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

2009/C 197/09

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

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘COLLINE PONTINE’

EC No: IT-PDO-0005-0499-28.09.2005

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

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:

4.   Specification:

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

4.1.   Name:

‘Colline Pontine’

4.2.   Description:

Extra virgin olive oil with the following physical and chemical characteristics:

‘Colline Pontine’ PDO extra virgin olive oil must be obtained from the following varieties of olive:

4.3.   Geographical area:

The production area of the ‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin covers the administrative areas of the following municipalities in the Province of Latina in the Region of Lazio:

Aprilia, Bassiano, Campodimele, Castelforte, Cisterna di Latina, Cori, Fondi, Formia, Itri, Lenola, Maenza, Minturno, Monte San Biagio, Norma, Priverno, Prossedi, Roccagorga, Rocca Massima, Roccasecca dei Volsci, Santi Cosma e Damiano, Sermoneta, Sezze, Sonnino, Spigno Saturnia and Terracina.

4.4.   Proof of origin:

Every stage in the production process must be monitored and a record made of the inputs and outputs. By this means, by entering the cadastral parcels on which cultivation takes place and growers, millers and bottlers on lists held by the inspection body and by declaring volumes produced to the inspection body, product traceability is guaranteed. All natural or legal persons whose name appears on those lists will be subject to checks by the inspection body, in accordance with the terms of the specification and the corresponding monitoring plan.

4.5.   Method of production:

Among other things the product specification stipulates that, to manage the soil, surface mechanical work is carried out which proves to be useful too for controlling weeds. Green cover is permitted. Chemical weeding is permitted. Plant health protection must be carried out according to managed pest reduction methods in order to reduce to a minimum or eliminate residues of antiparasitic agents on the olives. Production may not exceed 100 kg per tree. The olives must be manually or mechanically harvested so that during the operation the fruit is not left on the ground. In all cases, nets must be used and collecting olives that have fallen from the tree naturally is prohibited. Harvesting is carried out when the fruits start to ripen and ends by 31 January. The use of chemical products which induce the abscission of the fruit or make this easier is prohibited. Perforated and washable containers must be used to transport the olives. The use of stainless steel or other materials that are washable and for food use is permitted, provided that the olives in these containers are processed the same day. In all cases, the olives must be milled within 48 hours of harvesting. The use of chemical and/or biological coadjuvants and mechanical coadjuvants (talc) is strictly prohibited; thus, for extracting the oil, only mechanical and physical processes are permitted that produce oil which display its specific characteristics as faithfully as possible. The olives have the leaves removed and are washed to eliminate any residues of antiparasitic agents or foreign substances. Only mechanical and physical processes that produce oil presenting the particular characteristics of the original fruit may be used. Pressing must be carried out with the olive paste at a maximum temperature of 33 °C for a maximum of 50 minutes. The processing method known by the name of ‘ripasso’ is prohibited. Also banned are the use of products with chemical or biological action and the use of talc during the extraction process. The oil yield must not exceed 27 % of the weight of the olives. Obtaining ‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin extra virgin oil by an organic method is permitted. The containers in which the ‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin extra virgin olive oil is packed for consumption must be of dark glass, ceramic or stainless sheet metal, with a composition as specified by law, bearing the label described below and with a capacity of not more than 5 l. Packing in single-dose sachets of aluminium foil and suitable synthetic materials permitted by law, with a capacity of 10 ml is allowed, subject to the regulations in force. These must bear a serial number given by the inspection body. The growing of the olives, as well as the extraction and bottling of the extra virgin olive oil of the ‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin must take place in the production area referred to under point 4.3 above to reduce the risk of a deterioration in the organoleptic quality between the extraction, storage and certification of ‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil. The risks of deterioration in product quality, caused by possible exposure to light, heat and oxygen in the air, increase considerably with transportation out of the production area.

4.6.   Link:

‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin extra virgin olive oil has typical characteristics and properties which derive both from the particular characteristics of the area and, above all, from the ‘Itrana’ cultivar, which is nowhere else so widely grown and which, when grown in the area referred to under point 4.3, assumes particular qualitative characteristics, giving the ‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil a marked and distinctive organoleptic flavour.

‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil can be summarised by the term ‘harmonious’, due to an exceptional favourable synergy and to the quality and homogeneity of its characteristics. For this reason the oil is well received by a very wide range of consumers.

Within the production area referred to in point 4.3, the soils are generally made up of mostly compact, Upper Cretaceous limestone. These soils, which often have a thin cultivatable stratum, are highly permeable and are arid for a large part of the year. The area has a Mediterranean climate with mild winter temperatures that rarely fall below zero. Olive growing dominates the hills of the Province of Pontina over an almost unbroken band running south-easterly from Rocca Massima and Cori to the Municipalities of Minturno and Castelforte and the boundary with the Province of Naples.

