Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2024-09-02
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Balearic Islands, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, olive oil, product designation, quality control of agricultural products








C_202405351EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/5351


2.9.2024






Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs
(C/2024/5351)

Following this publication, the authorities of a Member State or of a third country, or a natural or legal person having a legitimate interest and established or resident in a third country, may lodge, in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) an opposition with the Commission within 3 months from the date of this publication.
SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca'


EU No: PGI-ES-03012 — 9.10.2023
                  


PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca'
2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)
3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

’Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' is an extra virgin olive oil that is organic or in conversion, obtained solely by mechanical processes from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.). It is a fruity oil of medium or strong intensity and on the palate it has light to medium bitterness and pungency. These characteristics enable it to be classified as a well-balanced oil.
Physico-chemical characteristics:
Acidity (expressed as oleic acid): ≤ 0,5 %
Peroxide value: ≤ 15 meq O2/kg
K232 ≤ 2,00
K270 ≤ 0,18
Organoleptic characteristics:






Attribute


Median value




Green fruitiness


≥ 3,5




Bitter


≥ 2 ≤ 6




Pungent


≥ 2,5 ≤ 6




Balance


The median of the bitter attribute and the median of the pungent attribute are not more than 2 points above the median of the green fruitiness.




3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

All steps in the production of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca', from olive growing to processing, must take place on the island of Menorca.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All steps in the production of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca', from olive growing to processing, must take place on the island of Menorca.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The containers of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' must protect the olive oil from light.
The maximum capacity of the containers is 5 litres.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The labelling must bear the words 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca', followed by the initials ‘IGP’. The operator may choose the version 'Oli de Menorca' (Catalan) and/or 'Aceite de Menorca' (Spanish).
The labelling must include a sequential alphanumeric numbering code to facilitate product traceability checks.
4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The area where the olives are grown and 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' is produced is limited exclusively to the island of Menorca, which belongs to the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands.
The island of Menorca is situated between latitudes 39° 47′ 55″ and 40° 05′ 17″ N and longitudes 3° 47' 26″ and 4° 19' 40″ E in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the easternmost island of the Balearic archipelago.
It has a surface area of approximately 701 km2, and is 48 km long at its longest point and 20 km wide at its widest point.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The link with the environment is based on the product’s reputation.
Current reputation
The reputation gained by 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' is evidenced by the numerous international awards it has received, its presence on the menus of prestigious restaurants, its participation in numerous fairs and the publications that refer to the quality of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca'.
As regards international awards, various producers have recently won prizes in competitions. Notable examples include: the London International Olive Oil Competition (2021 and 2022) and the ‘BIOFACH 2022 Olive Oil Award’, where a Menorcan olive oil was placed in the top 10 organic olive oils worldwide at the prestigious BIOFACH fair for organic products (Nuremberg).
The organoleptic characteristic that has contributed most to the reputation of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' is the ‘green’ quality of the fruitiness. Green fruitiness is linked to, and conditioned by, the human factor, as it is achieved by harvesting the olives when they are green or in the early stages of ripening; to this end, the product specification states that the harvesting of the olives must begin at the end of September and when the olives have reached a maturity index of between 1 and 4 on the Ferreira scale (1979).
The green fruitiness sets the oil apart, but means that the yield from the processing of the olives into oil is significantly lower. In the case of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca', the product specification sets a maximum yield of 17 litres per 100 kg of olives. Green fruitiness therefore involves a reduction in profitability for producers, which they accept because experts and consumers recognise and value this distinguishing factor.
It is a proven fact that green fruitiness has an influence on reputation, and the 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' oils that have received awards in national and international competitions exhibited that characteristic.
’Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' features on the menus of numerous prestigious local, national and international restaurants, such as Gaig and Igueldo in Barcelona In cities such as London, Paris and Geneva, 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' features on restaurant menus, translated into the official languages of the corresponding countries.
Another fact that testifies to the reputation enjoyed by 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' is its presence at local, Spanish and international fairs. These include the Fira Arrels [Arrels Fair] for local produce and cuisine of Menorca, and the annual gastronomic days Menorca en el Plato [Menorca on a plate]. Outside the island, we would highlight participation in the national gastronomic fair Madrid Fusión (2021), in ‘Taste of Paris’ (2022) and in BIOFACH, Nuremberg (2022).
It should also be noted that, after undergoing a rigorous procedure, 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' was registered in 2020 in the Catalogue of Traditional Foodstuffs of the Balearic Islands, which is managed by the authority responsible for agriculture in the Balearic Islands. This achievement was reported in the local press.
’Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' enjoys significant visibility in local, national and international media, where it has been praised in Catalan, Spanish, French and English (depending on the language of the country of origin).
Such media include the El Viajero supplement to the newspaper El País, El Económico [online newspaper] and, on numerous occasions, Diario de Menorca and Arabalears [newspapers]
There are also international publications that mention 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca' in the languages in which they are published, for example Yonder.fr, which is a French website specialising in travel and gastronomy. The online publication of Forbes magazine highlights the presence of the product on the island.
Historical reputation
The historical background is further proof of the current reputation of 'Oli de Menorca / Aceite de Menorca'.
In his work Die Balearen in Wort und Bild geschildert [The Balearic Islands portrayed in words and images] (1867-1891), Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria writes: ‘Menorcan olive oil ... can easily match the quality of olive oil from Mallorca.’ He describes in detail the existing production on the island, highlighting the importance and quality of the products of certain farms on the local market.
Following the adoption of the decimal metric system in Spain, the Mayor of Mahón issued a regulation in 1871 in which he laid down the equivalences, in the new metric system, of the traditional measures used for the most relevant products present on the island. Thus, the ‘Menorcan olive oil measures’ were adopted and were published in the Boletín de Anuncios [Journal of Notices] of the newspaper El Menorquín.

Reference to publication of the specification


https://www.caib.es/sites/qualitatagroalimentaria/es/oli_de_menorca/



(1)  Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products, amending Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013, (EU) 2019/787 and (EU) 2019/1753 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (OJ L, 2024/1143, 23.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5351/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)