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: 2003-01-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, citrus fruit, designation of origin, fresh fruit, labelling, location of production, product designation, product quality

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4.7. Inspection body:

Name: Νοµαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση Κερκύρας ∆ιεύθυνση Γεωργίας

Address: Samara 13, GR-49100 Kerkira

4.8. Labelling:

It will be compulsory for the product's packaging to carry the words ‘ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟ
ΕΛΑΙΟΛΑ∆Ο “ΑΓΙΟΣ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΣ ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑΣ” ΠΓΕ (PARTENO ELEOLADO “AGIOS MATHAIOS
KERKYRAS” PGI)’ and the indications specified in Article 4(7) of PD 61/93.

4.9. National requirements: The general provisions of Presidential Decree No 61/93 on production

procedure for PDO and PGI products apply.

EC No: G/EL/00214/01.11.15.

Date of receipt of full application: 15 November 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

(2003/C 11/05)

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 (

)

PGI (x)

National application No: 3/2002

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

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2. Applicant group

2.1. Name:

Consorzio agrumicoltori tarantini — CAT

2.2. Address: Via Murat, 29-31, I-74019 Palagiano (TA)

Tel.

(39) 0998/88 53 04

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x)

other (

)

3. Type of product: Class 1.6 — Fresh fruit and vegetables

4. Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2)):

4.1. Name: Clementine del Golfo di Taranto

4.2. Description: Fresh fruit of the species Citrus clementine Hort. ex Tanaka of the following varieties:
Comune, Fedele, Precoce di Massafra (or Spinoso), Grosso Puglia, ISA, SRA 63 and SRA 89.

The principal characteristics of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto are as follows:

— spheroidal shape, slightly flattened at the top and bottom,

— smooth or slightly rough orange-coloured peel no more than 30 % of which may be green,

— orange-coloured flesh,

— size 6 (43/52 mm) or larger,

— minimum juice content: 40 % by weight,

— ripeness index (ratio between the soluble solid content expressed in degrees Brix and the

titratable acidity expressed as citric acid): 6:1 or more,

— seedless: a maximum of three seeds present in up to 5 % of the clementines.

4.3. Geographical area: The geographical area of production of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto is
situated in the province of Taranto in the Apulia region and comprises the municipalities of
Palagiano, Massafra, Ginosa, Castellaneta, Palagianello, Taranto and Statte.

4.4. Proof of origin: The origin of the clementine is unclear. According to some sources it is a hybrid
which occurred naturally in Algeria in 1898, whereas according to Tanaka it is a citrus fruit
similar to the Cantonese mandarin (Citrus clementine Hort.). It was first introduced in the province
of Taranto in the 18th century, but did not become a widespread specialised citrus crop there until
the 20th century. The geographical and socioeconomic centre of the area covered by the desig-
nation is situated in the municipalities of the province of Taranto that border on the gulf of the
same name. In the 1950s, thanks to the discovery or provision of suitable irrigation resources or
facilities as part of a land reform, citrus-growing became, after a period of expansion and special-
isation, a major crop in the area of production. The Gulf of Taranto's warm, sunny and fairly dry
weather encourages the growth and ripening of the fruit and helps give it excellent characteristics
in terms of colour, flavour and conservation. Traceability is underpinned by the fact that growers
of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto must have their citrus groves entered in a register kept by the
inspection body. They are required to provide the relevant land register details, so that the citrus
groves can be identified, along with their surface area and the layout and year of planting.

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4.5. Method of production: Trees bearing Clementine del Golfo di Taranto are grown in a ball or
vase-like shape. Pruning takes place annually, during the spring, and is light, especially in the first
few years.

The density is 350 to 750 trees per hectare, but does not exceed 500 trees per hectare in new
groves. Irrigation is a major feature of cultivation:
it is practised almost throughout the year
whenever rainfall is insufficient. The commonest method is drop irrigation or a direct jet, main-
taining a certain distance from the top of the tree to avoid possible attacks of mould around its
collar. The maximum production allowed is 50 tonnes per hectare. Picking is done manually, using
scissors and taking care to avoid any damage to the fruit. The fruit must be dry when picked, and
either have no leaves or only a few leaves attached. Fruit without a calyx (rosetta) is discarded and
de-greening is not allowed.

4.6. Link: The land bordering on the Gulf of Taranto is to be regarded as ideal for citrus growing in
that,
in addition to being homogeneous and almost invariably flat, it is fertile, deep and well
drained. Two features of the area are its excellent southern exposure and the Murgia, a hilly ridge
which provides protection from cold northern winds. Using plants and nets, growers often build
windbreaks to protect the clementines from the sirocco, libeccio and other southern winds which,
since they come in from the sea, can harm the trees. The temperatures are well suited to citrus
growing since they rarely fall below 0 °C. In addition, appreciable differences between daytime and
night-time temperatures during the period of ripening contribute to the aesthetic and organoleptic
characteristics of the fruit. Spontaneous mutations of the variety initially and habitually grown
(Comune) have occurred in the area of production thanks in part to the suitability of the weather.
In view of their morphological and qualitative characteristics these mutations — which in some
cases have taken on the name of the geographical
locality (viz. Grosso Puglia and Precoce di
Massafra) — are likely to play a major role in production in the future. Cultivation of the species is
now highly specialised in the area and has acquired added significance. Confirmation of the
economic and social importance of the clementines is to be found in the Sagra del Mandarino,
which dates back to 1970 and provides an opportunity for debate and discussion on the subject of
the crop and its prospects as the product becomes more and more established on domestic
markets on the strength of its qualitative (organoleptic and commercial) characteristics.

4.7. Inspection body:

Name:

IS.ME.CERT — Istituto mediterraneo di Certificazione

Address: Via G. Porzio centro direzionale Is. G1, I-80143 Napoli

4.8. Labelling: Clementine del Golfo di Taranto must be marketed in closed packs (to prevent removal
of the contents) of up to 3 kg or, alternatively, in unsealed packs of more than 3 kg but not more
than 25 kg with the designation's logo on 90 % or more of the fruit in the pack. On the packs the
words ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ must appear in characters at least twice as large as those
used for the rest of the information and, immediately below, the words ‘Protected Geographical
Indication’. The packs must bear the designation's logo: a circular shape consisting of two green
concentric circles with, in the middle, a bright orange clementine with a green stalk and leaf. The
area between the two circles contains the words ‘Protected Geographical Indication’.

4.9. National requirements: —

EC No: IT/00247/2002.08.09.

Date of receipt of the full application: 9 August 2002.