Publication of an application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2018-02-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, Latium, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, tropical fruit








C_2018071EN.01003101.xml










24.2.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 71/31





Publication of an application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
(2018/C 71/07)
The European Commission has approved this minor amendment in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 6(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR AMENDMENT

Application for approval of a minor amendment in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council
 (2)


‘KIWI LATINA’


EU No: PGI-IT-0295-AM01 — 24.10.2017


PDO ( ) PGI ( X ) TSG ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest






Consorzio di Tutela Kiwi di Latina IGP




Address: Via Carducci 7




04100 Latina LT




ITALIA




Email address: consorziokiwi@pec.it




This protection association is entitled to submit an amendment application under Article 13(1) of Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy Decree No 12511 of 14 October 2013.
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Heading in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)








—


☒


Description of product




—


☒


Proof of origin




—


☒


Method of production




—


☒


Link




—


☐


Labelling




—


☒


Other [layout changes and corrections, inspection body, updating of references to legislation]




4.   Type of amendment(s)








—


☐


Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires no amendment to the published single document




—


☒


Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, that requires an amendment to the published single document




—


☐


Amendment to product specification of registered PDO or PGI to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012, for which a single document (or equivalent) has not been published.




—


☐


Amendment to product specification of registered TSG to be qualified as minor in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.




5.   Amendment(s)



Proof of origin (Article 4 of the product specification)










1.


The following sentence:
‘The higher total solar radiation and absence or virtual absence of early frosts allow the harvest to be held off until the middle 10 days of November and the fruit to reach a minimum sugar content of 6,5-7 degrees Brix.’
has been amended as follows:
‘The higher total solar radiation and absence or virtual absence of early frosts allow the harvest to be held off until the middle 10 days of November or even later and the fruit to reach a minimum sugar content of 6,2 degrees Brix by the time it is picked.’
Article 2 of the product specification already states that the fruit must have a degree of maturity of at least 6,2 °Brix when it is picked.
This proposed amendment consists in adapting Article 4 to state the same sugar content as Article 2 of the product specification and point 4.2 of the summary (published in OJ C 262, 31.10.2003, p. 7).
To make the product specification clearer to operators and the inspection body, it is considered that the same sugar content should be referred to throughout.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












2.


The following passage:
‘The link with the environment is borne out by the following requirements on growers and packers:






—


registration as a “Kiwi Latina” grower,










—


registration of all the land used to grow “Kiwi Latina”,










—


keeping of production and packing registers.’




has been reworded as follows:
‘The entire production process must be monitored, with inputs and outputs recorded at each stage. This process — with the inspection body keeping registers of the cadastral parcels used to grow the product and of growers and packagers — coupled with the regular reporting of quantities grown to the inspection body, guarantees product traceability. All registered operators (legal entities and individuals) are subject to checks by the inspection body in accordance with the product specification and the corresponding inspection plan.’
This amendment supplements the provisions that were already in the product specification, identifying more precisely the operators in the production chain that are subject to inspection and specifying the processes in place to ensure traceability.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.






Method of production (Article 5 of the product specification)










1.


The following sentence has been inserted:
‘Only plants certified in accordance with the applicable legislation can be used to start new plantations.’
Stating that plants certified in accordance with the applicable legislation must be used to start new plantations will reduce the risk of viruses, bacteria, fungi (etc.) spreading and ensure that new plantations are started in the best possible conditions.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












2.


The following passage:
‘Two plant training systems are used:






—


pergola, with a planting distance of 4-5 m × 4-5 m










—


T-bar, with a planting distance of 5 m × 3-5 m’




has been amended as follows:
‘Two plant training systems are used:






—


pergola










—


T-bar




The number of plants per hectare may not be lower than 400.’
The planting distances specified for the pergola and T-bar systems have been removed and a minimum number of plants per hectare — matching the minimum density currently established in the product specification (5 × 5) — inserted in their place. The reason for removing the references to planting distances is that it is becoming increasingly common to use closer inter-row and inter-plant spacing, giving a density of up to 1 600 plants per hectare.
Thanks to new growing techniques, in which the fruit-bearing vines are kept much shorter than in the past, increasing the number of plants per hectare does not in any way impair the fruit’s organoleptic qualities.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












3.


The following sentence:
‘Depending on the type of land, the space between rows is cultivated, with weeds being removed from along the rows themselves, or else covered with grass, which must be cut regularly.’
has been amended as follows:
‘The land is either tilled and/or weeded, or else covered with grass, which must be cut regularly.’
The rewording of this passage leaves growers free to manage their land as they deem appropriate. The term ‘tilled’ is closer to the farming techniques involved both when grass cover is used and when other soil management techniques are applied.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












4.


