Commission Regulation (EC) No 708/2005 of 10 May 2005 amending the specification for a designation of origin in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (Azeites do Norte Alentejano) (PDO)
Date: 2005-05-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Northern Portugal, designation of origin, location of production, olive oil, product designation, product quality

11.5.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 708/2005

of 10 May 2005

amending the specification for a designation of origin in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1107/96
(Azeites do Norte Alentejano) (PDO)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 of 14
July 1992 on the protection of geographical
indications and
designations of origin for agricultural products and food-
stuffs (1), and in particular Article 6(3), the second indent of
Article 6(4) and Article 9 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

In accordance with Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No
2081/92, Portugal's application to amend points of the
specification of
the protected designation of origin
‘Azeites do Norte Alentejano’, registered by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 (2), was published in the
Official Journal of the European Union (3).

(2)

As no statement of objections has been notified to the
Commission under Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No

2081/92,
published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

those amendments must be registered and

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The specification for the designation of origin ‘Azeites do Norte
Alentejano’
is hereby amended in accordance with Annex I
hereto.

Article 2

The summary of the main points of the specification is given in
Annex II hereto.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of
the European
Union.

its publication in the Official

Journal of

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 10 May 2005.

For the Commission

Mariann FISCHER BOEL
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 806/2003 (OJ L 122, 16.5.2003, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1345/2004 (OJ L 249, 23.7.2004, p. 14).
(3) OJ C 262, 31.10.2003, p. 17 (Azeites do Norte Alentejano).

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ANNEX I

PORTUGAL

‘Azeites do Norte Alentejano’

Amendments:
— Chapter of specification:

 Name

Description

Geographical area

 Proof of origin
 Method of production
 Link
 Labelling
 National requirements

— Amendments

Description — North Alentejo olive oil is a slightly thick, fruity, greenish-yellow oil that meets the minimum grade of
6,5 for extra virgin olive oil and 6,0 for virgin olive oil.

In-depth studies conducted on the characteristics of this olive oil have shown that there is a need to revise some of its
parameters, namely: Delta K, triglicerides LLL, OLLn, PLLn, OLL, PLL, POL, POO, OOO, PPO; fatty acids C16:0, C16:1,
C17:0, C17:1, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3; trans fatty acids, cholesterol, Campestanol and Delta 7 — Stig-
masterol.

The regional varieties Carrasquenha, Redondil and Azeiteira (or Azeitoneira) are added to the authorised varieties.
Geographical area — Extension of the geographical production area to include the municipalities of Alandroal, Nisa,
Reguengos de Monsaraz, Évora (freguesias of Na Sr.a de Machede, S. Mansos, S. Vicente do Pigeiro, S. Miguel de
Machede and S. Bento do Mato) and Mourão (freguesias of Luz and Mourão), on the grounds that:
— the same conditions obtain in these municipalities and freguesias with regard to soils and weather patterns,
— the olive oil produced there has the same physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics as that obtained in

the current geographical area,

— the inhabitants of these municipalities have inherited the same customs and authentic, unvarying know-how as

those in the rest of the geographical area.

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ANNEX II

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92
‘AZEITES DO NORTE ALENTEJANO’

(EC NO PO/0266/24.1.1994)

PDO (X)

PGI (

)

This summary has been drawn up for information purposes only. For full details, in particular the producers of products
covered by the PDO or PGI concerned, please consult the complete version of the product specification obtainable at
national level or from the European Commission (1).

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:
Address:
Tel.
Fax
E-mail:

Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural e Hidráulica
Av. Afonso Costa, 3 — P-1949-002 Lisboa
(351-21) 844 22 00
(351-21) 844 22 02
idrha@idrha.min-agricultura.pt

2. Group:

2.1. Name:

APAFNA — AGRUPAMENTOS DE PRODUTORES AGRÍCOLAS E FLORESTAIS DO NORTE ALEN-
TEJANO

2.2. Address:

Parque de Leilões de Gado de Portalegre, Estrada Nacional 246, Apartado n.o 269 — P-7300-901
Portalegre, Portugal

Tel.
Fax
E-mail:

(351-245) 33 10 64
(351-245) 20 75 21
aadp1@iol.pt

2.3. Composition: producers/processors (X)

other (

)

3.

Type of product

Class 1.5 — oils and fats — olive oil

4.

