23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/1

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case M.7928 — RPC Group/GCS)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 108/01)

On 11 March 2016, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the internal market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1). The full text of the decision is available only in English language and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

—	in the merger section of the Competition website of the Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/). This website provides various facilities to help locate individual merger decisions, including company, case number, date and sectoral indexes,

—	in electronic form on the EUR-Lex website (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en) under document number 32016M7928. EUR-Lex is the online access to the European law.

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/2

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Euro exchange rates (1)

22 March 2016

(2016/C 108/02)

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,1212
JPY	Japanese yen	125,13
DKK	Danish krone	7,4541
GBP	Pound sterling	0,78790
SEK	Swedish krona	9,2315
CHF	Swiss franc	1,0887
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,4470
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	27,037
HUF	Hungarian forint	312,60
PLN	Polish zloty	4,2612
RON	Romanian leu	4,4703
TRY	Turkish lira	3,2260
AUD	Australian dollar	1,4751
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4679
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	8,6942
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6626
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,5260
KRW	South Korean won	1 302,05
ZAR	South African rand	17,1950
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,2791
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,5380
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	14 772,93
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,4882
PHP	Philippine peso	51,922
RUB	Russian rouble	76,2330
THB	Thai baht	39,164
BRL	Brazilian real	4,0526
MXN	Mexican peso	19,5680
INR	Indian rupee	74,7605

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(1)  Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/3

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Communication from the French Government concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (1)

Notice regarding applications for exclusive licences to prospect for liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons (the ‘Échemines Licences’)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 108/03)

On 26 January 2016 Société pétrolière de production et d’exploitation SAS (ZA Pense Folie, 45220 Château-Renard, France), applied for an exclusive 5-year licence, designated the ‘Échemines licence’, to prospect for oil and gas in part of the Aube and Yonne departments.

The perimeter of the area covered by this licence is demarcated by the straight lines connecting the points defined below:

Point	NTF — meridian of origin Paris		RGF93 — meridian of origin Greenwich
	Longitude East	Latitude North	Longitude East	Latitude North
A	1,60 gr	53,90 gr	3°46′36″	48°30′36″
B	1,80 gr	53,90 gr	3°57′24″	48°30′36″
C	1,80 gr	53,70 gr	3°57′24″	48°19′48″
D	1,90 gr	53,70 gr	4°02′48″	48°19′48″
E	1,90 gr	53,50 gr	4°02′48″	48°09′00″
F	1,50 gr	53,50 gr	3°41′12″	48°09′00″
G	1,50 gr	53,60 gr	3°41′12″	48°14′24″
H	1,60 gr	53,60 gr	3°46′36″	48°14′24″

The area as defined above covers approximately 735 km2.

Submission of applications and criteria for awarding rights

The initial applicants and competing applicants must prove that they meet the requirements for obtaining licences set out in Articles 4 and 5 of Decree No 2006-648 of 2 June 2006 (as amended) on mining rights and underground storage rights (Official Journal of the French Republic, 3 June 2006).

Interested companies may, within 90 days of the publication of this notice, submit a competing application in accordance with the procedure summarised in the ‘Notice regarding the granting of mining rights for hydrocarbons in France’, published in the Official Journal of the European Communities C 374, 30 December 1994, page 11, and established by Decree No 2006-648 of 2 June 2006 (as amended) concerning mining rights and underground storage rights (Official Journal of the French Republic, 3 June 2006).

Competing applications must be sent to the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs at the address given below. Decisions on the initial application and any competing applications will be taken within two years of the date on which the French authorities received the initial application, i.e. by 2 February 2018 at the latest.

Conditions and requirements regarding performance of the activity and cessation thereof

Applicants are referred to Articles 79 and 79.1 of the French Mining Code and to Decree No 2006-649 of 2 June 2006 (as amended) on mining and underground storage operations and the regulations governing mining and underground storage (Official Journal of the French Republic, 3 June 2006).

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs at the following address:

Direction générale de l’énergie et du climat — Direction de l’énergie

Bureau exploration et production des hydrocarbures

Tour Séquoia

1 place Carpeaux

92800 Puteaux

FRANCE

Tel.: +33 140819527

The abovementioned laws and regulations can be consulted on the Légifrance website: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr

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(1)  OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 3.

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/5

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Call for proposals — European Defence Agency (EDA)

(2016/C 108/04)

The European Defence Agency (EDA) is launching a call for proposals under the Union-funded pilot project on defence research. The management of the pilot project and its implementation through call for proposals has been entrusted to the EDA through a Delegation Agreement concluded with the European Commission Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

The call has the objective of requesting proposals to address the following topics:

(1)	PP-15-INR-01: Unmanned heterogeneous swarm of sensor platforms;

(2)	PP-15-STAN-CERT-01: Standardisation of remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) detect and avoid (DAA);

(3)	Inside-building awareness and navigation for urban warfare (Subject to availability of funds).

