Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27
Date: 2025-06-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Apulia, Italy, citrus fruit, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products




C_202503209EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3209


13.6.2025






Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 (1)

(C/2025/3209)

COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)



                     ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’
                  


PGI-IT-0247-AM01 – 20.3.2025
                  

1.   Name of product



                  ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’
               

2.   Geographical indication type







☐


Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)










☒


Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)










☐


Geographical Indication (GI)




3.   Sector







☒


Agricultural products










☐


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Italy
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry – Promotion of Agri Food Quality (PQA) 1
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

This is a standard amendment within the meaning of Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 as it does not include a change in the name, does not risk voiding the link and does not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)

1.   Removal of the reference to Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92

The reference to Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 in Article 1 of the product specification has been removed.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
2.   Amendments to Article 4 on growing characteristics: pruning

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended by removing the annual pruning requirement. Pruning may also now be performed every two years and green pruning is also permitted.
This activity needed to be streamlined due to the increasing shortage of labour for specialised citrus pruning. Therefore, pruning may be performed in alternate years where the growing conditions of the plant allow it, while green pruning is aimed at balancing production.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
3.   Amendments to Article 4 on growing characteristics: irrigation

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended by uncoupling irrigation and lack of rainfall, and by including underground irrigation methods.
This irrigation method has been included in the product specification in response to the growing need to make water use more efficient.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
4.   Amendments to Article 4 on growing characteristics: tillage

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended by including the option to use managed grassing techniques.
The use of grassing techniques has been included in the product specification due to the current and ever-increasing need to protect against the loss of organic matter in soils and to preserve the biodiversity of beneficial insect fauna.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
5.   Amendments to Article 4 on growing characteristics: planting distances

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended by simplifying the text on the requirements for planting distances, allowing different planting densities of up to a maximum of 750 plants/ha. This limit was previously allowed only in plantations that existed before the PGI was recognised.
The maximum number of plants per hectare has been increased as a result of the introduction of dynamic planting distances and soil ridges into standard citrus growing techniques over the last two decades.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
6.   Amendments to Article 4 on growing characteristics: definition of the rootstock

Article 4 of the product specification has been amended by introducing the option to use the rootstocks provided for in the legislation in force as an alternative to Citrus aurantium L., commonly known as ‘bitter orange’.
The reason for introducing the option to use rootstocks other than Citrus aurantium is strictly for plant health reasons.
The amendment does not affect the single document.
7.   Article 6: Introduction of specifications for product intended for processing

Article 6 of the product specification has been amended by introducing specifications for product intended for processing, allowing the use of fruit that may be damaged, free from rot and/or of a minimum size of 7 (41-48 mm), without prejudice to the other characteristics laid down in the product specification. Such fruit may use the ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ PGI, but may not be sold in their unprocessed form to the end consumer.
The inclusion of rules for processed products in the product specification is justified by the growing interest from the processing industry in products with protected status. The minimum size was lowered by one category only for product intended for processing due to the increased interest from the processing industry in products with protected status. This does not affect the share of the product destined for direct consumption.
The amendment affects the single document.
8.   Article 7: Insertion of the article on the link

The link has been included in Article 7, and the labelling and packaging specifications have been moved to Article 8.
The text that has been added reproduces in full and without any amendment the information already contained in points 4.4 and 4.6 of the summary in force prior to this amendment.
The amendment affects the single document.
9.   Article 8: Description and presentation

