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: 2005-09-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, 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 225/03)

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

‘HUILE D'OLIVE DE NIMES’

EC No: FR/00441/18.11.2004

PDO (X) PGI ( )

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

2.

Applicant

2.1 Name:

Institut National des Appellations d'Origine

138, Champs Elysées, F-75008 Paris
As of 1 January 2005: 51 rue d'Anjou, F-75008 Paris

01 53 89 80 00

01 42 25 57 97

Syndicat des Oléiculteurs du Gard et Environs pour la Défense et la Promotion des
Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées Huile d'Olive de Nîmes et Olive de Nîmes.

2.

Address:

Mas des Abeilles, F-30000 Nîmes

Tel.:

Fax:

04 66 04 50 34

04 66 04 50 31

2.3 Composition:

producers/processors (X) other ( )

3.

Type of product

Class 1.5 Olive oil

4.

Specification

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

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

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4.1 N a me :

‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’

4.2 De scr i p ti on:

The Picholine variety predominates in ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’, giving it a strong flavour, sometimes
with a hint of bitterness. It is perfumed with scents of artichoke and green vegetable. Those green
vegetable scents become echoes of garrigue and red fruit in the mouth.

It is green in colour, sometimes with hints of yellow.

4.3 G e og r a p h i ca l a r e a :

The production area of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ comprises 183 municipalities in the Gard department
and 40 in the Hérault department. The full list of municipalities can be found in the product specifica-
tion.

The geographical area is characterised by hills and slopes, generally lower than 350 metres in altitude;
the land is largely made up of Tertiary molasse, Cretaceous limestone and limestone clay, and alluvial
terraces.

The climate is Mediterranean, affected by the mistral.

4.4 Pr oof of or i g i n:

Olive oil may not be marketed under the protected designation of origin ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’
unless an approval certificate has been issued by the Institut national des appellations d'origine pursuant
to the requirements set out in national legislation on the approval of olive products which benefit
from a protected designation of origin.

Every part of the production process of the raw material and the preparation of the olive oil must
take place within the defined geographical area.

In terms of production of the raw material, the procedure requires:

— the land parcel to be identified from the list of land parcels that are suitable for production of
‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’, that abide by the criteria for planting olive trees and the production
requirements;

— a harvest declaration to be made annually by the olive-grower, declaring the surface under produc-
tion, the amount of olives produced in compliance with the specified yield, and the destination of
the olives (oil-mill, processing area).

In terms of processing, the procedure requires:

— an annual manufacture declaration to be made by the professional, declaring the total quantity of

the product processed;

— a request to be made for an approval certificate which allows the storage area of the products and

all product containers to be identified.

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The procedure is completed by a scientific analysis and taste test to ensure that the products are
typical and of high quality.

In addition, each professional, once an approval certificate has been obtained, is obliged to make an
annual stock declaration.

4.5 M e th od of p r odu c ti on :

The olives must be produced and processed in the production area defined at point 4.3.

Varieties:

The olive oil should be obtained from the Picholine, Négrette and Noirette olive varieties. Between
them, these varieties should account for at least 85 % of the trees in the holdings' olive groves. The
proportion of Picholine trees should be at least 70 % for all the holdings' olive groves. However, this
proportion may be 60 % up to and including 2015.

The secondary varieties are Sauzen vert, Rougette, Olivastre, Broutignan, Cul blanc, Verdale de l'Hér-
ault or Groussaldo, Aglandau, Amellau, Pigalle, Piquette, and the other longstanding local varieties
present before the 1956 frost.

Within each olive grove, pollinating olive varieties may be planted provided that they are arranged in
a coordinated way and do not exceed 5 % of the number of trees in the grove. Olives from these vari-
eties may be used provided that the proportion does not exceed 5 % of the total mass of olives used.

Management of the olive grove:

Olive groves should be maintained either by planting crops or sowing grass which is mown every
year. Every tree must have an area of at least 24 m2 around it. There must be a distance of at least 4
metres between each tree.

Pruning must take place at least every two years.

While the olive trees are in leaf, the grove may be irrigated until the olives ripen.

Yield may not exceed 10 tonnes per hectare. If there are exceptional weather conditions, the yield for
a specified harvest may be decreased or increased, provided that it does not exceed 12 tonnes of
olives per hectare.

Only olives from trees which are at least five years old may be used for the production of oil.

