22.11.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 279/7

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Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2007/C 279/06)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ACCIUGHE SOTTO SALE DEL MAR LIGURE’

EC No: IT/PGI/005/0358/10.08.2004

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the specification for information purposes.

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:	Ministero Politiche agricole, alimentari e forestali
Address:	Via XX Settembre, 20 I-00187 Roma
Tel.	(39) 06 46 65 60 78
Fax	(39) 06 42 01 31 26
E-mail:	qpa3@politicheagricole.gov.it

2.   Applicant group:

Name:	Cooperativa Pescatori Camogli
Address:	Via della Repubblica, 140 I-16032 Camogli (GE)
Tel.	(39) 0185 77 26 00
Fax	(39) 011 972 42 25
E-mail:	—
Composition:	Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

3.   Type of product:

Group 1.7: Fresh fish, molluscs, and crustaceans and products derived therefrom

4.   Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1   Name: ‘Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure’

4.2   Description: The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure is reserved for the product obtained from the anchovies fished, processed and preserved in salt.

Anchovies, designating exclusively fish of the Engraulis encrasicolus L. species, are migratory and gregarious fish that migrate, from spring to autumn, close to the Ligurian coast and in the winter season in waters of 100 to 150 metres deep.

The finished product, i.e. ready to be marketed, will be as follows:

size: body length between 12 and 20 cm,

external appearance: anchovies must be whole; their very fine skin must still be partially visible,

texture: filets must be tender and adhere to the fish-bone,

colour: varying from pink to dark brown depending on the part of the body,

taste: dry, fairly salty. The meat is lean and only slightly unctuous to the palate.

4.3   Geographical area: Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure are fished, processed and packaged in waters off the Ligurian coast, which covers the territory of the municipalities in the region of Liguria on the Tyrrhenian coast delimited by the watershed line.

In particular, the fishing area comprises the zone along the Ligurian coast at a varying distance from the coast depending on both the fishing depth (bathymetry between 50 and 300 m) with a maximum distance of 20 km. The fishing technique is that traditionally used, i.e. lampara net fishing, which uses encircling nets.

The fishing area must be defined due to the need to process Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure within 12 hours of the catch.

4.4   Proof of origin: Every stage in the production process must be monitored and a record made of the inputs and outputs at each stage.

This, the registration in special lists kept by the inspection body of fishermen, processors and packagers as well as the immediate notification to the inspection body of both the quantities fished and packaged ensure product traceability.

In particular, the inspection body will carry out checks to ensure that fishing takes place in the waters off the Ligurian coast.

All operators, either legal or natural persons, registered in the relevant lists will be subject to checks by the inspection body.

4.5   Method of production:

Means of capture: Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure must be fished using the traditional ‘lampara’ method on the basis of current Community and national legislation. The fishing period runs from 1 April to 15 October, when anchovies have reached sexual maturity and measure between 12 and 20 cm in length. Each kilogram of product must contain between 35 and 50 anchovies.

Production methods: After being caught, anchovies must be placed in traditional wooden crates, containing approximately 10 kg of product. Processing must begin within 12 hours of the catch.

A pre-salting phase is allowed for no more than 24 hours for an optimal removal of excess blood from the meat. The fish must be cleaned manually, removing the head. Once cleaned, anchovies must be placed side by side in a circle in chestnut wood barrels or terracotta pots for the time needed for maturation. Each layer of anchovies must be covered with medium-size cooking sea salt; the last layer must be covered with a sheet of material suitable for food use and of an appropriate thickness for the entire maturation period, onto which about 0,04 kg/cm2 of pressure is applied. Metal weights are not allowed.

Curing methods: Curing must take place in premises where the temperature can be kept constant for a period of 40 to 60 days. After the first 4 to 5 days of maturation, the liquid obtained must be replaced with brine. The product may mature in brine of medium (18-25 %) to strong (25-33 %) concentration. After maturation, the salted anchovies must be moved from the barrels to special cylindrical glass containers called ‘arbanelle’.

The containers must be big enough to allow appropriate packaging without damaging the product. The product may be packaged in different sizes, but the cylindrical see-through glass ‘arbanelle’ must contain salted anchovies with an overall net weight of between 200 and 3 000 g.

Anchovies must be placed in layers divided by a thin layer of medium-sized sea salt.

To prevent the product from oxidising, the last layer of anchovies must be completely covered in brine, especially prepared for the packaging of the product.

In the ‘arbanelle’, the last layer of anchovies must be covered by a sheet of slate, glass or plastic for food use, which is used to press down the anchovies. The package must be sealed to prevent spillage of the liquid or external contamination.

Persons intending to produce the protected geographical indication Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure must fully comply with the specification submitted to the EU.

4.6   Link: The main grounds for applying for recognition of the PGI Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure is the product's reputation.

The reputation of Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure has long been recognised, and not only on the national market.