Article 8 has been added to the product specification, with the specifications relating to the description and presentation moved here from Article 7, which now covers the link.
The maximum weight of the packages has been removed and replaced with a minimum weight. The percentage of fruit in a package that must bear the logo of the designation has been changed from 90 % to 60 %. Furthermore, the mandatory information may be included on the label and/or tag and/or packaging rather than it needing to be all grouped on one side of the package.
The expansion of the reference market for the sale of products with a protected name has resulted in different purchasing trends amongst end consumers. Therefore, in order to meet different market demands, a maximum weight has been replaced by a minimum weight for sealed packages and the minimum and maximum size of unsealed packages has been removed. This will allow for more packaging options.
The percentage of fruit needing to have a sticker in unsealed packages has been reduced in order to speed up packaging operations for small sales businesses, which do not have expensive equipment to fully automate the application of stickers, and so it is done manually.
The amendment affects the single document.
10.   Article 8: Description and presentation

In Article 8, the requirement to include the words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ [Protected Geographical Indication] in full has been deleted and replaced with the abbreviation ‘IGP’ [PGI], and the specifications for the identification and labelling of product intended exclusively for processing have been added.
The amendment affects the single document.
11.   Article 8: Description and presentation

The logo of the designation, for which only a graphic description was provided previously, has now been included.
The amendment affects the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s) of PGI


               ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’
            
2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy
3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code







—


08 – EDIBLE FRUIT AND NUTS; PEEL OF CITRUS FRUIT OR MELONS

                        0805  – Citrus fruit, fresh or dried

                        0805 21  – Mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas)

                        0805 22  – Clementines










—


20 – PREPARATIONS OF VEGETABLES, FRUIT, NUTS OR OTHER PARTS OF PLANTS

                        2008  – Fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, otherwise prepared or preserved, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or spirit, not elsewhere specified or included

                        2008 30  – Citrus fruit

                        2008 30 55  – Mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas); clementines, wilkings and other similar citrus hybrids

                        2008 30 75  – Mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas); clementines, wilkings and other similar citrus hybrids




3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The protected geographical indication (PGI) ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ refers exclusively to clementines from the species Citrus clementine Hort. ex Tanaka of the following cultivars and clonal selections: Comune, Fedele, Precoce di Massacra (Spinoso), Grosso Puglia, ISA, SRA 63, SRA 89.
The protected geographical indication ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ must meet, in addition to the requirements laid down in the common quality standards in force, the following characteristics:
Shape: round, slightly flattened at the top and bottom;
Skin: smooth or slightly rough, orange in colour with a maximum of 30 % green colour;
Colour of the flesh: orange;
Minimum size: 6 (43-52 mm);
Minimum juice content: 40 % of the weight of the fruit when pressed manually;
Smell: intense, long-lasting;
Ripeness ratio: minimum 6:1, resulting from the ratio between the soluble solids content expressed in degrees Brix and the titratable acids expressed as citric acid
Seedless, with a maximum of 5 % of clementines containing no more than three seeds.
When the product is intended for processing, it is permitted to use fruit that may be damaged, free from rot and/or of a minimum size of 7 (41-48 mm), without prejudice to the other characteristics laid down in the product specification. Such fruit may use the ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ PGI, but may not be sold in their unprocessed form to the end consumer.
3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The protected geographical indication (PGI) ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ refers to clementines from the following cultivars and clonal selections: Comune, Fedele, Precoce di Massacra (Spinoso), Grosso Puglia, ISA, SRA 63, SRA 89.
The clementines in question may only be supplied fresh to the consumer and must be produced within the territory of the municipalities of the province of Taranto referred to in point 4.
3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The production stages of ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ must take place in the production area identified in point 4.
3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to


