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 89/05

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.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘MARRONI DEL MONFENERA’

EC No: IT-PGI-0005-0563-08.11.2006

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Marroni del Monfenera’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product (Annex II)

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

‘Marroni del Monfenera’ are fresh chestnuts from the local ecotype of plants of the species Castanea sativa Mill., var sativa.

When released for consumption, they must have the following characteristics: Seed: one per fruit, largely smooth or slightly rough; Flesh: light hazel colour tending towards straw yellow, pasty/floury texture, sweet and pleasant taste; Episperm: hazel colour, fibrous and resistant pellicular structure, penetrating to only a very minor degree into the seed; Pericarp: bright brown colour, with darker vertical streaks, a coriaceous and resistant structure and a tomentose surface with tomentose style remnants; Hilum: largely ovoid shape, lighter in colour than the pericarp, with more or less evident ‘rays’ spreading out from the centre towards the edge, and which does not extend to the sides of the fruit; Fruit: ovoid shape with apex protruding to only a minor extent, with one largely flat side and the other markedly convex; number of fruit per kilogram: 90 or fewer. The husk contains at most three fruit.

The following are eligible for the PGI: fruit belonging to the ‘Extra’ Category (fruit size greater than 3 cm; maximum 4 % by weight of fruit with endocarp affected by insects; maximum 3 % by weight of fruit with damage to the pericarp) and Category I (fruit size between 2,8 cm and 3 cm; maximum 6 % by weight of fruit with endocarp affected by insects; maximum 5 % by weight of fruit with damage to the pericarp).

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

Not applicable.

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

Not applicable.

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

Harvesting, grading, cleaning, sizing and ‘curatura’ soaking must take place in the geographical production area.

Produce not placed on the market within 48 hours of harvest undergoes ‘curatura’. This consists in immersing the ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ in water at room temperature for a maximum of nine days. Subsequently, the ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ are removed from the water and dried using a dryer. This process allows the product to be stored fresh for up to three months.

‘Curatura’ must be carried out within a few hours of harvesting, in order to prevent the onset of fermentation inside transport vehicles, especially in years when harvesting occurs during rainy periods or when the temperature is still high.

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

The product must be packaged in net bags intended for food use, the tops of which must be heat sealed or mechanically sewn shut. The packages weigh 1 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg (heat sealed), 5 kg or 10 kg (sewn).

The product may not be released for consumption before 15 September each year.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The packages must feature on the label, in addition to the EU graphic symbol and the relevant wordings and information complying with the legal requirements, the following additional information/wordings: ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ followed by the acronym ‘IGP’ (Italian for ‘PGI’) in characters larger than all the others on the label, such as the name, the company name, the address of the packaging firm, the logo, the relevant category (Extra or I) and the gross weight as sold.

The logo is made up of two concentric ovals, inside which are depicted the hills of the Pedemontana del Grappa area. The plain below is divided by the Piave river, which flows down the centre and splits the logo into two asymmetrical parts. There are two chestnut trees, one on the left of the river and one of its right, on which chestnuts are growing abundantly. There are two husks and ten chestnuts, wrapped in two leaves. The drawing extends slightly towards the left beyond the edge of the oval.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area of ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ is made up of the territory of the following municipalities in Treviso province: Borso del Grappa, Crespano del Grappa, Paderno del Grappa, Possagno, Cavaso del Tomba, Pederobba, San Zenone degli Ezzelini, Fonte, Asolo, Maser, Castelcucco, Monfumo, Cornuda, Montebelluna, Caerano di San Marco, Crocetta del Montello, Volpago del Montello, Giavera del Montello and Nervesa della Battaglia.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The majority of the areas in which ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ are produced come under category No 21 in the Soil Map of Italy (Carta dei Suoli d’Italia), ‘acidic brown soils, leached brown soils, brown soils and lithosols’. In this zone, this category is to be found exclusively on the hilly right bank of the Piave river along the foothill level, occupying the majority of the geographical production area. These areas are characterised by reactivity ranging from very acidic to acidic, low base saturation and a high rate of mineralisation of organic substances.

The climate is of the lower subalpine, hyper-humid variety and is influenced by the very steep, south-facing slopes of the Alpine foothills. This particular configuration and exposure means that air masses rise up from the plain, causing abundant precipitation, that spring frosts are limited, and that rainwater drains away quickly. This environmental balance makes the land areas and the surrounding environment particularly well suited to the cultivation of ‘Marroni del Monfenera’.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The characteristics that render the protected geographical indication product ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ unique and differentiate it from other products in the same category are the very sweet flavour of the flesh, the uniform, compact structure of the fruit and its pasty/floury texture. These characteristics, and in particular the flavour, are the result of the distinctive average chemical composition of ‘Marroni del Monfenera’. A comparison by INRAN (Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition)) with the chemical composition values of other chestnuts shows that ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ have a higher carbohydrate, lipid and potassium content, and less sodium.

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 chemical composition of the fruit, and thus its quality, is linked to the fact that the chestnut tree, a markedly acidophile species, benefits within the ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ cultivation area from the presence of largely acidic foothill areas, with opposite reactivity from those of the bordering areas, which are not present in other foothill areas of Treviso province.

This leads to a higher quantity of potassium and a lower quantity of sodium in ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ as compared to other chestnuts, as demonstrated by a comparison between the chemical composition values for the two products, based, in the case of the other chestnuts, on the INRAN tables.

The quality of the fruit also derives from the fact that the chestnut trees benefit from the abundant annual average precipitation, which allows the leaching of the bedrock of the land, thereby keeping it acidic. Moreover, the particular configuration and exposure of the foothills significantly reduces spring frosts, to which the plant is especially susceptible.

In addition to these important environmental factors, the human factor is also fundamentally important. ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ have been grown since medieval times, as proven by a document from 1351 regulating the harvest between heads of family in the area. The protection of chestnut woods in the ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ area is also confirmed by notarial sources from subsequent centuries, setting out complaints to the relevant authorities concerning illegal cutting in the chestnut woods or the presence of grazing animals out of season which were detrimental to the chestnut harvest. The tradition of such cultivation has been maintained to the present day, in part as a result of the development of numerous events, including the ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ Fair, inaugurated in 1970.

The importance of ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ to the local economy and their reputation are demonstrated by the many initiatives that take place every year. Furthermore, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Fair, Pederobba municipality, which hosts the event, issued a series of postcards and a special postal cancellation mark.

Reference to publication of the specification

The Government has launched the national objection procedure with the publication of the proposal for recognising ‘Marroni del Monfenera’ as a protected designation of origin in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 276 of 26 November 2005.

The full text of the product specification is available:

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.