All information relating to the present call for proposal can be found on the EDA Procurement Gateway website: http://www.eda.europa.eu/procurement-gateway

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/6

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Notice of initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbide and tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder originating in the People’s Republic of China

(2016/C 108/05)

Following the publication of a notice of impending expiry (1) of the anti-dumping measures in force on the imports of tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbide and tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder originating in the People’s Republic of China, the European Commission (‘the Commission’) has received a request for review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (2) (‘the basic Regulation’).

1.   Request for review

The request was lodged on 7 December 2015 on behalf of Union producers (‘the applicant’) representing more than 25 % of the total Union production of Tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbide and tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder.

2.   Product under review

The product subject to this review is tungsten carbide, tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder and fused tungsten carbide (‘the product under review’), currently falling within CN codes 2849 90 30 and ex 3824 30 00 (TARIC code 3824300010).

3.   Existing measures

The measures currently in force are a definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 287/2011 (3).

4.   Grounds for the review

The request is based on the grounds that the expiry of the measures would be likely to result in continuation of dumping and recurrence of injury to the Union industry.

4.1.    Allegation of a likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of dumping

Since, in view of the provisions of Article 2(7) of the basic Regulation, the People’s Republic of China (‘country concerned’) is considered to be a non-market economy country, the applicant established normal value for the People’s Republic of China on the basis of the price in a market economy third country, namely the United States of America. The allegation of likelihood of a continuation of dumping is based on a comparison of the normal value thus established with the export price (at ex-works level) of the product under review when sold for export to the Union.

On this basis the dumping margins calculated are significant for the country concerned.

4.2.    Allegation of a likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of injury

The applicant alleges the likelihood of recurrence of injury. In this respect the applicant has provided prima facie evidence that, should measures be allowed to lapse, the current import level of the product under review from the country concerned to the Union is likely to increase in significant quantities due to the existence of unused capacity in the People’s Republic of China which will likely lead to a recurrence of injury to the Union industry should measures be allowed to lapse.

The applicant alleges that the removal of injury has been mainly due to the existence of measures and that it is likely to recur if measures are allowed to lapse.

5.   Procedure

Having determined, after consulting the Committee established by Article 15(1) of the basic Regulation, that sufficient evidence exists to justify the initiation of an expiry review, the Commission hereby initiates a review in accordance with Article 11(2) of the basic Regulation.

5.1.    Review investigation period and period considered

The investigation of a continuation or recurrence of dumping will cover the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015 (‘the review investigation period’). The examination of trends relevant for the assessment of the likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of injury will cover the period from 1 January 2012 to the end of the investigation period (‘the period considered’).

5.2.    Procedure for the determination of a likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of dumping

Exporting producers (4) of the product under review from the country concerned, including those that did not cooperate in the investigation(s) leading to the measures in force, are invited to participate in the Commission investigation.

5.2.1.   Investigating exporting producers

5.2.1.1.   Procedure for selecting exporting producers to be investigated in the People’s Republic of China

(a)   Sampling

In view of the potentially large number of exporting producers in the People’s Republic of China involved in this expiry review and in order to complete the investigation within the statutory time limits, the Commission may limit the exporting producers to be investigated to a reasonable number by selecting a sample (this process is also referred to as ‘sampling’). The sampling will be carried out in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation.

In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling is necessary, and if so, to select a sample, all exporting producers, or representatives acting on their behalf, including the ones who did not cooperate in the investigation leading to the measures subject to the present review, are hereby requested to make themselves known to the Commission. These parties have to do so within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified, by providing the Commission with the information on their company(ies) requested in Annex I to this notice.

In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for the selection of the sample of exporting producers, the Commission will also contact the authorities of the People’s Republic of China and may contact any known associations of exporting producers.

All interested parties wishing to submit any other relevant information regarding the selection of the sample, excluding the information requested above, must do so within 21 days of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.

If a sample is necessary, the exporting producers will be selected based on the largest representative volume of production, sales or exports which can reasonably be investigated within the time available.

In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation with regard to exporting producers, the Commission will send questionnaires to the exporting producers selected to be in the sample, to any known association of exporting producers and to the authorities of the People’s Republic of China.

All exporting producers selected to be in the sample, will have to submit a completed questionnaire within 37 days from the date of notification of the sample selection, unless otherwise specified.

