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
Date: 2001-04-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, cultivation techniques, designation of origin, location of production, perennial vegetable, product quality

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Official Journal of the European Communities

26.4.2001

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

(2001/C 125/02)

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 (

)

PGI (x)

National application No: 4/2000

1. Responsible department in the Member State

Name:

Ministero delle Politiche agricole e forestali

Address: Via XX Settembre, 20, I-00187 Roma

Tel.

Fax

(39-06) 481 99 68

(39-06) 420 31 26.

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name: Associazione Produttori Ortofrutticoli Veneto Friulana scarl

2.2. Address: Via Marconi, 35, I-31021 Mogliano Veneto (TV)

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x)

other (

).

3. Type of product: Vegetables, Category 1.6.

4. Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: Asparago bianco di Cimadolmo.

4.2. Description: the protected geographical indication (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) may refer only
to asparagus shoots from plantations entered on a special list held by the inspection body specified
in point 4.7, of the cultivars Precoce d’Argenteuil, Gladio, Larac, Dariana, JM 2001 and JM 2004.
Up to 20 % of the cultivars present in the plantation may be other cultivars.

On release for consumption,
quality and presentation specifications:

(cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) shoots must meet the following

(cid:151) the shoots must be presented in firmly bound bundles from 0,5 kg to 3 kg or in unit
packages (shoots arranged in layers). Both bundles and unit packages must comprise shoots
of uniform characteristics, i.e. of the same quality class and size. Bundles within the same pack
must also be homogeneous as specified above,

(cid:151) the shoots must be entirely white. They must also be whole, fresh in appearance and fresh-
smelling, sound, free from damage caused by rodents or insects, practically unbruised, clean,
free of external moisture, i.e. adequately (cid:145)dried(cid:146) if they have been washed or cooled with cold
water, and free of any foreign smell and/or taste; the shoots must not be hollow, split, peeled or
broken. Small cracks which have appeared after harvesting are, however, allowed, so long as
they do not exceed the limits laid down in the tolerances,

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(cid:151) (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) must fall in one of the following categories laid down in the

Community marketing standard for asparagus:

(cid:145)Extra(cid:146) class and Class I.

4.3. Geographical area: this falls within the Province of Treviso and comprises the whole of the
municipalties of Cimadolmo, Brede di Piave, Fontanelle, Mareno di Piave, Maserada sul Piave,
Oderzo, Ormelle, Ponte di Piave, Santa Lucia di Piave and Vazzola.

4.4. Proof of origin: The long historical tradition of cultivation of (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) is
illustrated by quotes found in the works of various writers of the past, such as Agostinetti’s (cid:145)I 110
Ricordi che formano il Buon Fattore di Villa(cid:146) (1600) and the appended documents.

Proof of origin of asparagus qualifying for the PGI (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) from the
defined geographical area of production is certified by the inspection body referred to in point 4.7,
subject to compliance with many requirements to be met by the producers concerned throughout
the production cycle.

The main requirements ensuring the traceability of
production-processing-packaging chain are as follows:

the product

through all stages of

the

(cid:151) as a preliminary, the producers concerned enter their areas on the special list of cultivated

areas held by the inspection body;

(cid:151) The producers concerned present declarations of commencement of harvesting to the above-

mentioned inspection body with details of any processing and packing stations,

(cid:151) the producers concerned enter their output

in the special weekly register of quantities
produced and, where applicable, delivered to processing/packing stations;
lastly, within 30
days of the date given for the end of harvesting, the producers present definitive declarations
of annual production to the inspection body,

(cid:151) the inspection body then certifies all batches of the products packed and labelled with the
Protected Geographical Indication (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) before marketing with a
view to release for consumption.

4.5. Method of production

Climatic and soil conditions in area of cultivation: sandy loam of alluvial origin within the defined
geographical area of production that is loose and mellow, neutral to subalkaline, permeable and
thoroughly drained is suitable for growing (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146). A temperate, humid
climate with heavy spring rains like that typical of the defined geographical area of production
encourages fast growth of the asparagus and produces white, tender shoots that are free of
fibrousness.

