This communication is published in accordance with Article 6b(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (1).

COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION OF A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION ORIGINATING IN A MEMBER STATE

(Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012)

‘Sierra de Segura’

EU No: PDO-ES-0071-AM01 – 31.8.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name of product

‘Sierra de Segura’

2.   Member State to which the geographical area belongs

Spain

3.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development – Directorate-General for Agri-food Industry, Innovation and the Food Supply Chain

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4.   Description of the approved amendment(s)

Explanation that the amendment(s) fall under the definition of the standard amendment as provided for in Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012: The approved amendment falls under the definition of a standard amendment in that it does not include a change in the name of the protected designation of origin, does not void the link established in the product specification and does not entail any new restrictions on the marketing of the product.

1.   Writing of a single document

This single document is a new text, as no equivalent text has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union since the time ‘Sierra de Segura’ was registered as a Protected Designation of Origin pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (2).

This amendment affects the single document.

2.   Amendment of the product description to adapt the established requirements for extra virgin olive oil

Amendment to section B ‘Description of the product’ in the specification in order to adapt the established requirements for the best quality olive oil, i.e. extra virgin olive oil, in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

The current wording:

has been replaced by the following:

Reason:

In order to cover only products of higher quality, the specification must be updated with regard to the current regulation on olive oil, with only the oil of highest commercial quality (i.e. the extra virgin olive oil) being protected, as defined in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104. This means including the term ‘extra’.

This amendment affects the single document.

3.   Administrative changes. Inclusion of a municipality without modifying its geographical area following an administrative division of municipalities

Amendment to section C ‘Geographical area’.

The second paragraph:

has been amended to read:

Reason:

After the PDO ‘Sierra de Segura’ was registered, the municipality of Arroyo del Ojanco was administratively separated from the PDO-covered municipality of Beas de Segura as a result of the Decree 469/1994 of 13 December 1994. However, there is no change in its geographical area.

This amendment affects the single document.

4.   Deletion of the paragraph on the total production area

Amendment to section C ‘Geographical area’.

The third paragraph has been deleted:

Reason:

This paragraph has been deleted as it contains historical data on the production surface area and on olive groves, which is out of date now as such information changes with time.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

5.   Removal of compulsory packaging in the production and processing area

The fourth paragraph of section C ‘Geographical area’:

has been amended to read:

Reason:

Any geographical restrictions regarding packaging have been removed. The requested amendment is considered as normal because it does not affect any core characteristics of the product. Instead, it will remove a marketing restriction, which was the reason for the amendment request and which will facilitate and improve the product’s commercialisation.

This amendment affects the single document.

6.   Removal of compulsory packaging in the production and processing area

Section D of the specification has been amended. Elements guaranteeing that the product originates in the area.

The ninth and tenth paragraphs:

have been amended to read:

Reason:

Point 3, i.e. the ninth paragraph, has been amended based on the removal of aspects that are not conducted by the Regulatory Board, notably the product control, as the delegated body will be tasked with checking relevant compliance with the specification.

The reason for the amendment of the tenth paragraph, i.e. point 4, has been described in point 3.2.3.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

7.   Amendments regarding controls and traceability

Section D of the specification has been amended. Elements guaranteeing that the product originates in the area.

The following paragraph has been inserted:

Reason:

The amendment does not affect the requirements laid down in the product description. The purpose is to carry out detailed checks on the production and packaging of the certified product to ensure compliance with the requirements laid down in the specification.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

8.   Amendment of supervisory activities undertaken by the Regulatory Board

Section E of the specification has been amended. Production process regarding inspections and traceability of the product.

The sixth and seventh paragraphs:

have been amended to read:

Reason:

The amendment of the sixth paragraph is justified by the removal of aspects that are not conducted by the Regulatory Board, namely product classification and cataloguing, as it is the operators’ responsibility to comply with standard UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17065. This standard on product certification establishes that the delegated body is tasked with checking the technical competence of the registered entity. The product classification and cataloguing are undertaken by operators as part of the technical competence they must demonstrate to the designated inspection body.

The reason for the amendment of the seventh paragraph has been described in point 3.3.2.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

9.   Update of the inspection structure

Amendment of the title and content of section G of the specification. Inspection structure.

The entire section has been deleted and the following text has been inserted:

Reason:

This section is amended to adapt its title and content to Article 7(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs (4).

The amendment does not affect the single document.

10.   Deletion of section I ‘National legislative requirements’

This section has been deleted in its entirety.

Reason:

It is not appropriate for the specification to provide for national legislative requirements as that is not included in the current structure of the specification laid down in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

The amendment does not affect the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Sierra de Segura’

EU No: PDO-ES-0071-AM01 – 31.8.2023

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

‘Sierra de Segura’

2.   Member State or third country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product [listed in Annex XI]

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

Extra virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea Europea, L.) of the Picual, Verdala, Royal and Manzanillo de Jaén varieties by mechanical or other physical procedures which do not alter the oil and which preserve the taste, aroma and characteristics of the fruit from which it is produced.