Without prejudice to the possible application of Article 18 of the basic Regulation, companies that have agreed to their possible inclusion in the sample but are not selected to be in the sample will be considered to be cooperating (‘non-sampled cooperating exporting producers’).

However, exporting producers claiming an individual dumping margin should be aware that the Commission may nonetheless decide not to determine their individual dumping margin if, for instance, the number of exporting producers is so large that such determination would be unduly burdensome and would prevent the timely completion of the investigation.

5.2.2.   Additional procedure with regard to exporting producers in the non-market economy country(ies) concerned

5.2.2.1.   Selection of a market economy third country

In accordance with Article 2(7)(a) of the basic Regulation, in the case of imports from the People’s Republic of China normal value will be determined on the basis of the price or constructed value in a market economy third country.

In the previous investigation the United States of America was used as a market economy third country for the purpose of establishing normal value in respect of the People’s Republic of China. For the purpose of the current investigation, based on the information contained in the request, it is envisaged to use again the United States of America. According to the information available to the Commission, other market economy producers may be located, inter alia, in India, South Korea, Canada and Japan. The Commission will examine whether there is production and sales of the product under review in those market economy third countries for which there are indications that production of the product under review is taking place. Interested parties are hereby invited to comment on the appropriateness of the choice of an analogue country within 10 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

5.2.3.   Investigating unrelated importers (5) (6)

Unrelated importers of the product under review from the People’s Republic of China to the Union are invited to participate in this investigation.

In view of the potentially large number of unrelated importers involved in this expiry review and in order to complete the investigation within the statutory time limits, the Commission may limit to a reasonable number the unrelated importers that will be investigated by selecting a sample (this process is also referred to as ‘sampling’). The sampling will be carried out in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation.

In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling is necessary and, if so, to select a sample, all unrelated importers, or representatives acting on their behalf, including the ones who did not cooperate in the investigation leading to the measures subject to the present review, are hereby requested to make themselves known to the Commission. These parties must do so within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified, by providing the Commission with the information on their company(ies) requested in Annex II to this notice.

In order to obtain information it deems necessary for the selection of the sample of unrelated importers, the Commission may also contact any known associations of importers.

All interested parties wishing to submit any other relevant information regarding the selection of the sample, excluding the information requested above, must do so within 21 days of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.

If a sample is necessary, the importers may be selected based on the largest representative volume of sales of the product under review in the Union which can reasonably be investigated within the time available. All known unrelated importers and associations of importers will be notified by the Commission of the companies selected to be in the sample.

In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to the sampled unrelated importers and to any known association of importers. These parties must submit a completed questionnaire within 37 days from the date of the notification of the sample selection, unless otherwise specified.

5.3.    Procedure for the determination of a likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of injury

In order to establish whether there is a likelihood of a continuation or recurrence injury to the Union industry, Union producers of the product under review are invited to participate in the Commission investigation.

5.3.1.   Investigating Union producers

In view of the large number of Union producers involved in this expiry review and in order to complete the investigation within the statutory time limits, the Commission has decided to limit to a reasonable number the Union producers that will be investigated by selecting a sample (this process is also referred to as ‘sampling’). The sampling is carried out in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation.

The Commission has provisionally selected a sample of Union producers. Details can be found in the file for inspection by interested parties. Interested parties are hereby invited to consult the file (for this they should contact the Commission using the contact details provided in Section 5.7 below). Other Union producers, or representatives acting on their behalf, including Union producers who did not cooperate in the investigation(s) leading to the measures in force, that consider that there are reasons why they should be included in the sample must contact the Commission within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

All interested parties wishing to submit any other relevant information regarding the selection of the sample must do so within 21 days of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified.

All known Union producers and/or associations of Union producers will be notified by the Commission of the companies finally selected to be in the sample.

In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to the sampled Union producers and to any known associations of Union producers. These parties must submit a completed questionnaire within 37 days from the date of the notification of the sample selection, unless otherwise specified.

5.4.    Procedure for the assessment of Union interest

Should the likelihood of continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury be confirmed, a decision will be reached, pursuant to Article 21 of the basic Regulation, as to whether maintaining the anti-dumping measures would not be against the Union interest. Union producers, importers and their representative associations, users and their representative associations, and representative consumer organisations are invited to make themselves known within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. In order to participate in the investigation, the representative consumer organisations have to demonstrate, within the same deadline, that there is an objective link between their activities and the product under review.

Parties that make themselves known within the above deadline may provide the Commission with information on the Union interest within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. This information may be provided either in a free format or by completing a questionnaire prepared by the Commission. In any case, information submitted pursuant to Article 21 will only be taken into account if supported by factual evidence at the time of submission.

