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: 2002-11-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, designation of origin, labelling, location of production, olive oil, product quality

19.11.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 281/5

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

(2002/C 281/05)

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: 79

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 42 01 31 26

e-mail:

qualita@politicheagricole.it

2. Applicant group

2.1. Name:

APO Associazione Produttori Olivicoli

2.2. Address: Via A. di Sangiuliano, 349, I-95124 Catania

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x)

other (

)

3. Type of product: Class 1.5 — Extra virgin olive oil

4. Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: Monte Etna

4.2. Description: Extra virgin olive oil with the following chemical and organoleptic characteristics:

— maximum acidity 0,6 %

— score in panel test ‡ 7

— K 232 £ 2,20

— K 270 £ 0,15

— linoleic acid £ 10 %

— linolenic acid £ 0,8 %

— Delta K £ 0,005

— peroxides £ 12 MeqO2/kg

— colour: golden yellow with green lights

— smell: slightly fruity

— taste: fruity with slight bitterness and pungency.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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4.3. Geographical area: The production area of Monte Etna registered designation of origin lies around
Mount Etna in the territories of municipalities in the provinces of Catania, Enna and Messina on
the slopes of the mountain.

4.4. Proof of origin: Olive-growing was introduced into eastern Sicily by the Phoenicians in the first
millennium BC and by the Greeks from the eighth century BC. The presence of the volcano, with
its periodic eruptions, has nourished the myth surrounding olive production: the Cyclops, Poly-
phemos, the personification of Etna with his single eye, shot through with fire, was blinded by
Odysseus and his companions with a stake of olive wood. Over the centuries, olive-growing
developed into an industry of great economic importance to the area. By the third century BC,
the Romans were imposing heavy taxes on oil produced in Sicily in order to avoid competition
with that produced in Campania and Lazio. Later, during the Arab occupation, Arab ingenuity
promoted and rationalised production. The importance of olive-growing on Mount Etna is attested
in the work of Pietro Bembo, whose ‘De Aetna’ speaks of the high quality and reputation of the
area's olives. Over the years, the naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani and the writers Stoppani, Goethe,
de Maupassant and many others referred to the olives of Etna. In March 1827, during his travels in
Sicily, de Tocqueville wrote enthusiastically of
remarking on its prosperity and
abundance, based on its local crops, rendered particularly fertile by the special properties
conferred on its soils by the volcano. Throughout the 19th and the early 20th centuries, Etna
olive oil was known and appreciated by a great number of Italian and European consumers and
considerable quantities of the oil were marketed in Riposto, Etna's port.

the area,

Production, processing and bottling take place within the defined regional area. The reasons for
bottling the product in the defined area are based on the need to safeguard the distinct charac-
teristics and quality of Monte Etna oil, while ensuring that monitoring is carried out by the
the
independent body under
protected designation of origin is critically important, offering them,
in accordance with the
objectives and principles of the Regulation, an opportunity to top up their income. In addition,
bottling is traditionally undertaken in the defined geographical area.

the producers concerned. For

the supervision of

the latter

The olives are from groves in the production area and growers therefore enter their groves on an
appropriate, regularly updated list. Extraction of the oil, packaging and bottling are carried out
within the designated area by approved undertakings entered on an appropriate list. The
inspection body checks that the technical conditions laid down in the specification for entry on
the lists are satisfied and that the requirements imposed on the different operators in the chain to
ensure that production lots are adequately identified are met.

4.5. Method of production: Monte Etna extra virgin olive oil is produced using sound olives, harvested
between the onset of maturity and the second 10 days of January, depending on the altitude of the
land.

In addition to the ‘Nocellara Etnea’ cultivar, which must account for a minimum of 65 % of the
olives used, the following varieties of olive may be used:
‘Ogliarola
Messinese’,
‘Brandofino’ and ‘Olivo di Castiglione’. These varieties may be used in
varying percentages but must not exceed 35 %.