Cultivation techniques: There is provision for crop rotation, so successive crops of asparagus or
other liliaceae must not be planted on the same land for at least 24 months. In addition, asparagus
must not be grown after beet, potatoes, carrots or legumes. To prepare for planting, the land
should be lightly ploughed, after or before thorough subsoil tillage.

Young plants or rhizomes used for planting must be free of disease. The transplanting period for
rhizomes runs from March to April. Planting density must not exceed 16 000 plants and/or
rhizomes per hectare, with at least two and a half metres between rows.

Fertilisation: A full analysis must be carried out of the soil where the crop is to be grown and
repeated within five years at most. Substances lost as a result of cultivation must be replaced each
year. The following substances (average figures for losses are given) are important:

N = 2,5 kg per 100 kg of product; P2O5 = 0,7 kg per 100 kg of product; K2O = 2,25 kg per
100 kg of product; as are the results of the soil analysis.

Nitrogen and potassium are spread from May to the end of July, phosphorus and boron in the late
autumn and early winter.

Mineral fertiliser must be combined with organic soil conditioners.

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Crop management practies: The earth is piled into mounds for the production of white shoots,
using suitable equipment but not ploughs.

Mulching is needed to produce white shoots. Black plastics sheeting used must be at least 0,1 mm
thick.

Asparagus cultivation requires irrigation. In dry periods, 50 mm of water is required every 10
days. Depending on rainfall, beds need to be irrigated three or four times on average from June
and throughout August.

Plant-health protection calls for the proper application of farming techniques.

Integrated pest-control techniques recommeded by the plant-health services or biological pest-
control must accordingly be applied in order to reduce chemical pesticides used to a minimum.

Harvest: The crop is harvested from the third year. The cutting season begins in March (around the
20th) and runs for 15 to 20 days in the third year from planting and for 40 to 60 days from the
fourth year on.

The cutting season should not extend beyond 30 May under any circumstances.

Maximum annual production is set at 7 000 kg/ha.

Shoots of (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) are cut in the coolest hours of the day and when the
sun is least bright.

Storing and packaging: After cutting, the asparagus shoots must be delivered to the processing
centre within 12 hours, in bundles or loose.

For keeping, the product’s metabolism must be slowed down by cooling the shoots quickly and
keeping them at a suitable temperature.

The shoots must then be packaged to protect them adequately. On packaging, the product must be
free of any foreign body.

For the purposes of release for consumption, shoots of (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146) must be
put up for market in bundles or unit packages containing uniform shoots of the same quality class
and size as specified in point 4.2. The abovementioned retail packages are to be properly marked
and labelled in accordance with point 4.8.

4.6. Link: The combination of the particular make-up of the soil, the temperature humid climate
typical of the area of production and the traditional methods of cultivation of (cid:145)Asparago Bianco
di Cimadolmo(cid:146) (calling on experience dating from far back) mean that the characteristics deter-
mining the product’s quality and trueness to type are closely connected with the defined
geographical area, which must be regarded as ideal for (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo(cid:146)).

4.7. Inspection body

Name:

CSQA srl (cid:151) Certificazione Qualit(cid:224) Agroalimentare

Address: Via S. Gaetano, 74, I-36016 Thiene (VI).

4.8. Labelling

The labelling must consist of a band affixed around the middle of the bundle or on top of the
package (in the case of products presented in unit packages).

The designation must be shown on the label by means of
the words (cid:145)Asparago Bianco di
Cimadolmo(cid:146) and (cid:145)Protected Geographical Indication(cid:146) in printed letters of the same size and colour.

The label must bear the seal containing the logo,
i.e. the distinctive symbol of the Protected
Geographical Indication, the description, representation and colours of which are set out in the
annex to the rules on production.

4.9. National requirements: (cid:151)

EC No: G/IT/00135/2001.02.22.

Date of receipt of the full application: 22 February 2001.