5.5.    Other written submissions

Subject to the provisions of this notice, all interested parties are hereby invited to make their views known, submit information and provide supporting evidence. Unless otherwise specified, this information and supporting evidence must reach the Commission within 37 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

5.6.    Possibility to be heard by the Commission investigation services

All interested parties may request to be heard by the Commission investigation services. Any request to be heard must be made in writing and must specify the reasons for the request. For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation the request must be submitted within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. Thereafter, a request to be heard must be submitted within the specific deadlines set by the Commission in its communication with the parties.

5.7.    Instructions for making written submissions and sending completed questionnaires and correspondence

Information submitted to the Commission for the purpose of trade defence investigations shall be free from copyrights. Interested parties, before submitting to the Commission information and/or data which is subject to third party copyrights, must request specific permission to the copyright holder explicitly allowing a) the Commission to use the information and data for the purpose of this trade defence proceeding and b) to provide the information and/or data to interested parties to this investigation in a form that allows them to exercise their rights of defence.

All written submissions, including the information requested in this notice, completed questionnaires and correspondence provided by interested parties for which confidential treatment is requested shall be labelled ‘Limited’ (7).

Interested parties providing ‘Limited’ information are required to furnish non-confidential summaries of it pursuant to Article 19(2) of the basic Regulation, which will be labelled ‘For inspection by interested parties’. These summaries must be sufficiently detailed to permit a reasonable understanding of the substance of the information submitted in confidence. If an interested party providing confidential information does not furnish a non-confidential summary of it in the requested format and quality, such information may be disregarded.

Interested parties are invited to make all submissions and requests by e-mail including scanned powers of attorney and certification sheets, with the exception of voluminous replies which shall be submitted on a CD-ROM or DVD by hand or by registered mail. By using e-mail, interested parties express their agreement with the rules applicable to electronic submissions contained in the document ‘CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN TRADE DEFENCE CASES’ published on the website of the Directorate-General for Trade: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2011/june/tradoc_148003.pdf The interested parties must indicate their name, address, telephone and a valid e-mail address and they should ensure that the provided e-mail address is a functioning official business e-mail which is checked on a daily basis. Once contact details are provided, the Commission will communicate with interested parties by e-mail only, unless they explicitly request to receive all documents from the Commission by another means of communication or unless the nature of the document to be sent requires the use of a registered mail. For further rules and information concerning correspondence with the Commission including principles that apply to submissions by e-mail, interested parties should consult the communication instructions with interested parties referred to above.

Commission address for correspondence:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Trade

Directorate H

Office: CHAR 04/039

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

E-mail:

For dumping : TRADE-R643-TUNGSTEN-CARBIDE-DUMPING@ec.europa.eu For injury : TRADE-R643-TUNGSTEN-CARBIDE-INJURY@ec.europa.eu

6.   Non-cooperation

In cases where any interested party refuses access to or does not provide the necessary information within the time limits, or significantly impedes the investigation, findings, affirmative or negative, may be made on the basis of facts available, in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation.

Where it is found that any interested party has supplied false or misleading information, the information may be disregarded and use may be made of facts available.

If an interested party does not cooperate or cooperates only partially and findings are therefore based on facts available in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation, the result may be less favourable to that party than if it had cooperated.

Failure to give a computerised response shall not be deemed to constitute non-cooperation, provided that the interested party shows that presenting the response as requested would result in an unreasonable extra burden or unreasonable additional cost. The interested party should immediately contact the Commission.

7.   Hearing Officer

Interested parties may request the intervention of the Hearing Officer in trade proceedings. The Hearing Officer acts as an interface between the interested parties and the Commission investigation services. The Hearing Officer reviews requests for access to the file, disputes regarding the confidentiality of documents, requests for extension of time limits and requests by third parties to be heard. The Hearing Officer may organise a hearing with an individual interested party and mediate to ensure that the interested parties’ rights of defence are being fully exercised.

A request for a hearing with the Hearing Officer should be made in writing and should specify the reasons for the request. For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation the request must be submitted within 15 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union. Thereafter, a request to be heard must be submitted within specific deadlines set by the Commission in its communication with the parties.

The Hearing Officer will also provide opportunities for a hearing involving parties to take place which would allow different views to be presented and rebuttal arguments offered on issues pertaining, among other things, to the likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury and Union interest.

For further information and contact details interested parties may consult the Hearing Officer’s web pages on DG Trade’s website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/trade-policy-and-you/contacts/hearing-officer/.