                  ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ must be made available to consumers: in sealed containers so as to prevent the contents from being removed without the seal being broken, with a minimum weight of 0,5 kg; in unsealed containers, with the logo of the designation described below applied to at least 60 % of the fruit in the package.
When the PGI product is intended exclusively for processing, and cannot be made available to the final consumer in its natural state, identification must appear on packaging or containers that comply with the legislation.
3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Adjectives that exalt commercial characteristics or express additional commercial opinions may not be used.
The words ‘I.G.P. Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ must appear on the packaging in clear lettering that is easily distinguishable from any other information, in characters that are at least twice the size of all other text.
It is permitted to include text referring to: names, company names, and private brands bearing an identification code, provided that they do not mislead the consumer or exalt the characteristics of the fruit.
When the PGI product is intended exclusively for processing, and cannot be made available to the final consumer in its natural state, identification must appear on packaging or containers that comply with the legislation. These must bear the wording ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto IGP, destinate alla trasformazione’ [Clementine del Golfo di Taranto PGI intended for processing]. The specific and unmistakeable logo, which must be used together with the protected geographical indication, is circular, and is formed by two concentric circles that are Pantone 356 CV green colour. In the space between the two circles are the following words in the same colour Pantone green 356 CV: Indicazione Geografica Protetta [Protected Geographical Indication]. In the middle, there is a blue sky (in Pantone 306 CV), and an intense-orange clementine (in Pantone orange 021 CV), with a green stalk and leaf (in Pantone 356 CV). Below the image of the fruit are the words ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ in Pantone orange 021 CV. Between the two circles, at the bottom, there is the abbreviation ‘I.G.P.’ [PGI] in green (Pantone 356 CV).





4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area for ‘Clementine del Golfo di Taranto’ comprises the entire territory of the municipalities of Palagiano, Massafra, Ginosa, Castellaneta, Palagianello, Taranto and Statte.
5.   Link with the geographical area

The origin of the clementine is unclear. According to some sources, it is a hybrid which occurred naturally in Algeria in 1898, whereas according to Tanaka it is a similar citrus fruit to the Cantonese mandarin (Citrus clementine Hort.) that grows throughout China. It was first introduced in the province of Taranto in the 18th century, but did not become a widespread specialised citrus crop there until the 20th century. The geographical and socio-economic centre of the area covered by the designation is situated in the municipalities of the province of Taranto that border the gulf of the same name. In the 1950s, as a result of the discovery, collection and provision of appropriate irrigation resources that came with land reform, citrus growing became, after a period of expansion and specialisation, a major crop in the defined area. The Gulf of Taranto’s warm, sunny and fairly dry climate encourages the growth and ripening of the fruit and helps give it excellent characteristics in terms of colour, flavour and shelf life. The traceability of the product is underpinned by the fact that growers of Clementine del Golfo di Taranto must have their citrus groves entered in a register created, kept and updated by the inspection body. They are required to provide the relevant land register details, so that the citrus groves can be identified, along with their surface area and the layout and year of planting.
The land bordering on the Gulf of Taranto is to be regarded as ideal for citrus growing in that, in addition to being uniform and almost invariably flat, it is fertile, deep and well drained. Its excellent southern exposure and the Murgia, a hilly ridge which provides protection from cold northern winds, are characteristic features of the production area. Using plants and nets, growers often build windbreaks to protect the clementines from the sirocco, libeccio and other southern winds which, since they come in from the sea, can harm the trees. The temperatures are well suited to citrus growing since they rarely fall below 0 °C. In addition, the significant variation between day and night temperatures during the period of ripening contributes to the aesthetic and organoleptic characteristics of the fruit. Spontaneous mutations of the variety initially and habitually grown (Comune) have occurred in the area of production thanks in part to the suitability of the weather. In view of their morphological and qualitative characteristics, these mutations – which in some cases have taken on the name of the geographical locality (e.g. Grosso Puglia and Precoce di Massafra) – have acquired a major role in production. Cultivation of the species is now highly specialised in the area and has acquired added significance. Confirmation of the economic and social importance of the clementines is to be found in the Sagra del Mandarino, which dates back to 1970 and provides an opportunity for debate and discussion on the subject of the crop and its prospects as the product becomes more and more established on domestic markets on the strength of its qualitative (organoleptic and commercial) characteristics.

Reference to publication of the product specification


https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F4%252Fe%252FD.a7e2182d713c002a0eaf/P/BLOB%3AID%3D3343/E/pdf?mode=download



(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3209/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)