52003XC1031(05)

Publication of a request under Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 to amend one or more parts of the specification of a name registered under Article 17 or Article 6 of that Regulation

(2003/C 262/06)

Publication confers the right to object within the meaning of Article 7 and 12d of the Regulation. Any objections to this request must be forwarded via the competent authority of a Member State, a WTO Member country or a third country recognised under Article 12(3) within six months of the publication date.

The amendment is not a minor one and it must therefore be published under Article 6(2) of the Regulation.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION TO AMEND A SPECIFICATION: ARTICLE 9

1. Registered name: Azeites do Norte Alentejano

2. Responsible department in the Member State

Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural e Hidráulica Av. Afonso Costa, 3 - P - 1949-002 Lisboa

3. Amendment(s) requested

- Specification heading:

[square ] Name

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Description

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Geographical area

[square ] Proof of origin

[square ] Method of production

[square ] Link

[square ] Labelling

[square ] National legal requirements

- Amendments:

3.1. Description

The Norte Alentejano olive oils are slightly thick, fruity oils with a greenish yellow colour, which attain the minimum grade of 6,5 for extra virgin oil and 6,0 for virgin oil.

In-depth studies conducted into the characteristics of these olive oils have shown that there is a need to revise some of their parameters, namely: Delta K, triglycerides, LLL, OLLn, PLLn, OLL, PLL, POL, POO, OOO, PPO; fatty acids C16:0, C16:1, C17:0, C17:1, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2 and C18:3; trans fatty acids, cholesterol, Campestanol and Delta 7 - Stigmasterol.

To the authorised varieties are added the regional varieties: Carrasquenha, Redondil, Azeiteira or Azeitoneira.

3.2. Geographical area

Extension of the geographical production area to include the municipalities of Alandroal, Nisa, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Évora (parishes of Na Sra de Machede, S. Mansos, S. Vicente do Pigeiro, S. Miguel de Manchede and S. Bento do Mato) and Mourão (parishes of Luz and Mourão), on the grounds that:

- the same conditions obtain in these municipalities and parishes with regard to soils and weather patterns,

- the olive oil produced has the same physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics as that obtained in the current geographical area,

- the inhabitants of these municipalities inherited the same customs and authentic and unvarying know-how as those from the rest of the geographical area.

4. Date of receipt of the full application: 7 October 2003.