Specification

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name:

‘Azeites do Norte Alentejano’

4.2. Description: The designation ‘Azeite do Norte Alentejano’ is used to describe the oily liquid extracted mechanically
from the fruit (once the vegetable water has been separated from the pomace, particles of skin, pulp and pits) of
olives of the Galega, Carrasquenha, Redondil, Azeiteira or Azeitoneira, Blanqueta or Branquita and Cobrançosa
varieties of the species Olea europea sativa grown in olive groves located in the abovementioned geographical
area, processing and market preparation being carried out in the same area.

North Alentejo olives are slightly thick, fruity and greenish-yellow olives that meet the minimum grade of 6,5 for
extra virgin olive oil and 6,0 for olive oil.

(1) European Commission — Directorate-General for Agriculture, Agricultural product quality policy unit — B-1049 Brussels.

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4.3. Geographical area: Limited to the municipalities of Alandroal, Borba, Estremoz, the freguesias of Na Sra de Machede, S.
Mansos, S. Vicente do Pigeiro, S. Miguel de Machede and S. Bento do Mato in the municipality of Évora, the freguesias
of Luz and Mourão in the municipality of Mourão, the municipalities of Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz and Vila
Viçosa in the district of Évora, the municipalities of Alter do Chão, Arronches, Avis, Campo Maior, Castelo de Vide,
Crato, Elvas, Fronteira, Marvão, Monforte, Nisa, Portalegre and Sousel in the district of Portalegre.

4.4. Proof of origin: Origin sanctioned by custom in the light in particular of the regional culinary tradition and the

know-how existing since time immemorial.

To produce the olive oil, the processors can only use olives from registered producers and of authorised varieties.

A descriptive register of each operator approved by the PDO management consortium is kept updated with
information on the origin of the olives used, the actual conditions of production/take-over and the technological
conditions applying.

This daily register must show the names of the olive suppliers, the quantities received from each producer and the
quantity of olive oil produced.

The varieties must be recorded by the olive growers or their representatives (cooperatives).

The producers must have and keep updated a register in which the quantities of olives to be used for producing olive
oil bearing the PDO Norte Alentejano are recorded.

4.5. Method of production: The product is obtained by mixing quantities extracted from the abovementioned varieties in

the following percentages.

Mandatory variety

Galega

Varieties tolerated

Azeiteira; Blanqueta; Carrasquenha; Redondil

Cobrançosa

Minimum 65 %

Maximum 5 %

Maximum 10 %

Given the special conditions that are a feature of the municipalities of Campo Maior and Elvas (which are especially
suitable for the production of preserved olives), by way of an exception the following varieties may be used but only
in the following percentages in the small olive-grove area intended for the remaining olive oil.

Mandatory variety

Galega

Varieties tolerated

Azeiteira; Carrasquenha; Redondil; Cobrançosa

Blanqueta

Minimum 50 %

Maximum 10 %

Maximum 5 %

The Picual variety may not be used under any circumstances; however, other traditional varieties may be used up to
a maximum of 5 % on condition that they are authorised by the PDO management consortium.

The fruit must be gathered when it reaches the ideal ripening stage; olives collected from the ground may not be
used to produce oil bearing the designation of origin; they must be transported in stackable boxes with provision for
aeration.

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The varieties must be recorded by the olive growers or their representatives; for the purposes of producing olive oil
bearing the PDO, presses may only accept olives from registered producers, of authorised varieties and of impeccable
health and hygiene.

The temperature of the paste in the press or decanter and the water/oil mix in the centrifuge may never exceed
35 °C.

As olive oil is a miscible product, in order to prevent any impairment of traceability at the time of inspection,
market preparation may be carried out solely by properly approved operators in the area of origin in order to
guarantee the quality and authenticity of the product and to prevent consumers from being misled. The oil must be
put up for market in recipients made from impermeable, inert, innocuous materials that meet all health and hygiene
standards.

4.6. Link: The special characteristics of the olive oil can be put down to the soil and climatic conditions in the region.

4.7. Inspection body

Name:
Address:

Tel.:
Fax:
E-mail:

AADP — Associação de Agricultores do Distrito de Portalegre
Parque de Leilões de Gado de Portalegre, Estrada Nacional 246, Apartado n.o 269 — P-7300-901
Portalegre
(351-245) 20 12 96/33 10 64
(351-245) 20 75 21
aadp1@iol.pt

4.8. Labelling: North Alentejo olive oil must bear the designation ‘AZEITES DO NORTE ALENTEJANO — Denominação
de Origem Protegida’, together with the logo approved by the PDO management consortium and the approved
Community logo for PDOs.

4.9. National requirements: —