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C 440/4 EN Official Journal of the European Union 26.11.2016 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 (2016/C 440/05) This publication confers the right to oppose the amendment application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN/PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION WHICH IS NOT MINOR Application for approval of an amendment in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 ‘TERRE TARENTINE’ EU No: IT-PDO-0105-01356 — 24.7.2015 PDO ( X ) PGI ( ) 1. Applicant group and legitimate interest O. P.OL AJPR Soc. Coop. Agricola dei Produttori olivicoli già Associazione dei Produttori Olivicoli della provincia di Taranto [Cooperative (former association) of olive producers in the province of Taranto]. Address: S. S. 7 Appia, Km. 640.4 74010 Statte (TA) ITALIA Tel. +39 0994527778 Fax +39 0994551832 Email: [email protected]; certified email (PEC): [email protected] The above protection association is entitled to submit an amendment application pursuant to 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) — Product name — Product description — Geographical area — Proof of origin — Production method — Link — Labelling — Other [details of the control body have been inserted] 4. Type of amendment(s) — Amendment to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. (1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1. 26.11.2016 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 440/5 — Amendment to the product specification of registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published not to be qualified as minor in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. 5. Amendment(s) Description of product to which the name applies The amendment concerns three chemical parameters cited in Article 8 of the specification. The proposed amendments are: K232 from ≤ 1,7 to ≤ 2,4 Linolenic acid from ≤ 0,6 % to ≤ 0,9 % Campesterol from ≤ 3,3 % to ≤ 3,5 % When the Specifications were being drafted in the early 2000s, the chemical parameters that are now subject to the amendment request were achievable, albeit with some difficulty. Following European recognition and in the light of the data compiled from the analyses systematically carried out on the product to certify its PDO status, the difficulty of meeting these parameters started to become apparent. The difficulties were put down to momentary and short-lived adverse local circumstances. Only subsequently was it realised that it was not a case of temporarily adverse local circumstances but in fact the result of widespread conditions that were most probably produced by climatic and environmental changes. In evidence of this, we point out that even Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 (1) has been amended by increasing, for example, the linoleic acid value from ≤ 0,8 % to ≤ 1 %. Years of checks on all the lots of olive oil produced in accordance with the provisions laid down by the legislation in force in the identified geographical area have demonstrated the extreme difficulty of obtaining the PDO certification for a large part of the oil produced. The requested amendment would, by adopting values that are actually compatible with the soil and climate conditions of the identified area, allow PDO certification to be issued, which has today become greatly inhibited due to these overly restrictive limits. The proposed amendments to the limit values of K232, the percentage of linolenic acid and the percentage of campesterol do not entail any significant amendments to the typical quality characteristics, nor do they entail any amendments to the organoleptic qualities or the stability of ‘Terre Tarentine’ extra virgin olive oil PDO over time. Proof of origin At the time of registration, the information on the proof of origin was contained only in the summary sheet and there was no specific article in the product specification. A specific article has therefore been added to the specifi­ cation based on the information already present in the summary sheet; additional details have been added to make the information clearer. The fourth and fifth paragraphs of the summary sheet state: ‘The olives come from olive groves located in the production area and to this end producers enter their facilities in a register which has been duly created and updated by the inspection body. Production, processing, packaging and bottling are carried out within the defined geographical area and producers who plan to market their extra virgin olive oil under that name must, in order to ensure the traceability of the product, register their processing facilities in the special registers kept and updated by the inspection body; each year they must also register the quantity of olives processed and the amount of oil produced.’ Article 11, which has been added to the specification, states: ‘Every stage in the production process must be monitored and a record made of the inputs and outputs at each stage. The traceability of the product is ensured by entering the cadastral parcels on which the product is grown, as well as the details of the producers, millers and packagers, on lists managed by the inspection body, and by keeping registers of production and packaging. All natural and legal persons whose names appear in the lists will be subject to monitoring by the inspection body in accordance with the product specification and the inspection plan.’ Moreover, the information on specific rules concerning packaging in the fifth paragraph of the summary sheet and Article 9 of the specification is also given in point 3.5 of the Single Document, together with the necessary justifi­ cation. Thus, point 3.5 of the single document is worded as follows: (1) OJ L 248, 5.9.1991, p. 1. C 440/6 EN Official Journal of the European Union 26.11.2016 ‘“Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil PDO must be bottled and packed in the identified geographical area. This requirement makes it possible to keep any transport of the oil in bulk to a minimum, which often results in minor chemical changes that translate into significant organoleptic changes. Olive oil is extremely sensitive to aromatic interference that may be caused by the internal environment of the tank used for transporting the oil. In order to maintain the product’s specific characteristics throughout the production process and guarantee compliance with the quality requirements, “Terre Tarentine” oil has always had to be packaged within the area referred to in Article 4. Thanks to their specific knowledge of how to handle the oil during the pre-packaging and packaging phase, local producers are able to determine, among other things, the ideal filtration and settling times and meth­ ods and the ideal packaging temperature. Packaging in the area at the end of the production process is therefore necessary to ensure that the organoleptic and quality characteristics of “Terre Tarentine” extra-virgin olive oil PDO are preserved. Packaging in the area also allows the inspection body to monitor the entire production and packag­ ing process as effectively as possible so as to guarantee the product’s typical characteristics and at the same time ensure its traceability.’ Link At the time of registration, the information on the link was contained only in the first three paragraphs of point 4.5 and in point 4.6 of the summary sheet, and there was no specific article on the link in the product specification. The information contained in the first three paragraphs of point 4.5 and in point 4.6 of the summary sheet, as reworded and supplemented, has therefore been included in Article 12. Therefore, concerning the link, Article 12 of the specification states: ‘Olive growing represents a major production factor and plays a key role in the local economy. The production area for the “Terre Tarentine” extra virgin olive oil is located on the western escarpment of the province of Taranto. It is exposed to the south and protected to the north by the Murge hills and is marked by extremely specialised agronomic features and propitious soil and climatic conditions that typify the Tarantine Arco Jonico, which enjoys a m ild climate. The soil is sandy, deep, and mostly red-brown in type, with stoniness, made up of flint and limestone shingle, varying from none to high; permeability varies from medium-high to very high. Clay content is equal to or less than 20 %, while limestone is equal to or less than 5 %. The climate is hot and dry; average rainfall ranges from a minimum of approximately 10 mm in July to a maximum of approximately 80 mm in November. The average annual temperature gravitates around 15-16 °C, with a minimum temperature of approximately 9 °C and a maximum of 30 °C. The exceptional soil and climatic conditions in the area of the Tarantine Arco Jonico, together with the characteris­ tic environment of the production area for the “Terre Tarentine” PDO confer unmistakable qualities upon the oil produced. The hot and dry Mediterranean climate and the sandy and deep soils, that are mainly red-brown in type, favour the development of a wide range of polyphenols that produce the bitter and pungent taste.

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