History

Already in the XVIth century in Liguria, fishing and trading both fresh and salt-preserved anchovies were governed by the various statutes of the main Ligurian coastal towns.

The link with anchovies and related economic activities was so important that it became necessary to adopt rules governing fishing technique, processing and marketing.

At the time, the Republic of Genoa was able to control the supply, pricing and marketing of fish as well as to enforce existing rules among fishermen.

The sale of fish was subject to a tax, the ‘gabella piscium’. Fishermen had to observe strict rules. To exercise their profession they had to be registered with their professional association and comply with its regulations. The same applied to fishmongers, registered with the so-called ‘Chiapparoli’ trade guild from ‘Chiappa’, the name of the area in Genoa where they sold their product.

For many families, salting and selling anchovies in salt was a real craft, comparable to wine production for the care and precision needed to control the brine.

Anchovies were placed in salt between May and the beginning of August; the best anchovies were those of June and July. A special licence was needed to salt and sell anchovies. Although the consumption of fresh fish was limited to coastal areas, preserved fish represented an extremely flourishing trade for the region of Liguria.

In particular, the mountain passes of the western coast were used by both salt convoys and by tradesmen selling preserved fish (acciugai).

The traditional quality of salted anchovies of the Ligurian Sea was, and still is, renown in nearby regions and most of all in Piedmont, where these anchovies became the main ingredient of one of the most famous regional dishes, the ‘bagna cauda’.

Reputation

This reputation helps consumers to immediately recognise the unique and authentic nature of the product and is closely linked with the tradition and general culture of the Ligurian maritime craft of preserving fish.

In Liguria, the craft of preserving anchovies in salt has a high economic value due to high consumer appreciation, which translates into higher selling prices than similar products of a different origin.

Apart from these economic considerations, it should be stressed that fishermen and inhabitants of coastal villages still follow the traditional practices of preserving anchovies in salt, passed on from one generation to the next.

This activity is therefore well established in the culture of the Ligurian coast, but it is also part of the memories of the numerous international tourists visiting Ligurian sea resorts.

The climate of the Tyrrhenian coast of Liguria is characterised by mild temperatures all year around, which are ideal for a natural maturation process of the product. The limited temperature variation along the coast, influenced by the homoeothermal conditions of the sea, favours optimal maturation. Indeed, the Alps and Apennines rising sharply from sea level are a strong barrier to northerly cold winds and insulate the coastal area. It is not a coincidence that Liguria's mild climate is known all over the world.

4.7   Inspection body:

Name:	Camera di comm., industria, artigianato e agricoltura di Genova
Address:	Via Garibaldi, 4 I-16124 Genova
Tel.	(39) 010 2704-1
Fax	(39) 010 2704-300
E-mail:	camera.genova@ge.camcom.it

Name:	Camera di comm., industria, artigianato e agricoltura di Savona
Address:	Via Quarda Superiore, 16 I-17100 Savona
Tel.	(39) 019 8314 233-218-234
Fax	(39) 019 8514-58
E-mail:	agricoltura@sv.camcom.it

Name:	Camera di comm., industria, artigianato e agricoltura di Imperia
Address:	Viale Matteotti, 48 I-18100 Imperia
Tel.	(39) 0183 79 31
Fax	(39) 0183 27 50 21
E-mail:	camera.imperia@im.camcom.it

Name:	Camera di comm., industria, artigianato e agricoltura della Spezia
Address:	Via Vittorio Veneto, 28 — P.zza Europa, 16 I-19124 La Spezia
Tel.	(39) 0187 72 81
Fax	(39) 0187 77 79 08
E-mail:	info@sp.camcom.it

Checks on product conformity will be performed by the abovementioned Chambers of Commerce, which will monitor the whole production process under the coordination of the Unione delle Camere di Commercio Liguri (Union of Ligurian Chambers of Commerce), whose address is given below:

Name:	Unioncamere Liguri
Address:	Via S. Lorenzo, 15 I-16123 Genova
Tel.	(39) 010 24 85 21
Fax	(39) 010 24 71 522
E-mail:	unione.ligurie@lig.camcom.it

4.8.   Labelling: Anchovies must be marketed in special glass containers called ‘arbanelle’, to which a label is affixed with the words, in a font double in size compared to other written text, ‘Acciughe sotto sale del Mar Ligure’I.G.P.‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’. The label must also bear the name, company name and address of the producer and packager, if any, of the product and the net drained weight at origin. The words ‘Indicazione Geografica Protetta’ may be repeated anywhere else on the container or the label, including as an acronym (I.G.P.). The label must also indicate the composition of the brine and all the ingredients used, i.e. anchovies of the Ligurian Sea, water, salt. The packaging date and the expiry date must also be indicated. The latter must be no later than 12 months after the date of packaging. The label must bear the logo depicting stylised anchovies described in detail in the specification.

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(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

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