The following sentence:
‘The natural water supply is supplemented by irrigation (sprinkling or misting) under the mass of foliage.’
has been amended as follows:
‘The natural water supply is supplemented with irrigation, ensuring that the crop receives the right amount of water.’












5.


The following sentence has been deleted:
‘The irrigation volume ranges from 6 000 m3 to 8 000 m3 per hectare per year.’
It has been decided to remove the references to irrigation techniques and volumes from points 7 and 8, instead stating that irrigation is to be carried out solely to give the crop the right amount of water for its normal physiological development.
The new wording allows growers to tailor irrigation to the amount of water that the crop actually needs.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












6.


The following passage:
‘The fruit is harvested peduncle-free in late October and early November, at which point it has a Brix value of 6,2 ° and its firmness (measured using an 8 mm probe) is not less than 6 kg.’
has been amended as follows:
‘The fruit is harvested peduncle-free when it has a Brix value of 6,2 ° and its firmness (measured using an 8 mm probe) is not less than 6 kg.’
It has been decided to remove the reference to when harvesting takes place, since, as Article 4 of the product specification states, aspects of the climate in the production area — such as higher solar radiation and the absence or virtual absence of early frosts — allow the harvest to be held off until the middle 10 days of November or even later. This change does not affect the product characteristics: the product specification guarantees that the fruit is mature enough at harvest by requiring it to meet a specified Brix value.
An inconsistency within the product specification has also been corrected by bringing the Brix value into line with the one specified in Article 2.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












7.


The following sentence has been inserted:
‘The fruit can be kept in cold stores, either in normal atmospheric conditions or in a controlled atmosphere, until July of the year after harvest at the latest.’
To ensure that the harvested fruit develops and retains its quality features, specific references to the storage phase and the maximum time the fruit can be kept in cold stores have been inserted. The maximum possible storage period stated here is a month or two longer than the one established in Article 6 of the product specification (see amendment 14). This does not negatively affect the product characteristics in any way, as it is motivated by improvements to storage conditions. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












8.


The following sentence has been deleted:
‘Winter pruning is carried out so as to leave 100 000-120 000 buds per hectare.’
To make inspections easier, this reference to the maximum number of buds per hectare after winter pruning has been removed. This change does not affect the product characteristics and does not impair the fruit in any way, as it is linked to the next amendment concerning the number of kiwifruit left on the tree after thinning out.
This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












9.


The following sentence:
‘The crop is thinned out in late June and early July: multiple and misshapen kiwifruit and those kiwifruit with skin defects are removed, leaving a maximum of 800 to 1 000 kiwifruit per plant.’
has been amended as follows:
‘The crop is thinned out in late June and early July: multiple and misshapen kiwifruit and those kiwifruit with skin defects are removed, leaving a maximum of 450 000 kiwifruit per hectare.’
Rather than the number of kiwifruit left on an individual plant after thinning out, the new text refers to the cultivated area (hectare), making inspections easier.
The number of fruit per hectare that can be left on the plant after thinning out is also changed. This figure is linked to the maximum post-thinning bud load that allows the plant to develop shoots normally, allowing a maximum of 450 000 kiwifruit per hectare to be obtained after thinning out. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












10.


The following sentence:
‘Crop production may not exceed 33 tonnes per hectare.’
has been amended as follows:
‘Crop production may not exceed 38 tonnes per hectare.’
The increase in permitted production reflects the fact that the planting distance requirements have been removed, allowing growers to leave smaller distances between plants. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.






Link (Article 6 of the product specification and point 4.6 of the summary)


The following passage:

‘The area has a humid temperate climate, similar to that prevailing in the region where this species originated (China’s Yangtze valley), with an average temperature of 13-15 °C (average minimum of 8-10 °C and average maximum of 28-30 °C), average relative humidity of 75-80 % in the summer and an absence of early frosts which means that the fruit can be harvested at the right degree of maturity (average of 6,5 °Brix and never less than 6,2 °Brix) for it to develop the best possible quality characteristics, to be kept perfectly in cold storage until May/June until July [sic] of the year after harvest, and, by the time of consumption, to reach a sugar content of at least 12 °Brix and a firmness of no more than 3 kg measured with an 8 mm probe.’

has been amended as follows:

‘The area has a humid temperate climate, similar to that prevailing in the region where this species originated (China’s Yangtze valley), with an average temperature of 13-15 °C (average minimum of 8-10 °C and average maximum of 28-30 °C), average relative humidity of 75-80 % in the summer and an absence of early frosts which means that the fruit can be harvested at the right degree of maturity to develop the best possible quality characteristics, to be kept perfectly in cold storage until July of the year after harvest, and, by the time of consumption, to reach a sugar content of at least 12 °Brix and a firmness of no more than 3 kg measured with an 8 mm probe.’