8.   Schedule of the investigation

The investigation will be concluded, pursuant to Article 11(5) of the basic Regulation within 15 months of the date of the publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.

9.   Possibility to request a review under Article 11(3) of the basic Regulation

As this expiry review is initiated in accordance with the provisions of Article 11(2) of the basic Regulation, the findings thereof will not lead to the existing measures being amended but will lead to those measures being repealed or maintained in accordance with Article 11(6) of the basic Regulation.

If any interested party considers that a review of the measures is warranted so as to allow for the possibility to amend the measures, that party may request a review pursuant to Article 11(3) of the basic Regulation.

Parties wishing to request such a review, which would be carried out independently of the expiry review mentioned in this notice, may contact the Commission at the address given above.

10.   Processing of personal data

Any personal data collected in this investigation will be treated in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (8).

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(1)  OJ C 212, 27.6.2015, p. 8.

(2)  OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51.

(3)  Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 287/2011 of 21 March 2011 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of tungsten carbide, tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder and fused tungsten carbide originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 (OJ L 78, 24.3.2011, p. 1).

(4)  An exporting producer is any company in the country concerned which produces and exports the product under review to the Union market, either directly or via third party, including any of its related companies involved in the production, domestic sales or exports of the product under review.

(5)  Only importers not related to exporting producers can be sampled. Importers that are related to exporting producers have to fill in Annex I to the questionnaire for these exporting producers. For the definition of a related party see footnote 3 of Annex II to this notice.

(6)  The data provided by unrelated importers may also be used in relation to aspects of this investigation other than the determination of dumping.

(7)  A ‘Limited’ document is a document which is considered confidential pursuant to Article 19 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 (OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51) and Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-Dumping Agreement). It is also a document protected pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43).

(8)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/16

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7904 — Bekaert/OTPP/Bridon Bekaert Ropes JV)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 108/06)

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/17

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.7968 — EQT Services UK/Kuoni Travel Holding)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2016/C 108/07)

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/18

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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

(2016/C 108/08)

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

‘ISTARSKO EKSTRA DJEVIČANSKO MASLINOVO ULJE’

EU No: HR-PDO-0005-01358 – 30.7.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

2.   Member State or Third Country

Croatia

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Product type

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oils, etc.)

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

‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ is an extra virgin olive oil obtained directly from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea, L.) solely by mechanical means.

When the product is placed on the market, it must have the following physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics:

—   free fatty acid content expressed as oleic acid: ≤ 0,4 %,

—   peroxide value: ≤ 6 mmol O2/kg,

—   K232: ≤ 2,25,

—   K270: ≤ 0,20,

—   Delta-K: ≤ 0,01,

—   aroma: moderately to heavily pronounced aroma of fresh olives, fruit, vegetables or other green vegetation, such as green leaves, green grass, etc. (median of fruitiness on a continuous linear scale > 3,0),

—   taste: of healthy and fresh olives, with bitterness and sharpness of the following values:

—   bitterness: mildly, moderately or heavily pronounced (median on a continuous linear scale ≥ 2,0),

—   sharpness: mildly, moderately or heavily pronounced (median on a continuous linear scale ≥ 2,0).

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The following olive varieties may be used to produce ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’: istarska belica, buža, karbonaca, črnica, žižolera, rošinjola, puntoža, leccino, frantoio, moraiolo, pendolino and picholine. In a given quantity of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’, at least 80 % of the oil must come from one or more of the above varieties.

Other olive varieties may also be used to produce ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’, but their share must not exceed 20 %.

In monovarietal oils, at least 80 % of the oil must come from a single olive variety.

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

All stages in the production of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’, from growing to processing the olives, must take place within the geographical area defined in point 4.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

The oil must be packaged within the geographical area defined in point 4 in order to preserve its specific characteristics and quality. Packaging the oil within the production area minimises the risk of the quality of the product becoming impaired through transport and multiple decanting, when it could become exposed to fluctuations in temperature, atmospheric oxygen and light. Moreover, limiting packaging to the production area allows the relevant inspection authorities to conduct compliance checks in the presence of the interested producers, who traditionally bottle the oil themselves. Compliance certification and the right to use a designation of origin are of paramount importance to these producers, as they reinforce consumer trust, provide a competitive advantage and, ultimately, result in higher profits.

Packaging the oil within the production area greatly facilitates traceability and quality control, which would be difficult to carry out outside the production area.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The product name ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ must be clearly distinguishable from any other inscription by the size, type and colour of the letters (typography). The size of the producer’s inscription may not exceed 70 % of the size of the designation of origin.