The olives must be of the authorised varieties, harvested directly from the tree when they have reached the degree of ripeness that will give the characteristic fruity oils.

Oils of this designation must have the following analytical specifications:

Peroxide value. Less than 19.

K 270. Less than 0,20.

Moisture. Maximum 0,1 per 100.

Impurities. Maximum 0,1 per 100.

The oils must have the organoleptic characteristics of products in this area, their colour must be yellow-green and their tastes are fruity, aromatic, slightly bitter and highly stable.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

Oils must be produced from healthy olives harvested directly from the olive tree and collected in registered olive groves in the geographical area defined in point 4, and which in turn correspond to one of the varieties mentioned in point 3.2.

3.4.   Specific stages in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

The olives must be grown and the oil must be produced within the geographical area described in point 4.

The olives must be milled in registered mills within 48 hours of being harvested.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The oil must be stored and packaged in plants that meet the established conditions.

The product is subject to physical, chemical and organoleptic testing that guarantees its quality.

Only oil that has successfully passed all the checks throughout the process may be packaged and marketed, bearing a numbered certification label issued by the Regulatory Board attesting its origin.

The number of certification labels issued by the Regulatory Board to the packaging plants for certification of the PDO product depends on the oil yield and the size of the containers in which the product is placed on the market.

Packagers must have a quality control system that ensures the traceability, proper conservation, packaging and labelling of the certified product, in accordance with the requirements laid down in the specification and any other applicable legal requirements of the region where the packaging facilities are located.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The commercial labels of each registered company must be approved by the Regulatory Board.

Labels must bear the following wording: ‘Protected Designation of Origin “Sierra de Segura” ’.

Any type of container in which the PDO oil is dispatched for consumption shall bear a seal of guarantee, a numbered certification label in the front or at the back issued by the Regulatory Board, which shall be affixed in such a way that it cannot be reused.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area is located within the municipal boundaries of Arroyo del Ojanco, Beas de Segura, Benatae, Chiclana de Segura, Génave, Hornos de Segura, Orcera, La Puerta de Segura, Puente Génave, Segura de la Sierra, Santiago-Pontones, Siles, Torres de Albanchez and Villarrodrigo.

The processing area is the same as the production area.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The oil produced in this area possesses certain organoleptic and analytical properties, as described under the ‘Product description’ section, which links it to the natural environment and the conditions in which the olives are grown and harvested.

(a)   Historical

The cultivation of olive groves has been the major economic activity in this region, and references to the olive tree, olives and olive oil have been found in numerous artworks, proverbs and customs over time.

(b)   Natural

—   Relief

The Sierra de Segura region is uneven and rugged, with a wide range of forest species and olive groves that have become interspersed in some areas. The region’s steep slopes make it difficult to plough. The highest elevation point is the peak of El Yelmo in the Segura de la Sierra , standing at 1 809 metres.

The average altitude of the production area is at 899 metres, with Puente Génave village having the lowest altitude at 548 metres.

—   Soils

The soils in the production area are formed with materials from the secondary and tertiary compression, at varying depths but with no easily distinguishable layers because of their silty-clay nature. The soil textures vary from silty clay to sandy clay in the arable soil layer, becoming more compact with depth.

There is also a considerable spread of lithosols above Mesozoic limestones, which forms a rugged terrain, and only in less rugged areas do some surface soils form.

These features have created an optimal soil environment for olive groves to develop perfectly in this area and produce the olives that yield to the characteristic oils.

—   Climate

The climate is extreme, with temperatures ranging from a maximum of 35 °C to a minimum of -8 °C. The average annual rainfall is between 500 and 700 mm.

—   Hydrology

The hydrology of the area is characterised by the Molinos and Martes rivers, which are tributaries of the Guadalimar River; the Herreros River, which is a tributary of the Guadalmena River (the latter and the Guadalimar are both tributaries of the Guadalquivir River), and the Hornos and Madera rivers, which are tributaries of the Segura River.

(c)   Cultivation conditions

—   Planting distances

The density distribution of the olive groves varies slightly from one municipality to another. The vast majority have between 100 and 130 olive trees per hectare, with a staggered arrangement of trees about 10 metres apart.

—   Ploughing

On mechanisable land, ploughing is mostly carried out with a tractor equipped with a disc harrow or a cultivator with flexible arms. The land is usually ploughed three times between the end of winter and early summer, plus some surface harrowing in summer and another light harrowing in autumn, during which early seasonal rains occur.

Areas with rugged terrain continue to be ploughed in the traditional way.

—   Harvesting

The harvest is carried out using the ‘hand-picking’ method, i.e. directly picking olives from the trees by hand. Only the olives harvested using this method are processed to produce the PDO oil.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/agriculturapescaaguaydesarrollorural/areas/industrias-agroalimentarias/calidad/paginas/denominaciones-calidad-aceite-oliva.html

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(1)   OJ L 179, 19.6.2014, p. 17.

(2)   OJ L 148, 21.6.1996, p. 1.

(3)   OJ L 284, 4.11.2022, p. 1.

(4)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.