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: 2005-06-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Spain, designation of origin, location of production, olive oil

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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

(2005/C 151/04)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the above-
mentioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in
a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognized in accordance with Article
12(3) 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.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

‘MONTES DE GRANADA’

EC No: ES/00169/08.11.2000

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

This summary has been drawn up for information purposes only. For full details, in particular the produ-
cers of the PDO 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:

Subdirección General de Sistemas de Calidad Diferenciada — Dirección General de Alimenta-
ción — Secretaria General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca
y Alimentación de España

Address:

Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid

Tel:

Fax:

(34-91) 347 53 94

(34-91) 347 54 10

2. Group:

2.1 Name:

Asociación para la Calidad del Aceite de Oliva Virgen de los Montes de
Granada

2.2 Address:

c/Doctor López Font, Bajo 7, 18004 Granada, Spain

Tel:

Fax:

(958) 52 26 16

(958) 53 52 45

2.3 Composition:

producers/processors (X) other ( )

3. Type of product:

Extra virgin olive oil. Group 1.5 — Oils and fats.

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

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4. Specification:

(summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. N a me :

‘Montes de Granada’

4.2. De scr i p ti on :

Extra virgin olive oil obtained from healthy and ripe olives of the olive tree (Olea Europaea)
belonging to the principal varieties (Picual, Lucio and Loaime) and secondary varieties (Escaraba-
juelo, Negrillo de Iznalloz, Hojiblanca and Gordal de Granada) grown in the defined area.

The oils obtained are the result of the joint pressing of principal and secondary varieties. They
therefore consist of several varieties and are enriched by the characteristics peculiar to each of
those varieties. Among the oil's organoleptic characteristics, the strong flavour of the dominant
Picual variety stands out (its green colour, medium to intense bitter flavour and fruity aromas) but
this is diluted by the Lucio and Loaime and secondary varieties, which introduce fresh aromas,
reminiscent of fruits, and a sweet flavour and more golden tinges.

The extra virgin olive oils produced in the area have a fruity aroma and a flavour that is reminis-
cent of green or ripe recently pressed olives, slightly bitter and full-bodied, whose intensity varies
with the degree of maturity of the pressed olive. The acidity level is low and in colour all the
different shades of green are present, from a deep green to a greenish yellow.

The lipid composition is marked by a high content in oleic acid which is usually above 80 %,
sometimes reaching 83 %. The monounsaturates/polyunsaturates ratio is high (12:20) which
means the nutritional properties are excellent. The chemical stability of the oils is high, a quality
largely attributable to the components causing the bitter flavour, making them, in contrast to
other virgin olive oils, more resistant to oxidation.

4.3. G e og r a p h i c a l a r e a :

is situated in the Province of
It coincides with the natural region of the Montes de Granada,
Granada and includes the following municipalities: Alamedilla, Alfacar, Alicún de Ortega, Benalúa
de las Villas, Calicasas, Campotéjar, Cogollos Vega, Colomera, Darro, Dehesas de Guadix,
Deifontes, Diezma, Fonelas, Gobernador, Guadahortuna, Güevéjar, Huélago, Iznalloz, the northern
part of the Municipality of La Peza to the River Fardes, Montejícar, Montillana, Morelábor, Nívar,
Pedro Martínez, Piñar, Torrecardela and Villanueva de las Torres, the eastern part of the Munici-
pality of Moclin to the natural boundary formed by the River Velillos and the northern part of the
Municipality of Albolote y Atarfe formed by the Rivers Cubillas and Colomera up to the point
where they meet.

4.4. Pr oof of or i g i n:

Registration with the Consejo Regulador (Regulating Board)

The olives come from the groves in the defined geographical area that are listed in the Regulating
Board's olive grove register. The oil is obtained in the mills in the defined geographical area that
are listed in the Regulating Board's oil mill register. Equally, the oils are packaged in the plants
situated in the defined geographical area that are listed in the Board's packaging plant register.

Applications for registration are optional and may be made by any natural or legal person whose
olive groves, oil mills or packaging plants are situated in the defined geographical area. The Regu-
lating Board informs applicants of their rights and obligations and provides them with a detailed
description of the requirements and technical specifications.

After examination of the application, an initial inspection of the applicant's olive grove, oil mill or
packaging plant takes place to verify compliance with the specifications and the Regulation. The
definitive registration in the relevant register is approved by the Regulating Board once the applica-
tion, together with the initial inspection report and the remaining requisite documents, have been
presented.

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Certification

The olive groves, oil mills and packaging plants listed in the Regulating Board's registers are
subjected to regular inspections for the purpose of monitoring and verifying compliance with the
specifications and the Regulation.

The registered oil mills or packaging plants submit an application for the certification of a batch after
which the Regulating Board takes samples from the batch, and the stores are sealed until the
packaging or sale in bulk of the oil.

