cloudiness or dirt

Colour

Flavour

Yellow, the hues concerned ranging from golden yellow to old gold

Fruity at the beginning of the season, with a slight almondy taste; not bitter,
with a hint of sweetness and slightly sharp

Minimum score
panel test

in the

6,5

16.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 51/3

Physico-chemical characteristics:

Maximum acidity (% oleic acid)

Maximum peroxide (meq O2/kg)

K270 (maximum number)

K232 (maximum number)

Maximum moisture and volatile substances (%)

Maximum level of impurities (%)

1,00

20

0,15

2,00

0,15

0,10

4.3. Geographical area: The area of production is a natural region in western Aragon, situated
between the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel. It coincides with the south eastern part of the
Ebro basin, comprises 31 560 hectares of olive groves and includes the following municipalities:

Aguaviva

Alac(cid:243)n
Albalte del Arzobispo

Alborge

Alcaæiz

Alcorisa

Alloza

Almochuel

Almonacid de la Cuba

Andorra

Arens de Lled(cid:243)
Ariæo

Azaila

Beceite

Belchite

Belmonte de San JosØ

Berge

Bord(cid:243)n

Calanda
Calaceite

Caæizar del Olivar

Caspe

CastelserÆs

Castelnou

Castellote

Chiprana

Cinco olivas

Cretas
CrivillØn

Escatr(cid:243)n

Estercuel

F(cid:243)rnoles

Fabara

Fay(cid:243)n

Foz-Calanda

Fuentes de Ebro

Fuentespalda
Gargallo

H(cid:237)jar

Jatiel

La Cerollera

La Codoæera

La Fresneda

La Ginebrosa

La Mata de los Olmos
La Portellada

Lagata

Letux

La Puebla de H(cid:237)jar

La Zaida

Lled(cid:243)

Los Olmos

Maella

MÆs de las Matas
Mazale(cid:243)n

Mequinenza

Molinos

Monroyo

Nonaspe

Oliete

Parras de Castellote

Peæarroya de Tastavins

Quinto de Ebro
SÆstago

RÆfales

Samper de Calanda

Seno

Torrecilla de Alcaæiz

Torre de Arcas

Torre de Compte

Torrevelilla
Urrea de GaØn

Valdealgorfa

Valderrobres

Valdeltormo

Valjunquera

Vinaceite

4.4. Proof of origin: The olives delivered to the mills belong to approved varieties and come from

groves registered with, and inspected by, the Regulating Council.

The olives are pressed at registered mills situated in the production area. The oil thus extracted
undergoes an evaluation based on the specifications and is stored and packed at registered
establishments situated in the demarcated area.

C 51/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16.2.2001

The oil undergoes physico-chemical and organoleptic tests, which it must fully satisfy before being
packed and marketed under the designation of origin and with a numbered label supplied by the
Regulating Council.

4.5. Method of production: The olive trees belong to registered groves located on dry or irrigated land.
The top layer of soil is broken up (cid:151) by means of a cultivator (cid:151) on three separate occasions and
is then rolled to prepare it for the harvesting of the olives. The maximum quantity of nitrogen
applied each year may not exceed 1 kg per tree. Light pruning takes place during the fruit-
formation period and, in the case of adult trees, the leaf to wood ratio must be preserved.

Once the olives have reached the correct degree of ripeness they are picked (cid:151) with the utmost
care (cid:151) on the tree and are sent to the mills in accordance with the requirements applicable, the
latter being designed to prevent damage to the fruit. The olives are picked between the middle of
November and the end of March, with oil extraction occurring no more than 48 hours
afterwards.

The oil is extracted mechanically from the olives. The process, which takes place at registered
mills,
involves the following: washing and pressing of the olives, churning of the paste at a
temperature not exceeding 35 (cid:176)C, separation of the phases and storage. Once the oil has been
produced and evaluated, it is packed in glass or earthenware bottles or in metal containers of up
to five litres.