‘Tonda Iblea’,

‘Biancolilla’,

‘Moresca’,

Pest control is based on the procedure set out in the regional supervised control programme, with
the emphasis being placed on measures having a low impact on the environment and the use of
traps to monitor the flight of adult pests and the sampling of affected olives. Once infestation
reaches a threshold limit, treatment may be applied using active substances at recommended dose
levels. Weed control relies on cultivation methods (mowing, scything and/or ploughing).

Olive yield in the specialised olive groves must not exceed 10 000 kilograms per hectare and the
maximum oil yield is 20 %.

The olives are harvested directly from the trees by removing them manually from the canopy or
using machinery to facilitate the operation with nets for collection so that olives which have just
been harvested are not mixed with others that have been lying on the ground for a period.
Shaking of the branches and the use of abscission products are not permitted.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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After harvesting, the olives must be kept until pressing in thin layers in rigid, aerated containers in
premises with a low relative humidity (50 % to 60 %) and a maximum temperature of 15o. The
olives must not be kept on the holding or at the mill for more than 48 hours after harvesting.

The premises at the mill used for receiving, weighing and storage must be separate from those
where processing takes place and be equipped with proper natural or assisted ventilation. Monte
Etna extra virgin olive oil is extracted using mechanical processes only. Crushing takes place using
grindstones (the oldest form of pressing) and mechanical olive presses. Prior to pressing the leaves
are removed by suction after the olives have been carefully washed in running water and passed
through vibrating sieves to remove the water and any remaining leaf material or impurities. The
duration of pressing depends on the ripeness of the olives and the thickness and consistency of the
pulp. The period for which the olive paste remains in the press ranges according to the ripeness of
the olives from 15 to 40 minutes while the temperature of the water in the outside cavity of the
press must ensure that the temperature of the processed olive paste does not rise above 28 oC to
30 oC.

4.6. Link: The defined area is in a mountainous district, lying between 100 m and 1 000 m above sea
level, around the Mount Etna volcano.
in particular, Etna's northern, western and
It covers,
southern slopes. Olives are not grown on the eastern slope. The area's microclimate, a Medi-
terranean mountain climate, together with the volcanic soil with its geological substratum of
eruptive rocks laid down by Etna both in the distant past and in more recent times and its
sandy texture and rich skeleton give the product
the unique and inimitable characteristics
revealed in the chemico-physical and organoleptic tests. Recent studies, using discriminant
analysis methods, have shown significant differences in the levels of free fatty acids in Monte
Etna oil and those of oils from neighbouring areas, which can be ascribed to the production area.
The differences are such that the chemical characteristics of the oil can be put down to the
geographical origin. The area's pedo-climatic characteristics have caused the plant species
present to evolve differently, to produce varieties and ecotypes with distinctive characteristics.
One example of this is the ‘Nocellara Etnea’ cultivar, which predominates in the area. Olive-
growing has been of fundamental importance for the agricultural sector in the area, because of
the ability of the plant to draw maximum benefit from lava soil, for its resistance in semi-arid
environments and for its role in the economy of the typical peasant family. Traditionally, oil from
such areas was referred to as ‘olio di montagna’ (mountain oil) to distinguish it from oil from
neighbouring areas. Highly prized by consumers, who recognise the superior quality and organo-
leptic properties of the oil, it commands prices 20 %-25 % higher than those of other oils on the
market.

4.7. Inspection body

Name: Agroqualità SARL

Address: Piazza Sallustio, 21, I-00187 Roma.

4.8. Labelling: ‘Olio extra vergine di oliva “Monte Etna” Denominazione di Origine Protetta.’

The name of the designation must appear on the label in distinct, indelible lettering of a colour
that strongly contrasts with that of the label itself such as to be clearly distinguishable from the
other information given on the label.

The year in which the olives are harvested must be shown on the label.

The oil must be released for consumption in containers not exceeding 5 litres in capacity.

4.9. National requirements: —

EC No: G/IT/00060/97.12.22.

Date of receipt of the full application: 12 August 2002.