The references in brackets to the sugar content of the fruit when it is picked have been removed. This will make the product specification clearer as regards the required Brix value for ‘Kiwi Latina’, already established in Articles 2 and 5.
As specified in the amendment to Article 5, the entire product specification will now refer to the same month — July — as the latest possible date for keeping the kiwifruit in storage.
These are both drafting changes that do not alter the link and/or product characteristics. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.


Labelling (Article 8 of the product specification and point 4.8 of the summary)


The following sentence:

‘The logo must be used on packaging and may also be used to label individual kiwifruit.’

has been amended as follows:

‘The logo must be used on both packaging and the individual kiwifruit.’

To make the PGI product more recognisable to consumers, it has been decided to require that each individual kiwifruit be labelled with the logo. This can be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.


Other



Layout changes and corrections









1.


The following sentence has been removed from Article 8 of the product specification and point 4.8 of the summary.
‘To guarantee traceability and ensure the possibility of inspections, the logo may only be used by firms that pack kiwifruit within the “Kiwi Latina” production area.’
The purpose of this sentence is to restrict packaging of ‘Kiwi Latina’ to the area in which the fruit is grown. It is therefore out of place in this article of the product specification, which refers to labelling requirements. The requirement for the product to be packaged within the growing area has thus been retained, with information better explaining this requirement being included in Article 5 of the product specification and point 3.5 of the Single Document.
This is therefore a change to the layout of the product specification, the aim of which is to better explain the reasons for the (existing) requirement that the fruit be packaged in the production area. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












2.


As the summary published in OJ C 262 of 31 October 2003 correctly states, only a portion of the municipality of Latina falls within the ‘Kiwi Latina’ production area. Article 3 of the product specification has thus been brought into line with the summary. This is a correction that does not alter the geographical production area in any way. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












3.


The following place name has been corrected in Article 3 of the product specification:






—


‘Pontinia’ instead of ‘Pontina’.




This is a correction to the product specification that does not alter the geographical production area in any way. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.












4.


Article 9 on marketing processed products, which reads as follows:
‘Products made using “Kiwi Latina” PGI, even where the fruit has been processed and treated, may be released for consumption in packaging using that name but without the EU logo provided that:






—


the protected designation product, certified as such, is the only ingredient of that product group,










—


the users of the protected designation product are authorised by the owners of the intellectual property stemming from registration of the PGI, grouped together in the protection association designated by the Ministry of Agricultural Policy. The association will be responsible for registering users and monitoring the correct use of the protected name. In the absence of a designated protection association, these tasks will be carried out by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policy as the national authority responsible for implementing Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92,










—


the non-exclusive use of the protected name means that it can merely be listed among the ingredients of the product containing it, in accordance with the applicable rules.’




has been deleted because it is not relevant to the content of the product specification. This can therefore be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.






Inspection body


A new reference to the inspection body entrusted with checking compliance with the product specification under Article 7(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 has been added, and existing references updated. This can be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.


Updating of references to legislation


The references to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (3) have been replaced with references to the text that is currently in force, Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. This can be classed as a minor amendment pursuant to Article 53(2)(a)-(e) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘KIWI LATINA’


EU No: PGI-IT-0295-AM01 — 24.10.2017


PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

1.   Name(s)

‘Kiwi Latina’
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, cv. Hayward) to be supplied fresh to the consumer.
This fruit is an elliptical cylinder, greater in length than diameter, with light brown skin against a light green background, a soft tomentum, and a calyx that lies slightly below the shoulders. Its flesh is light emerald green in colour with a soft whitish core surrounded by a ring of numerous small black seeds.
The kiwifruit selected for marketing, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, must be:






—


intact (but free of peduncle),










—


sound (produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded),










—


clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter,










—


adequately firm (not soft, shrivelled or water-soaked),










—


well formed, double/multiple fruit being excluded,










—


practically free from pests,










—


practically free from damage caused by pests,










—


free of abnormal external moisture,










—


free of any foreign smell and/or taste.