4.6. Link: The varieties which may be used in the production of Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n are those
traditionally grown in the area of production. Empeltre and Royal can, on the basis of existing
bibliographical references, be regarded as local 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 the Ora maritima, which was penned by the fourth-century Latin poet Rufo Festo Avieno
and is itself based on a text dating back to 550 BC. The Ora maritima describes how boats would
travel upstream along the Ebro in order to engage in trade with the local population and, in the
process, obtain supplies of oil, wine and wheat. The Ora maritima refers to the Ebro as an Oleum
flumen or river of oil. Ignacio de Asso, who in 1798 wrote the (cid:145)Historia de la Econom(cid:237)a Pol(cid:237)tica de
Arag(cid:243)n(cid:146), frequently referred to olive trees in Lower Aragon.

The current fame of Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n can be traced back to the end of the 19th century,
when a thriving Tortosa, the main market for oil from that part of Aragon, attracted large firms
keen to exploit the qualities of the local oil. Soon afterwards, however, a number of firms sprang
up in Alcaæiz, their aim being to obtain their oil direct from Lower Aragon, bypassing Tortosa
and the fierce competition there altogether. Another major bibliographical reference, this time to
the fame of Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n in the early years of the 20th century, is a book written in 1918
by Isidro Aguil(cid:243) y CortØs and entitled (cid:145)Elaboraci(cid:243)n del Aceite de Oliva(cid:146). In the first third of the
20th century Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n was held in high regard by gastronomes such as Teodoro
Bardaj(cid:237) and Dionisio PØrez. Outside the region, Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n is often said to be simply the
best olive oil in the world, a view echoed by Daniel MagranØ in his book (cid:145)El aceite de oliva en
Espaæa(cid:146) (Espasa Calpe, 1961).

The area of production is situated in Lower Aragon, i.e. the south-eastern part of the Ebro basin,
an area which in essence coincides with the valleys of the Aguavivas, Mart(cid:237)n, Regallo, Guadalope
and Matarraæa rivers. It is characterised by its dryness,
its low and irregular rainfall and its
extremes of temperature. In effect the terrain protects the area from both Mediterranean and
Atlantic maritime influences and produces a continental type of climate. The cierzo, the prevailing
strong north easterly wind, serves to accentuate the dryness.

The area is flat to undulating, with altitudes ranging from 122 metres at Caspe to 632 metres at
Alcorisa. The soil is limy, with some strata of gypsum, this being a characteristic of lake sedi-
mentation and a warm and dry climate during the Miocene.

16.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 51/5

The average annual rainfall and temperature are 350 mm and 14,8 (cid:176)C respectively. Appropriate
cultivation techniques, upkeep of the soil, fertilisation, pruning and the control of pests and
diseases supplement an environment which, by virtue of
is
suited to the cultivation of olive trees.

its geographical characteristics,

4.7.

Inspection body:

Name:

Consejo Regulador de la denominaci(cid:243)n de origen (cid:145)Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n(cid:146)

Address: BartolomØ Esteban, 58, E-44600 Alcaæiz (Teruel)

Tel.

Fax

(34) 978 83 45 47

(34) 978 83 45 52

The Consejo Regulador de la denominaci(cid:243)n de origen (cid:145)Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n(cid:146) complies with
standard EN-45011.

4.8. Labelling: Must include the words (cid:145)Aceite del Bajo Arag(cid:243)n(cid:146). The labels must be approved by the
Regulating Council. The back labels are numbered and are supplied by the Regulating Council.

4.9. National requirements:

(cid:151) Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits;

(cid:151) Decree No 835/1972 of 28 March 1972 on detailed rules for the implementation of Law No

25/1970;

(cid:151) Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish law and Regulation
(EEC) No 2081/92 as regards designations of origin and geographical indications for agri-
cultural products and foodstuffs;

(cid:151) Royal Decree No 1643/1999 of 22 October 1999 on the procedure governing applications for
entry into the Community register of protected designations of origin and protected
geographical indications.

EC No: G/E/00118/2000.02.01.

Date of receipt of the full application: 26 July 2000.