It is permissible to use the names of agricultural holdings or of family farms (‘stancija’, pl. ‘stancije’) etc., and their specific locations, to mention the toponyms or refer to bottling on the holding or at an association of holdings located in the production area, only if the product is produced exclusively from olives harvested in olive groves on the agricultural holding in question, i.e. olive groves on the location indicated on the label.

No terms other than those set out in the product specification may accompany the name ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’. The labelling may contain accurate and documented statements that serve to highlight any specific procedures adopted by individual producers, e.g. ‘monovarietal’, ‘hand-picked’, etc.

The harvest year must also be indicated on the label.

At the time of placing on the market, each package must bear an adhesive stamp featuring the common symbol and the unique packaging number, ensuring traceability and compliance with the product specification.

All users of the designation of origin who place the product on the market in accordance with its specification have the right to use the stamp, under the same conditions.

The design of the common symbol is shown below.

The common symbol comprises a vertical ellipse with the inscription ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ running along its outer edge. The inside of the symbol features the Istrian Peninsula, with an outline of the production area. A stylised drop of oil is seen emanating from the southern tip of the peninsula.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ may be produced only within the administrative borders of Istria County and part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. In Istria County ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ may be produced in the territory of the following towns and municipalities: Buje, Buzet, Labin, Novigrad, Pazin, Poreč, Pula, Rovinj, Umag, Vodnjan, Bale, Barban, Brtonigla, Cerovlje, Fažana, Funtana, Gračišće, Grožnjan, Kanfanar, Karojba, Kaštelir-Labinci, Kršan, Lanišće, Ližnjan, Lupoglav, Marčana, Medulin, Motovun, Oprtalj, Pićan, Raša, Sveta Nedjelja, Sveti Lovreč, Sveti Petar u Šumi, Svetvinčenat, Tar-Vabriga, Tinjan, Višnjan, Vižinada, Vrsar and Žminj. In Primorje-Gorski Kotar County ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ may be produced in the territory of the following towns and municipalities: Mošćenička Draga, Lovran, Opatija, Matulji and Kastav.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the area

In terms of its geological, topographic and, to some extent, climatic characteristics, the Istrian Peninsula is composed of three distinct parts: the small mountainous edge to the north and north-east, the hilly central part with flysch deposits, and the limestone plateau along the southern and western coast. The southern, western and central parts, which have a Mediterranean climate, are the most important in terms of olive growing. Although the Istrian Peninsula is located at the edge of the latitude suitable for olive growing, it enjoys a milder climate compared to other areas lying on the same latitude, owing to its shape and orientation. In the south, the climate exhibits EU-Mediterranean features, with a strong maritime influence, a pronounced dry summer season, an average annual temperature of around 16 °C and total annual precipitation of around 820 mm. The areas to the west and north-west are characterised by a EU-Mediterranean climate where the dry summer season is not as pronounced, average annual temperatures hover around 14 °C and total annual precipitation peaks at around 1 000 mm.

The fact that the soil and climate of Istria favour olive growing was recognised as far back as Ancient Roman times. Hence, for the past 2 000 years or more, olives and olive oil have been not just an important economic factor, but also Istria’s trademark. Some of the amphorae discovered still bear the inscriptions Olei Histrici (Istrian oil) and Olei flos (first-press oil), showing that dedicated labelling was in place for quality oils at the time. Istrian olive oil was transported through trade routes to northern Italy, Noricum and Pannonia.

In the second half of the 20th century, olive growing in Istria began developing at a faster pace. With the help of scientific and professional institutions, new olive groves were planted, some of the assortment was expanded, and new olive production and processing techniques were introduced. The ancient tradition of olive growing and the emergence of new trends gradually led to increasing specialisation among Istrian olive growers and processors. Led by their unquenchable curiosity, propensity to innovate and competitive drive, they soon took advantage of the new opportunity to perfect the knowledge and skills passed down through generations.

Specificity of the product

‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ is prized for and distinguished by its high quality and organoleptic characteristics that result from a number of factors. The oil has a moderate to intense aroma of fresh olives, often overlapping with notes of fruit, vegetables or green vegetation (e.g. green leaves, green grass, etc.) of differing intensities. The taste of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ is harmonious, reminiscent of the healthy fresh olive and usually moderately bitter and sharp.

‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ is rich in C6 and C5 volatiles that are linked with its green aromas, its bitterness and sharpness. However, the bitterness and sharpness of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ are not related solely to the high content of volatiles, but also to the high proportion of phenolic substances, which, in addition to enhancing the oil’s organoleptic properties, also positively affect its nutritional properties and stability, making it more resistant to oxidation.

