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

(2008/C 41/15)

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 of the date of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘RADICCHIO DI CHIOGGIA’

EC No: IT/PGI/00484/06.07.2005

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

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

1.   Responsible department in the Member State:

2.   Applicant group:

3.   Type of product:

Class 1.6: Fruit, vegetables, cereals, whether or not processed

4.   Specification:

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

4.1.   Name: ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’

4.2.   Description: The ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ PGI is reserved for products obtained from plants belonging to the family of Asteracee, genus Cichorium, species inthybus, variety silvestre. There are two types of ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’, ‘early’ and ‘late’.

The plant has roundish, closely interlaced leaves forming a characteristic spherical head. The leaves are red to deep red in colour with white central veins.

The distinctive characteristics of the two varieties are:

‘early’: small to medium-sized, weighing between 180 and 400 grams, with scarlet to amaranth-colour, crispy leaves, with a sweet to slightly bitter taste,

‘late’: medium-sized to large, very compact head, weighing between 200 and 450 grams, with deep amaranth-colour, fairly crispy leaves, with a slightly bitter taste.

‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ is marketed with a small extent of root (taproot), cut cleanly below the collar.

The heads must be whole, squat, look fresh and have no parasites or damage caused by parasites or excess moisture, even if this requires trimming.

4.3.   Geographical area: Late ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ is grown throughout the territory of the Municipalities of Chioggia, Cona and Cavarzere in the Province of Venice, Codevigo and Corbezzole in the Province of Padua and Rosolina, Ariano Polesine, Taglio di Po, Porto Viro and Loreo in the Province of Rovigo. The early variety is grown only in the Municipalities of Chioggia and Rosolina, where the particular soil and climatic conditions bring out the characteristics of the variety.

4.4.   Proof of origin: Each phase of the production process must be monitored and at each phase inputs and outputs are recorded. This, and the entry on special lists held by the inspection body of producers and packers, ensures the traceability of the product.

The ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ PGI may be used by producers whose land lies within the production area and who enter, for each marketing year, their cultivated areas on a list held and constantly updated by the inspection body, which details the cadastral references of the land and sets out details of the cultivation of early and late varieties. The producers concerned must also declare the quantities of ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ PGI actually produced and marketed, entering the quantities concerned in special registers. 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: The product specification lays down, among other things, that the early variety is sown between 1 December and the end of April in seed-beds and from early March directly in the field, transplanting taking place after around 30 days. Between eight and ten plants are planted per square metre and may be protected by sheeting, supported by arches, which is gradually removed as the plants become acclimatised. Harvesting takes place between 1 April and 15 July and the yield, after trimming, may not exceed 18 tonnes per hectare.

The late variety is sown in seed-beds between 20 June and 15 August or directly in the field in July and August at a planting density of seven to ten plants per square metre. Harvesting takes place between September and March and the yield, after trimming, may not exceed 28 tonnes per hectare.

The plant is harvested by cutting the root under the point where the lower leaves join the head, usually barely 2-3 cm below ground, when the leaves have interlaced to form a more or less compact head. The plants are trimmed, either in the field or on the undertaking's premises, provided these are located within the area described in point 4.3, using traditional curved knives known as ‘roncole’.

4.6.   Link: The lagoonal area is characterised by two features: a narrow temperature range, both during the day and from one day to the next, and dominant winds and breezes, the typical Adriatic ‘bore’ which help to mix the lower atmospheric strata and so prevent pockets of humidity that would adversely affect the health of the crop.

The loose, clayey soils favour the cultivation of the late variety, and excessive heat would prevent the head from closing up to produce the traditional globular shape and would cause bolting.

The early variety can be grown only in the coastal municipalities of Chioggia and Rosolina, owing to a combination of factors involving sandy soil, proximity to the sea, which ensures a difference in temperature compared with inland areas, more wind and the availability of water for irrigation from a water table lying very close to the surface, tapped by digging holes known locally as ‘buse’.

The sandy soils and climate of the coastal areas of the Municipalities of Chioggia and Rosolina have been found to create the ideal conditions for growing this product: studies have shown that it is vital to protect ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ from stress caused by wide temperature ranges and drastic variations in moisture levels in the soil and that production in any other environment results in bolting levels of up to 50-60 %, with serious losses in production and a dramatic reduction in the colouring of the head.

The product differs from other radicchios in that the protein content of the dry plant varies from 1,0 % to 1,4 % and it contains high levels of potassium, phosphorus and calcium, while having a low calorific value, making it the preferred choice from the dietary point of view.

Evidence of vegetable growing in the Chioggia area dates back as far as 1700, viz. the maps of the ‘Villa Episcopale’ and the statistics collected by Alessandro Ottolini on the schools of the ‘Podestà di Chiazza’ (present-day Chioggia), showing that the ‘Scuola di S. Giovanni di Ortolani’ (School of St John of Market Gardeners), with its 544 students, was second only to the renowned ‘Scuola dei pescatori’ (Fishermen's School).

In the March 1923 edition of the monthly notebook of the Istituto Federale di Credito per il Risorgimento delle Venezie, published by the Premiate Officine Grafiche Ferrari, radicchio was listed with other vegetables as a rotation crop. Further proof is to be found in the work ‘Cenni di economia agricola’ (an outline of vegetable growing) by Pagani-Gallimberti (1929), which describes the method for growing radicchio in lagoonal market gardens created from sandy areas reclaimed from the sea.

The creation of a large fruit and vegetable market near the production area has resolved the problems of marketing and distribution, for which the Verona-Chioggia railway line had been used since 1860.

4.7.   Inspection body:

The inspection body complies with standard EN 45011.

4.8.   Labelling: ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ must be packed in such a way that opening the wrapper causes the seal to break and:

the containers must have the following basic external dimensions: 30 cm × 50 cm, 30 cm × 60 cm or 40 cm × 60 cm and be of wood, plastic, polystyrene, cardboard or other food-quality material with a capacity of between 1 and 5 kg of product in a single layer,

packaging of a capacity of less than 1 kg must be of wood, plastic, polystyrene or cardboard; the contents of each package must be homogenous and include only chicory of the same type, category and size; the visible content must be representative of the content as a whole.

The packaging must be such as to protect the product adequately.

Packages must contain no extraneous matter.

Containers must carry a label bearing the logo and the words ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ in printed letters of uniform size and a reference to the variety, early or late, contained.

The logo shows an ornate shield with a white background, yellow border, brown edge and black profile containing a medieval-style red lion around which is the inscription ‘RADICCHIO DI CHIOGGIA I.G.P.’ in red upper case characters.

Typeface: Garamond.

Dimensions of characters: maximum ‘50’ — minimum ‘10’.

Diameter of circle: maximum ‘15’ — minimum ‘3’.

Colours used in logo:

Red= Magenta 95 % — Yellow 80 %;

Yellow= Magenta 7 % — Yellow 85 %;

Brown= Cyan 12 % — Magenta 60 % — Yellow 95 %;

Black= Black 100 %.

‘Radicchio di Chioggia’ logo labels may not be reused after being affixed to containers.

Containers must also show:

the name and address or company name and seat of the individual producer or the associated producer and of the packer,

the net weight as sold and the category,

and may carry any additional information as long as it is not laudatory in nature or such as to mislead the consumer as to the nature or the characteristics of the product.

In any case, all other information must be in characters significantly smaller than those used for ‘Radicchio di Chioggia’.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.