Publication of an 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 438/06)

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).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs  (2)

‘PATATA DEL FUCINO’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-01217 – 21.3.2014

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

2.   Member State or Third Country:

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

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

The name ‘Patata del Fucino’ denotes the ripe tubers of the Solanum tuberosum species in the Solanaceae family. They are obtained using the seed tubers of potato varieties that are registered in the common catalogue of agricultural plant varieties.

The tubers have a size (diameter) that is greater than 35 mm but does not exceed 80 mm and their shape ranges from round to round-oval, oval and elongated oval. The skin does not separate from the flesh; the flesh is firm and does not yield to pressure; and the colour is typical of the variety, i.e. from white to various shades of yellow. The edible part is not less than 95 %.

The chemical characteristics (per 100 grams of the edible part) are as follows: dry residue ≥ 14, starch ≥ 8 g, potassium ≥ 300 mg, phosphorus ≥ 35 mg.

The ‘Patata del Fucino’ is harvested when the potatoes are completely ripe, from the end of July onwards. The potatoes are stored in suitable containers and can be kept until the end of the month of May following the harvest without any deterioration in their typical characteristics.

Quality tolerances

Potatoes eligible for protection, when marketed in the chosen packaging, must have the following characteristics:

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

—

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

The ‘Patata del Fucino’ must be planted, grown and harvested in the defined geographical area.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

Potatoes must be stored in bins at a temperature of 4-10 °C with relative humidity of between 88 % and 95 %.

The tubers may also be kept in the refrigerator for long periods, but no longer than 9 months.

Treatments to prevent sprouting on stored tubers are allowed in accordance with the appropriate legislation in force.

When marketed for consumption, ‘Patata del Fucino’ PGI must be packaged using:

All types of packaging must contain cleaned (brushed and/or washed) potatoes and must be sealed in such a way that the tubers cannot be removed without breaking the packaging, with the exception of cartons and crates.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

In addition to the symbol of the European Union and the information required by law, the label on the packaging also contains the following wordings and information:

It is forbidden to add any description that is not expressly provided for.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The border of the growing area is marked by the Circonfucense provincial road and the area includes parts of the territory, divided by farm roads into numbered plots of land, of the following municipalities within the Province of L’Aquila: Avezzano, Celano, Cerchio, Aielli, Pescina, S. Benedetto dei Marsi, Ortucchio, Trasacco and Luco dei Marsi.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

‘Patata del Fucino’ is grown on the bed of the lake of the same name, Lake Fucino, which was drained and reclaimed in 1875. This area is situated at 700 metres above sea level.

The main morphological characteristics of the land have created three distinct areas: the depression of the former lake; a terraced area at an altitude of between 670 and 720 metres; and an area with a complex morphology located above the other two areas.

Due to the presence of a former lake basin, sedimentary accumulation has outweighed the effects of erosion.

The silty-clayey soil has a large quantity of total and active limestone as a result of the carbonate nature of the pedogenic sediments. The (pH) reaction fluctuates between sub-alkaline and alkaline and there are high levels of organic matter, total nitrogen, assimilable phosphorus and exchangeable potassium.

The high content of organic matter is preserved as a result of the large quantities of manure applied regularly by farmers.

The soil composition allows good drainage and the normal development of even and regular tubers.

The particular characteristics of the area, which is bounded by mountains, mean that it is not at all affected by the sea, situated just under 80 km to the east. Instead, it has the typical features of a continental climate with very harsh, wet winters and hot, often humid summers.

During the productive season the variation in temperatures between day (around 30 °C) and night (10 °C-15 °C) favours plant growth.

The good water retention capacity of the soil and the water rising by capillarity from underlying aquifers, combined with frequent morning dews, ensure that the crops are never short of water.

Rain, snow and the characteristic dew, which often constitutes microprecipitation, complete the climatic profile of the area.

There is a good supply of water in the area thanks to the natural streams and rivers that descend from the mountains surrounding the plain and a geometrical network of canals. These were especially constructed as part of the water-engineering works undertaken by the then newly created Ente Fucino (Fucino Authority) during the agrarian reform years (1950s) with the dual purpose of draining the land and using the water to irrigate the crops, thus optimising growing conditions for farmers.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

‘Patata del Fucino’ is different from potatoes grown in other areas because of its characteristic flesh that makes it suitable for both household consumption and industrial use. ‘Patata del Fucino’ has firm flesh which does not yield to pressure, and skin which does not separate from the flesh. When steamed the flesh presents rather fine granulation and no signs of after-cooking blackening. Another much-appreciated feature is that the flesh shows little browning when fried. In a panel test carried out by trained tasters ‘Patata del Fucino’ was judged to have a pleasant flavour or a very strong potato flavour with almost no unpleasant after-tastes (metal, grass, etc.). The potatoes keep these organoleptic qualities even after months of storage.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The production cycle of ‘Patata del Fucino’ spans all seasons in the geographical production area: from sowing in the spring; growth and production in the summer; to harvesting, only when potatoes are completely ripe, in late summer/autumn. This means that the potatoes benefit from the climatic effect of the different seasons.

The quality of the ‘Patata del Fucino’ is linked to the growing conditions provided by what used to be the bed of the lake. The particular features of the land mean that the potatoes can be cultivated naturally, lending the product its typical organoleptic characteristics.

The light, fresh, mostly silty and very fertile soil, naturally rich in macro and micro nutrients, organic matter and the resulting humus, produced by sedimentation of organic material over the centuries, ensures that no damage and/or cracks are caused to the surface of the potatoes during growth or harvest, thus yielding regular-shaped tubers with the skin adhering well to the flesh.

The climatic conditions described (soil composition, good capillary rise, temperature, water for irrigation) make the Fucino area particularly suited to growing potatoes. Thanks to the extensive experience of local growers, the constant efforts to improve agricultural techniques with a preference for green methods, and the protection of the growing environment, this area produces high-quality potatoes that have always been prized and well-known for their high quality on the national market.

Since 2002, many associated producers in the Fucino area have been producing potatoes in accordance with the ‘integrated production’ certification scheme and have adopted a specification that relates expressly to the ‘Patata del Fucino’; this demonstrates that the name is also used in farming/commercial language.

Several articles have been published in specialist magazines such as ‘L’Informatore Agrario’ which mention the name ‘Patata del Fucino’, the Fucino area as an area highly suited to the production of potatoes and the Fucino area as a place to test potato varieties.

Over the years, many activities have been organised by local operators for the promotion and development of ‘Patata del Fucino’. These include:

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

The Ministry launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Patata del Fucino’ PGI in Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 37 of 14 February 2014.

The full text of the product specification is available on the internet: http://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3335

or alternatively:

by going directly to the home page of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy (www.politicheagricole.it) and clicking on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP’ (at the top right-hand side of the screen), then on ‘Prodotti DOP IGP STG’ (on the left-hand side of the screen), and finally on ‘Disciplinari di Produzione all’esame dell’UE’.

(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  See footnote 2.