Furthermore, years of research on Istrian extra virgin olive oils have scientifically proven their nutritional value and confirmed that in addition to being rich in phenolic substances, they also have a high oleic acid content. On average, ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ will have a high oleic acid content (most often over 74 %), while the proportion of linolenic acid will be below 10 %. This specific chemical composition of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’, i.e. the high proportion of oleic and linolenic acids (> 7), in combination with a high phenolic content, enhances its oxidation stability.

Another distinctive feature of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ is its very low free fatty acid content and low peroxide value.

Causal link between the area and the product

Since the Istrian Peninsula lies at the very northern boundary of the olive growing region, it may appear that the conditions there do not favour olive growing. However, Istria has been recognised as an ideal place for producing olives and high quality olive oil ever since Roman times. Direct proof of this is the wide variety of olive varieties grown there. The fact that ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ always meets the organoleptic and chemical criteria set out in point 3.2, irrespective of its varietal composition, indicates that the pedo-climatic conditions in the Istrian Peninsula contribute greatly to the quality and characteristics of the olives grown there and to the chemical and organoleptic properties of the oil.

The main consequence of the specific climatic conditions in Istria is the high proportion of mono-unsaturated oleic acid among all fatty acids in ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’. This is because olive trees adapt to colder climates by producing more oleic acid (Pannelli et al., 1993, in O. Koprivnjak, I. Vrhovnik, T. Hladnik, Ž. Prgomet, B. Hlevnjak and V. Majetić Germek: Obilježja prehrambene vrijednosti djevičanskih maslinovih ulja sorti Buža, Istarska bjelica, Leccino i Rosulja, Hrvatski časopis za prehrambenu tehnologiju, biotehnologiju i nutricionizam No 7, (2012), p. 174).

The rich chemical composition of the volatiles in ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’, which affect the green aromas — some even accounting for its bitterness and sharpness — is due not only to the assortment and the climatic conditions, but also to the production processes adopted by olive growers, i.e. picking olives when they are just ripe and applying good practice when keeping and processing the fruit and storing the oil. Hence, the expertise and skills in olive growing and oil making and storage accumulated and perfected by local olive growers and processors through generations play a key role in ensuring the quality of the product.

An early harvest, which takes place when the fruits are still green or mottled and firm, greatly affects the oil’s characteristics. This production practice has become a mainstay among Istrian olive growers. In addition to helping avoid low temperatures, which could cause the fruit to freeze, an early harvest prevents infestation by the second and third generations of the olive fruit fly, either of which could severely affect the quality of the oil. Moreover, an early harvest is known to directly improve the chemical quality indicators and the specific characteristics in the taste and aroma of ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’; it is linked to low levels of free fatty acids, a low peroxide value and low K-numbers, and a high intensity of positive organoleptic properties in terms of taste and aroma (K. Brkić Bubola, O. Koprivnjak, B. Sladonja, D. Škevin, I. Belobrajić: Chemical and sensorial changes of Croatian monovarietal olive oils during ripening, European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, vol. 114 (2012), p. 1400).

The interaction of the various local natural and human factors mentioned above confer the product bearing the ‘Istarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje’ PDO with its distinctive character, i.e. a harmonious taste, and a balance between the sharpness, bitterness and fruitiness of the olive fruit.

Reference to publication of the product specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

http://www.mps.hr/UserDocsImages/HRANA/ISTARSKO%20ED%20MASLINOVO%20ULJE/2015-12-23-IEDMU%20-%20IzmIjenjena%20Specifikacija%20proizvoda.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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23.3.2016

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 108/22

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Publication of an amendment 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

(2016/C 108/09)

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).

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF NON-MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION FOR A PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN OR PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

Application for approval of amendments in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012

‘HUILE D’OLIVE DE HAUTE-PROVENCE’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01340 — 27.5.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Applicant group and legitimate interest

Syndicat AOP Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence

Chambre d’Agriculture

Avenue Charles Richard

04700 Oraison

FRANCE

Tel. +33 492305787

Fax +33 492787000

E-mail: contact@aochuiledolive-hauteprovence.com

Syndicat AOP Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence, a professional association governed by the amended Law of 21 March 1884, is composed of olive producers and processors (approximately 400 operators) and has a legitimate interest in submitting the application.

