C 77/8EN Official Journal of the European Communities 17.3.2000

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

(2000/C 77/04) This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in the Member State concerned 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.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5 PDO (x) PGI ( ) National application No: 52 1. Responsible department in the Member State: Name: Subdirección General de Denominaciones de Calidad Dirección General de Alimentación Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación de Espaæa Address: Paseo Infanta Isabel, 1, E-28071 Madrid Tel.: (34) 913 47 53 94 Fax: (34) 913 47 54 10

2. Applicant group: 2.1. Name: Asociación de productores de melocotón tardío de la zona de Calanda (Association of producers of late peaches in the Calanda area) 2.2. Address: Plaza de Espaæa, 1, E-44570 Calanda () Tel.: (34) 978 88 61 33 2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) other ( )

3. Type of product: Fresh peaches. Category 1.6: Fruit and vegetables

4. Specification: (summary of requirements under Art. 4(2)) 4.1. Name: ‘Melocotón de Calanda’ 4.2. Description: Fresh peach of the species Prunus persica from the indigenous variety ‘late yellow’ and its selected clones Jesa, Evaisa and Calante, obtained by the traditional technique of bagging the fruit on the tree. It has the following characteristics: Colour: creamy yellow and straw yellow Size: >73 mm diameter Hardness at time of harvesting: between 3,5 kg and 5 kg/0,5 cm2 pH at time of harvesting: between 3,5 and 4,5 Sugar content at time of harvesting: at least 12 degrees Brix. 4.3. Geographical area: The production area is a natural region located in the eastern part of the Autonomous Community of Aragón, straddling the Provinces of Saragossa and Teruel and over- lapping the southeastern section of the Ebro Depression. It includes the following municipalities: , Albalate, Arzobispo, Alcaæiz, , , Andorra, Arens de Lledó, Ariæo, Berge, Calanda del , Caspe, CastelserÆs, , , Chiprana, , Escatrón, Fabara, Fayón, Foz-Calanda, , Híjar, , , , La Puebla de Híjar, Lledó, Maella, MÆs de las Matas, Mazaleón, Mequinenza, Molinos, Nonaspe, , Parras de Castellote, , SÆstago, Seno, Torre de Compte, Urrea de GaØn, , , . 17.3.2000EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 77/9

4.4. Proof of origin: Peaches arriving at the fruit and vegetables packing plants belong to the authorised variety and are from orchards listed in the register of the Consejo Regulador (regulatory body responsible for control).

After undergoing assessment in compliance with the requirements in the specification at registered packing plants located in the production area, the peaches are packed and put up for sale. Where they satisfy the assessment and control requirements in full, the Consejo Regulador issues a certificate of conformity. They are then protected by a designation of origin and bear a numbered label issued by the Consejo Regulador.

4.5. Method of production: Peaches in registered orchards are thinned on the tree during the months of June and July. They are placed in paper bags treated with paraffin wax which remain attached to the branch until harvesting. The fruit is protected in this way against dust, rain, attack by pests and premature fall caused by wind and thus reaches full maturity. In order to determine when it should be harvested its hardness and sugar content are first measured. At the packing plant the peaches, after selection and assessment, are placed in a single layer on trays in preparation for marketing.

4.6. Link: The varieties authorised for the growing of ‘Melocotón de Calanda’ are indigenous to the production area, having been obtained by natural selection by fruitgrowers who over time have selected clones that have adpated best to local geographical conditions. In the late nineteenth century the renown of peaches from the area was such that orejones (slices of sundried peach) from Calanda were sent to the Paris Exhibition of 1867.

The cultivation area occupies the valleys of the rivers Martin, Guadalope and Matarraæa which drain into the Ebro the region known as Bajo Aragón, from the foothills of the Iberian System. The region is arid with low, intermittent rainfall and extremes of temperature owing to its continental climate caused by the relief which cuts it off from maritime influences from both the Mediter- ranean and the Atlantic. In addition, the severe prevailing northeasterly wind called the ‘Cierzo’ aggravates the aridity. The flat or slightly undulating territory has an altitude ranging from 122m at Caspe to 466m at Calanda. The soil is calcareous (limy) with calcium carbonate formations.

The techniques used for cultivation, tilling, fertilization, pruning, the bagging of the fruit and pest and disease control combine with an environment suitable for the development of peach trees to give sound fruit with special characteristics which are linked to the geographical region.

4.7. Inspection structure:

Name: Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen ‘Melocotón de Calanda’.

Address: BartolomØ Esteban, 58, E-44660 Alcaæiz, Teruel

Tel.: (34) 978 83 45 47

Fax: (34) 978 83 45 52

4.8. Labelling: The words ‘Melocotón de Calanda — Denominación de origen’ must be shown on the label. Labels must be numbered and issued by the Consejo Regulador.

4.9. National requirements: Law No 25 of 2 December 1970.

EC No: G/E/00103/99.08.27.

Date of receipt of the full application: 27 August 1999.