The fruit must have a degree of maturity of at least 6,2 °Brix when it is picked. There are two commercial classes:
—   ‘Extra Class’ weighing > 90 g
Kiwifruit in this class must be well developed and have all the characteristics and the colouring typical of the variety.
They must be sound, with the exception of very slight superficial defects, provided these do not affect the quality and appearance of the produce or presentation in the package.
—   ‘Class I’ weighing > 80 g
Kiwifruit in this class must be of good quality. They must be firm and the flesh must be perfectly sound. They must be characteristic of the variety. The following defects are allowed, however, provided they do not affect the general appearance of the produce or its keeping quality:






—


a slight defect in shape (but free of swelling or malformations),










—


slight defects in colouring.




Size tolerance
A total tolerance of 10 %, by number or weight, is allowed. Weight may range from 85 g to 89 g (‘Extra Class’) or 77 g to 79 g (‘Class I’).
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

—
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The entire process of growing ‘Kiwi Latina’ takes place within the identified geographical area.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

‘Kiwi Latina’ must be packaged in the production area in order to guarantee that its characteristics are not impaired. Excessive loading and unloading can bruise or graze the kiwifruit’s thin skin, causing product quality to deteriorate considerably.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The logo takes the form of a circle with at the centre a depiction of the Colosseum within which is shown a kiwifruit cross-section of the characteristic emerald green colour with its seeds and core. The area between the Colosseum and the outer circle carries the words KIWI LATINA in green Roman type with the letters arranged in a circle divided into two parts, KIWI above and LATINA below. To the right of the word ‘KIWI’ is a red ladybird with black spots. The required colours are Pantone red, Pantone green, chestnut brown and black. The same type of packaging is used for both national and international trade. The logo must be used on both packaging and the individual kiwifruit.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area comprises 24 municipalities in two provinces (Latina and Rome).
Within the province of Latina, the production area includes the entire territory of seven municipalities and portions of another two (nine in total); in the province of Rome, the area takes in the entire territory of 12 municipalities and portions of another three (15 in total). On the CTR (Carta tecnica regionale) 1:100 000 map, the boundary of the entire area is marked by a thick black line, while the individual municipalities are latticed.
For the municipalities that fall only partly within the production area, the boundary is marked on IGM (Istituto geografico militare) 1:25 000 maps. It is usually represented by an easily identifiable feature (a road, a ditch, etc.).
Sheet 5 gives details for Sabaudia, Latina and Aprilia; sheet 6 for Ardea and Pomezia; and sheet 7 for Artena.
PROVINCE OF LATINA
SABAUDIA (part), LATINA (part), PONTINIA, PRIVERNO, SEZZE, SERMONETA, CORI, CISTERNA DI LATINA, APRILIA
PROVINCE OF ROME
ARDEA (part), POMEZIA (part), MARINO, CASTEL GANDOLFO, ALBANO LAZIALE, ARICCIA, GENZANO DI ROMA, LANUVIO, VELLETRI, LARIANO, ARTENA (part), PALESTRINA, ZAGAROLO, SAN CESAREO, COLONNA
5.   Link with the geographical area

The area has a humid temperate climate, similar to that prevailing in the region where this species originated (China’s Yangtze valley), with an average temperature of 13-15 °C (average minimum of 8-10 °C and average maximum of 28-30 °C), average relative humidity of 75-80 % in the summer and absence of early frosts which means that the fruit can be harvested at the right degree of maturity to develop the best possible quality, to keep perfectly in cold storage until July of the year after harvest, and, by the time of consumption, to reach a sugar content of at least 12 °Brix and a firmness of no more than 3 kg measured with an 8 mm probe.






—


The area very rarely suffers the winter and spring frost damage that, in other parts of Italy, causes major production losses in the seasons that follow and therefore supply interruptions.










—


The Pontine area is characterised by high total solar radiation, which means that the fruit can develop the right degree of maturity for sale by an earlier date. Soil: The growing area features alluvial and displaced volcanic soils resting on highly fertile pozzolanic and tuffaceous subsoils, which immediately proved to be particularly suitable for growing Actinidia.




Know-how: Table grapes — which, like Actinidia, are grown on vines and require very similar support structures and growing techniques — had long been grown in the area where Actinidia cultivation became established. This meant that it was easy to adapt to the most suitable techniques for this new crop to produce a high-quality product typical of the area.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)
This Ministry has launched the national opposition procedure by publishing the proposal for recognising ‘Kiwi Latina’ PGI in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 219 of 19 September 2017.
The consolidated text of the product specification can be consulted on the following website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335
or alternatively:
by going directly to the homepage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Qualità’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP, IGP e STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen), and finally by clicking on ‘Disciplinari di produzione all’esame dell’UE’.


(1)  OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(3)  OJ L 208, 24.7.1992, p. 1.