The Itrana olive variety, also known as Oliva di Gaeta, Trana, Oliva Grossa or Cicerone, holds absolute sway in the production area of ‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil, accounting for 70 % of the trees grown. There is a special and unique link between the Itrana variety and the area referred to in point 4.3. The alternative name of Oliva di Gaeta reveals the ancient origin of the growing of this variety, which then spread from the area around Gaeta, Itri and Formia to the Papal States of Rome and later to the whole of the hilly and mountainous area of the Province of Pontina. The gradual spread of the Itrana olive cultivar is therefore the result of centuries of cultivation. Since part of production (oliva di Gaeta) has been used and appreciated for centuries on the table, Itrana is also listed as a table olive. As regards agronomic practices, harvesting of the olives takes place very late, in particular because of the gradual ripening of the fruit.

The soil, the position of most groves, the climate and the varietal mix together give rise to the principal characteristics of ‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil — balance and harmony. The Itrana variety, when grown in other Italian production areas, gives an oil with different acid and polyphenol contents and bitterness and pungency values, as confirmed by recent studies carried out by the Region of Lazio, Arsial Lazio, ISOL (Istituto Sperimentale per l’Olivicoltura Sez. di Spoleto Experimental Institute for Olive-Growing, Spoleto Section) and ‘La Sapienza’ University of Rome under the regional programme to improve olive quality, funded by the — European Union under Regulation (EC) No 2407/2001.

‘Colline Pontine’ extra virgin olive oil has a herbaceous, fruity flavour of varying intensity, with a pleasing balance of bitterness and pungency and a unique ‘green tomato’ aroma not found in the oil of other areas, either near or far.

These characteristics have been recognised by some of the most prestigious national and international quality awards, dating back to 1872, and are attested to by the many existing historical records. The soil, climate and varieties used give the oil a harmonious combination of organoleptic characteristics, making it unique. In the province of Pontina, and in particular in the olive groves of the foothills in which the production area lies, olive growing is intimately linked to the social fabric to such an extent that for centuries it has determined the development of the territory and consequently the life of the succeeding populations, influencing the area’s economy, which is based almost exclusively on olive growing. The climate is mild and suited to the olive tree, the landscape within the production area is mountainous or consists of foothills, with stony to pebbly or loose soils, and has the Lepini, Ausoni and Aurunci mountains as a backdrop. The terrain is located south-south-west facing the sea. The mountain system consists of a terrace sloping down towards the sea along some 100 km and therefore constitutes one of the largest geographically homogeneous areas in Italy. For centuries the olive groves have been characterised by a strong presence of the ‘Itrana’ variety, which is to be found throughout Lazio, but only in the Province of Latina is it so dominant (in the groves of the Municipalities of Sonnino Itri accounts for 90 % of the trees). The trees develop well here even though the land is not particularly suitable on account of steep gradients.

The Papal States, as well as devoting themselves in particular to the matter of the marshes, granted by means of an edict, preserved in the historical archives of Latina, a payment of 10 scudi for every 100 olive trees formally notified, so that 48 901 hectares were planted with olive trees in 1786. The 18th century land register also confirms widespread olive growing. The Italian State always valued local olive growing, protecting it from commercial vicissitudes and ensuring that the product was represented at various fairs. During the land reclamation period, the oil produced in the territory continued to be promoted, including at various international fairs, while during the period of economic self-sufficiency, in spite of the lack of international trade, a policy of investment in olive growing was decided on, using the most up-to-date techniques disseminated by the ‘Cattedre’, the peripatetic experts in agriculture at that time.

4.7.   Inspection body:

The designated inspection body is a private-law body

4.8.   Labelling:

All the containers must have a closure system which loses its integrity after it is first used. The name of the ‘Colline Pontine’ protected designation of origin must appear in indelible capital letters, with the colours strongly contrasting with those of the label and such as to be clearly distinct from all the other information on the label. The label must show the words ‘Colline Pontine’ in letters which are larger than all the others used on the label and back label. The words ‘D.O.P. denominazione d’origine protetta’ must be shown immediately below the geographical name ‘Colline Pontine’ in letters of the same size as that name. Names, business names, brand names, etc., can be used truthfully provided they have no laudatory purport and are not such as to mislead the purchaser. The use of names of holdings, farms, estates and their geographical locations as well as references to packing on the olive-production holding or on premises of the association of olive-production holdings or in olive-production undertakings located in the production area is permitted only if the product has been obtained exclusively from olives harvested in groves belonging to the holding or undertaking. The year in which the olives are grown must be shown on the front label. A reference on the label to the oil being produced organically is allowed. The logo of the ‘Colline Pontine’ designation, the characteristics and colorimetric indices of which are described in detail in the product specification, consists of a view of three Doric columns in yellow and a grey-green coloured olive branch over them, larger than the colonnade, on a background of hills enclosed in a circular surround with the designation ‘Colline Pontine’. The image refers to the pre-Roman civilisation and to the sequence of the three mountain systems, the Lepini, Ausoni and Aurunci. The logo may be separate from the label provided that it is on the same side of the packaging as the label.