A batch is certified only when the administrative, technical and legal requirements set out in the
specifications, the Regulation and the quality control manual are complied with. The Regulating
Board decides whether or not to certify a batch on the basis of a file submitted showing the
inspection dates and the results of analyses, and other documents in its archives.

When a batch has been certified, packaging, to be undertaken under the supervision of the Regu-
lating Board, takes place exclusively in the packaging plants listed in the relevant register and situ-
ated in the defined geographical area. The packaging must bear a secondary label with the words
‘Denominación de Origen’ (designation of origin) together with the name ‘Montes de Granada’, the
logo and a unique serial number.

4.5. M e t h od of p r odu ct i on:

The procedure for producing the virgin olive oil, from the olives in the olive groves to the
obtaining of the oil, involves the following stages:

Production of olives

Advantage is taken of the rainy season, stretching from autumn to winter, for planting. The seed-
lings are placed in 50 cm deep casillas (areas of soil worked with the hoe). The layout of a grove
depends on its age, in older groves the spacing between trees is 12 m (square planting) and 8 m
(triangular planting), the number of scions per tree being two, three or four. In more recent
groves, the spacing is 5 m, with a single scion per tree.

The procedures undertaken each year involve:

— Soil working: the removal of weeds, cracks and surface scaling to prevent moisture loss and
compaction. There are also groves with plant cover where the soil is not worked but they are
few in number.

— Application of fertilisers and plant protection products: practices vary depending on the type of soil

and the incidence of pests and/or diseases brought on by weather conditions.

— Irrigation: there is by and large no practice of irrigation in 95 % of the olive groves in the
region. After the recent years of drought (in particular 1995), the system of drip irrigation was
introduced in some groves to regulate production; it is applied from March to September,
depending on rainfall.

— Pruning: unproductive branches and shoots are removed to control the growth of the olive

tree.

— Harvesting and transport: Once the olives have reached the correct degree of ripeness — early to
mid-December — picking starts. To dislodge the fruit from the tree canopy without damaging
it, the methods of traditional hand pole beating or mechanised vibration are used. The olives
on the ground are collected and are transported and processed separately as they are not
suitable for producing oil covered by the Designation of Origin. Transport to the oil mill takes
place on the day of harvesting and is always undertaken with great care.

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Production of virgin olive oil

During the entire production process the olives from the ground and those picked from the trees
are processed separately:

— Intake, cleaning, weighing and washing of the olives: these operations are carried out for the
purpose of classifying the fruits and removing any remnants of leaves, stalks, dust or other
particles.

— Pressing and crushing: the purpose is to break up the olive so as to enable the oil to be extracted

from its cellular structures.

— Separating the solid matter from the liquid matter and separating the various liquid phases: the

purpose is to separate the oil from the remaining components of the olive.

— Storage of the oil in cellars: once the oil has been extracted it is stored under controlled condi-

tions of light and temperature in cellars in stainless steel containers until it is packaged.

— Packing: The oil must be packed at the point of production. This requirement is intended to
protect the quality and the authenticity of the product and, consequently, the reputation of the
Designation of Origin, for which the beneficiaries accept full and collective responsibility. The
checks carried out in the production area under the responsibility of the beneficiaries of the
Designation of Origin are detailed and systematic and are carried out by professionals with
specialised knowledge of the product. It would be difficult effectively to carry out the checks
required to guarantee the product outside the production area.

4.6. L i nk:

Background

Local archaeological remains and bibliographical references to the name, the region and the
product testify to olive oil being produced in the area over a long period.

The first reference to ‘terrenos montuosos’ (mountainous terrain) and ‘cultivo del olive’ (olive growing)
in the Montes de Granada region dates back to the 16th century. The document in question deals
with land allocation and in it is stated ‘… to each neighbourhood a part of the olive grove is also alloca-
ted …’. (Peinado Santaella, 1989; La repoblación de la tierra de Granada: Los Montes, Universidad de
Granada).

In the 17th century, as narrated by Henriquez de Jorquera in the Granada annals, various factors
but essentially the decline in rural population numbers due to the expulsion of the Moors led to a
decline in the cultivation of cereals and their replacement by vines and olives. Another bibliogra-
phical reference of that time, dating back to 1634, mentions the cultivation of ‘Olivas de Marca’, in
reference to trees yielding a rich harvest of high-quality olives (Libro de Apeos de Cogollos Vega,
Real Chancillería de Granada). Trees over 500 years old belonging to the Loaime variety, a name of
Arab origin, can still be found today (Martínez Robles, 1833; Colmeiro, 1865; PATAC et al., 1954;
Ministerio de Agricultura, 1976 b; Barranco y Rallo, 1984).