Harvesting:

The start of the harvest is determined by a prefectoral decree following a proposal from INAO.

Oil is produced from olives harvested when ripe, when at least 25 % of the olives have gone from a
clear green to yellow.

The olives are picked directly from the tree or harvested mechanically through vibration, beating,
suction or any other method which does not damage the external appearance of the olives, which are
then caught in nets or other receptacles underneath the tree. Products for causing abscission are
prohibited.

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Olives picked up from the ground must be kept separately from the olives that are suitable for use in
PDO oil production.

The olives are stored and transported in crates or bins.

Processing requirements:

Olives must be kept for no more than eight days from picking to use.

Different varieties of olive may be mixed before grinding, although the Picholine variety must account
for at least 60 % of olives used.

Oil is extracted mechanically without heating the olive paste beyond a maximum of 30° C.

Washing, settling and decanting, centrifuging and filtering are permitted. Apart from water, adjuvants
to facilitate oil extraction may not be used.

The free acidity content of the olive oil obtained, expressed as oleic acid, should not exceed 0,8
grammes per 100 grammes of oil.

4.6 L i nk:

The combination of elements from the natural environment, history and human expertise make ‘Huile
d'olive de Nîmes’ a unique and original product.

Natural environment:

The production area is characterised by hills and slopes, generally lower than 350 metres in altitude.
The land is largely made up of Tertiary molasse, Cretaceous limestone and limestone clay, and alluvial
terraces. The climate is Mediterranean with very dry summers and heavy rainfall in autumn. The
region is affected by the mistral and can be subject to harsh winters.

History:

The presence of olive trees since antiquity shows the close relationship between the Nîmes region and
olive-growing.

Oil production is very ancient in this region where olive trees could be used to develop poor land and
produce the only possible fat. The olive was introduced during the Greek occupation, then olive-
growing intensified when the Roman colonies took over. It reached its greatest extent in the 16th
century.

In 1789, the olive oil produced in the Aramon sector was considered one of the best, and Nîmes was
an important centre for selling the oil.

However, the area planted with olive trees diminished as vine-growing and oil imports increased.

The 19th century was marked by a decline in olive-growing as it suffered in competition with vines
and imports of other fats. The decline continued until the Second World War when five years of
conflict led to a renewed interest in olive oil production due to the shortage of imported oils and fats.

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The great frost of 1956 decimated olive groves in the Nîmes region.

Olive-growing has taken off again since the 1990s and production of ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ is again
making progress.

Expertise:

‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ is mainly produced from the Picholine variety, preferred due to its hardiness
which allows it to adapt perfectly to the soil and climatic conditions. This variety demonstrates a
certain resistance to the winter cold and its fruits resist the strong winds of autumn.

Picholine trees can be found mainly in the Nîmes basin, the cradle of the variety, while other local
varieties can be found in the Cévennes foothills.

The wind meant that farmers kept olive trees relatively low which, in addition to giving them better
wind resistance, also made it easier to harvest green olives for the table. Harvesting is mainly done by
hand firstly because the dominant variety, Picholine, is used for two purposes (oil production and
table olives) and is too resistant to vibration, and, secondly, due to the configuration of traditional
olive groves (small area, presence of low walls, and often limited accessibility).

The suitability of the land for the Picholine variety in particular, and the quality of the resulting oil,
have encouraged the relaunch and development of Nîmes olive production beyond the historic
nucleus around Nîmes and Sommières.

4.7 Inspe c ti on body :

Name:

I.N.A.O.

Address: 138, Champs Elysées, F-75008 Paris

As of 1 January 2005: 51 rue d'Anjou, F-75008 Paris

Name:

D.G.C.C.R.F.

Address: 59, Bd V. Auriol, F-75703 Paris Cedex 13

4.8 L a b e lli ng :

In addition to the compulsory information provided for by legislation on labelling and the presenta-
tion of food products, PDO ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’ labels should include the following:

— the PDO name ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’;

— the words ‘appellation d'origine contrôlée’ or the letters ‘AOC’. If the name of a holding or a brand
appears on the label independently of the address, the PDO name is repeated between the words
‘appellation’ and ‘contrôlée’.

These details must all be in the same visible area and on the same label.

They must be in visible, legible, indelible, sufficiently large print that clearly stands out from the rest
of the information and illustrations on the label.

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

Decree on the protected designation of origin ‘Huile d'olive de Nîmes’.