A) of Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs (2015/C 372/04
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C 372/4 EN Official Journal of the European Union 10.11.2015 OTHER ACTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION Publication of an amendment application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151 /2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2015/C 372/04) This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘HUILE D'OLIVE D'AIX-EN-PROVENCE’ EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01279 — 17.11.2014 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest Syndicat AOC Huile d'olive d'Aix-en-Provence (Aix-en-Provence Olive Oil CDO Confederation) Maison des agriculteurs 22 avenue Henri Pontier 13626 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 01 Tel/Fax: +33 442963708 E-mail: [email protected] The Syndicat AOC Huile d'Olive d'Aix-en-Provence is made up of olive producers and processors of ‘Huile d'olive d'Aix-en-Provence’ and it has a legitimate interest in submitting an amendment application. 2. Member State or Third Country France 3. Headings in the specification affected by the amendment(s) — Name of product — Description of product — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Method of production — Link — Labelling — Other: inspection 4. Type of amendment(s) — Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. 10.11.2015 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 372/5 — Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be regarded as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 5. Amendment(s) Description of product The product description has been further clarified and expanded so as to take better account of the producers' expertise and practices. This more accurate description has led to a distinction being made between ‘Huile d'olive d'Aix-en-Provence’ and that followed by the words ‘matured olives’. Olive oil made from matured olives was already covered by the initial registration, which was based on a f airly broad description of the product, but was not identified as such. This distinction responds to the requesting group's wish to improve the way in which the product is identified and characterised, and to provide consumers with clear information. This clarification is opportune in the current context of how the olive oil market is developing: consumers have become more knowl edgeable about olive oil, and this distinction meets market demand. Before 1950 or thereabouts, the extraction equipment used and the mills' limited production capacity meant that millers, in the course of the season, had to store olives for a few days before they could be pressed. The development, after 1950, of modern presses made it possible to dispense with this preliminary stage of maturing the olives. However, the millers of Aix-en-Provence maintained the custom of allowing the olives used to produce some of their oil to mature for a f ew days before pressing. Maturing the olives before pressing alters the oil's analytical and sensory characteristics: — in olive oil made from olives that have not been matured prior to pressing, the maximum free acidity content has been reduced to 0,8 g/100 g, whereas it remains at 1,5 g/100 g for olive oil made from matured olives; — the oil's aromatic profile has been expressed more clearly: — olive oil made from olives that have not been matured prior to pressing has a bouquet characterised by fresh grass, raw artichoke and at times notes of vanilla. On the palate, flavours of fresh grass and/or raw artichoke are also present, sometimes complemented by notes of walnuts, fresh hazelnuts and red berries. There may be a peppery aftertaste. — olive oil made from olives matured prior to pressing has a fairly intense bouquet dominated by aromas reminis cent of toast, black olives and cooked artichokes, sometimes complemented by notes of cocoa or vanilla. On the palate, the dominant flavours are sourdough bread, black olives, cocoa and cooked artichokes. — the levels of bitterness and spiciness have been defined and added to the specification: — for olive oil made from olives that have not been matured prior to pressing, the spiciness and bitterness vary from 1 to 5 on the International Olive Council (IOC) organoleptic scale in the first four months after pressing, gradually softening to between 1 and 3 at the end of that period; — for olive oil made from olives that have been matured prior to pressing, the spiciness and bitterness are below 2 on the IOC organoleptic scale in the first four months after pressing, gradually softening to below 1 at the end of that period. In addition, in order to maintain quality for the consumer, the peroxide index has been lowered to 15 mEq O2 per kg of oil instead of 20 as was initially the case. The limit for the K270 index has been deleted as this parameter is closely correlated to acidity and the peroxide index. Deleting it therefore has no impact on the quality and the characteristics of the oil in that the maximum permitted values for acidity and the peroxide index have been stipulated. The indication of the ‘virgin’ quality of the oil has been deleted, as this characteristic is linked to the acidity content of the oil, and the oil can also be ‘extra virgin’. Proof of origin Owing to developments in national legislation and regulations, the text under the heading ‘Evidence that the prod uct originates from the defined geographical area’ has been consolidated to bring together, in particular, provisions on declaration requirements and keeping registers for tracing products and monitoring production conditions. C 372/6 EN Official Journal of the European Union 10.11.2015 This section has also been extended to include several provisions on registers and declaration documents, enabling traceability and verification of product compliance with the requirements of the specifications to be guaranteed. Method of production — main varieties: an analysis of the olive groves that are currently productive has shown that they already have the required minimum proportion of 80 % of the main varieties. The deadline, originally set at 2019, for reach ing the minimum required percentage has therefore been deleted. — secondary varieties: In order to facilitate checks on the suitability of the varieties, some of the traditional local varieties considered as secondary varieties have been listed: Ribier, Sabine, Saurine, Sigeoise, Triparde. However, this list is not exhaustive and covers the most common varieties. — pollinator varieties: as the varieties of olives listed are not self-pollinating, the amendment is intended to allow the presence of olive trees from pollinating varieties, provided that they are planted at appropriate distances in the grove in question and do not exceed 5 % of the trees in the grove, in line with current practice. The olives from these trees may be used. — tree density: the rules on density remain unchanged, but the calculation method has been specified and the minimum distance between trees has been set at 4 metres. — intercropping: a prohibition on intercropping in groves with PDO status has been introduced in order to avoid competition with the olive trees, especially saplings, so as to ensure the quality of the product. However, in accordance with local customs, fruit trees, which are not considered to affect the product's final quality, may be grown in olive groves provided that they do not represent more than 5 % of the total number of trees on the parcel in question. — irrigation: a cut-off date for irrigation has been introduced to replace the current provision permitting irrigation ‘until ripening’, which is somewhat vague. The cut-off date has therefore been set at 1 November. — Yield: the method for calculating yield has been specified such as to rule out all ambiguity. It is specified that yield is calculated in relation to ‘ the quantity harvested’, ‘irrespective of the intended use of the olives’, and ‘on average’ across all the parcels identified on the property. In order to ensure that the olives used are of sufficient quality, the age when the trees start producing has been specified: the trees must have been planted on the parcel for at least five years. — harvesting: various provisions on harvesting have been introduced to lay down best practices and guarantee the quality of olives harvested: — arrangements for starting the harvesting season: the start date for the harvest is set by officials from the com petent authority (the director of INAO), on a reasoned proposal from the group. — permitted harvesting techniques: the passage permitting mechanical harvesting procedures has been clarified, without any change to the permitted techniques. The specification sent with the application for registration of a PDO provides that olives must be harvested directly from the tree without the use of abscission agents; the use of nets is permitted. This wording aims, in particular, to prohibit the use of olives that have fallen to the ground naturally (overripe or damaged). Conversely, this wording does not prohibit the use of mechanical har vesting procedures requiring harvesting nets.