According to 18th century documents a request was submitted by the province of Granada to the
Council of Castile for the clearing of a total of 5 749 hectares. Further,
land clearing
increased this figure to 14 103 hectares. The cleared land was then devoted for the most part to
olive growing, particularly in the Los Montes region, so that in 1799 Granada, with 120 600 quin-
tals, was placed ninth in olive-oil production ratings (Liceras Ruiz, 1993).

illegal

An important historical document dating back to the middle of the 19th century (Diccionario
Geográfico Estadístico e Histórico, Pascual Madoz, 1845, republished by Bosque Maurel, 1987) praises
the olive groves of this district and the exquisite flavour of its oil and explicitly refers to: ‘Montes
de Granada … and despite the scarcity of drinking water, the waters of the Rivers Cubillas, Benalúa and
Moclín are used for irrigating the surrounding land, and all types of cereals, limpid and exquisite oil, wine
and seeds of all kinds are produced’.

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These references to the Rivers Benalúa and Moclín and to the nearby region of Colomera show
that at that time it was in those areas that olive cultivation and, judging by the still-standing 18th
and 19th century mills, virgin olive oil production was the most developed. In Colomera, the
Molino de Galenos, with its hand-operated system of presses, still stands, and the Molino de La
Puente is driven by water power and the Molino de Las Niñas, on the Ruta del Legado Andalusí, by
animals.

Finally, it was the period between 1913 and 1933, the so-called ‘golden age of olive cultivation in
Spain’, that saw the biggest increase in olive plantations and improvements in cultivation prac-
tices, leading to the production of high-value extra virgin olive oil. In the 20th century the rate of
expansion of the olive groves of Montes de Granada was such that it exceeded by far that of the
other Andalusian provinces. Hence, during the Spanish civil war, the area devoted to olive cultiva-
tion in this district witnessed an increase of 50 %, with the result that many of its olive trees are
around 40 to 50 years old today. In 1957, a decree was issued declaring the conservation of areas
under olives to be a matter of national interest, it being a factor contributing to the conservation
of agricultural land. In the sixties, the areas in the province of Granada devoted to olive-growing
increased from 62 202 ha to 118 365 ha, in other words they almost doubled, and in the Montes
de Granada area olive groves account for 77,5 % of total utilised agricultural area.

Natural conditions

The extreme and distinctive characteristics of this region: relief, soil, climate and river systems
make the olive the plant that is best adapted to the harsh conditions.

The landscapes in this region are mostly typical of low mountain ranges where depressions
ranging from some 750 to 900 m in altitude alternate with mountain folds stretching from east
to west and reaching maximum altitudes of 1 400 to 2 000 m. Hamlets and villages areas are
situated at an average altitude of 900 m above sea level. Landforms are generally more rugged in
the limestone massifs, and other reliefs, also dissected by scarps, consist of low ridges and hills of
limestone, marlaceous lime and loam. Further east, the landscape becomes more gentle, extending
to a high plateau at an elevation of 1 200 m which then descends at the eastern end of the
region to the valley of the River Fardes. This river forms the natural boundary of the district to
the east and from there the relief changes, becoming more typical of the xeric landscape of south-
eastern Spain.

In terms of soil structure, the los Montes region has a range of complex soil types which means
that pure forms seldom occur and that mixtures of several
types are more common. The
commonest soils are those that have developed from the decomposition of various lithological
varieties of limestone. They are rich in marly limestone materials eroded from the sierra and there-
fore have a high calcium carbonate content (over 40 %). Their structure has been subsequently
modified through soil cultivation for agricultural purposes.

The type of climate — Mediterranean continental — is characterised by extremes of temperature,
i.e. huge differences between maximum and minimum day and night, and summer and winter
temperatures. Average annual rainfall varies between 400 and 600 mm or even less in years of
drought. Winters are long and cold, with frequent snowfalls and periods of frost, and summers are
long and hot, with extreme temperatures reaching 40° C.

4.7. Insp e c ti on b ody:

Name:

Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Orígen ‘Montes de Granada’.

Address: Plaza de la Constitución, 4, E-18550 Iznalloz, Granada

Tel:

Fax:

(958) 39 70 07

(958) 39 70 07

The Regulating Board of the ‘Montes de Granada’ Designation of Origin is able to fulfil the
requirements laid down in standard EN-45011.

4.8. L a b e lli ng :

The words ‘Denominación de Origen Montes de Granada’ must appear on the label. The label must be
approved by the Regulating Board. Each package must be provided with a numbered secondary
label supplied by the Regulating Board.

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4.9. N a ti ona l r e q u i r e me nt s:

— Law No 25/1970 of 2 December 1970 on rules governing viticulture, wine and spirits.

— Decree No 835/1972 of 23 March 1972 on detailed rules for the implementation of Law

No 25/1970.

— Order of 25 January 1994 specifying the correlation between Spanish law and Regulation
indications for agri-

(EEC) No 2081/92 as regards designations of origin and geographical
cultural products and foodstuffs.

— 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.