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Headings in the product specification affected by the amendment(s)

—	☐	Name of product
—	☒	Description of product
—	☒	Geographical area
—	☒	Proof of origin
—	☒	Method of production
—	☐	Link
—	☒	Labelling
—	☒	Other (inspections, contact details of the competent authorities and inspection bodies, link)

4.   Type of amendment(s)

—	☒	Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI not to be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.
—	☐	Amendments to the product specification of a registered PDO or PGI for which a Single Document (or equivalent) has not been published and which cannot be qualified as minor within the meaning of the third subparagraph of Article 53(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

5.   Amendment(s)

Product description:

The description of the product has been revised and supplemented in order to further clarify the specificity of the product and its analytical and sensory characteristics:

—

The colour of the olive oil has been specified (yellow visual appearance with green reflections that disappear gradually) in order to point out that the green character of the oil may become less marked over time, in particular because of the degradation of the chlorophyll pigments contained in the oil.

—

Solely for the sake of preserving the quality of the olive oil as well as possible, the maximum free acidity content has been reduced to 0,8 g/100 g instead of 1 g/100 g. The physico-chemical analyses carried out in connection with monitoring the designation of origin have shown that the oils do not exceed this amount.

—

The aromatic characteristics have been specified on the basis of sensory testing carried out by the applicant group and the Centre technique de l’Olivier (CTO): as regards smell, it has been specified that the dominant aromas may be combined or present alone. Aromas of banana, freshly cut grass and fresh almond have been added and those of pear removed. As regards taste, it has been specified that the dominant flavour is that of raw artichoke, while secondary flavours of banana, grass, apple and fresh almond, either combined or alone, have been added.

—

Bitterness (≥ 1 according to the scale of the International Olive Council — IOC) and pungency (≥ 2 according to the scale of the IOC) have been defined and incorporated into the specification. They apply prior to the first marketing of the product and clarify the concept of fieriness but also of ‘mildness’ and ‘slight bitterness’ originally indicated.

Besides, in order to preserve the product’s quality for the consumer, the peroxide value has been lowered to 15 milliequivalents of oxygen peroxide for each kilogramme of oil instead of 20 as was initially the case.

The limit for the K270 index has been deleted, since this parameter is closely correlated with acidity and the peroxide value. Therefore deleting it has no impact on the quality and specific characteristics of the oil so long as the maximum permitted values for acidity and the peroxide value have been defined.

The indication of the ‘virgin’ nature of the oil has been removed, since that quality relates solely to the analytical characteristics of the oil and the oil may belong either to the ‘virgin’ or ‘extra virgin’ category.

Geographical area

The boundaries of the geographical area of the designation have not been changed, but its definition has been clarified. These clarifications consist in introducing an exhaustive list of the municipalities in the geographical area (with communes grouped, whenever possible, by canton in the Single Document).

Moreover, the methods for identifying land parcels have been clarified in the specification, in accordance with the new national procedures.

Furthermore, the various stages which must take place within the geographical area of the designation have been clarified: ‘All of the processes, from the production of the olives to their transformation into olive oil, are carried out within the defined geographical area’.

Proof of origin

Owing to developments in national legislation and rules, the section ‘Evidence that the product originates from the defined geographical area’ has been amended to bring together solely provisions on declaration requirements and the keeping of registers for tracing products and monitoring production conditions. A reference to inspection mechanisms has also been introduced. All elements relating to the history and the reputation of the product that were originally in this section of the specification have been removed.

Method of production

—

The introductory sentences ‘The oil must come from olives harvested in identified groves located in the delimited production area. The criteria for identifying parcels exclude areas unsuitable for high-quality olive cultivation.’ have been deleted from this section of the specification, because the procedure for identifying parcels is explained in the section ‘Geographical area’ in the same specification.

—

Authorised varieties: The concepts of ‘main variety’ and ‘secondary varieties’ have been deleted, since minimum and maximum percentages have been set for the different varieties. Furthermore, the maximum percentage (5 %) for ‘pollinator’ varieties as well as their coverage (dispersed within the parcel in question) have been specified, thus helping to ensure the desired varietal origin of the olive oil. To avoid any ambiguity during the inspection, the way of assessing the compliance of the varietal coverage of the holding with the percentages set has likewise been clarified: ‘The compliance of the varietal coverage is assessed on the basis of all parcels producing the designation of origin, except in the case of the pollinator varieties, for which the share is assessed on the basis of each parcel in question’. It has also been stated that, of the initially specified varieties, the colombale, estoublaisse, filaïre, grappier and rosée-du-Mont-d’Or varieties form part of the ‘old local’ varieties, because they were planted before the frost of 1956 but are represented by a significant number of trees in the production area.

—	Aglandau variety: The deadline set in 2014 — initially indicated in the summary and the specification — for achieving the minimum percentage of 80 % for the main variety has been deleted, since this deadline has already been reached.

—

Planting density: The original provision stating that ‘each tree base must have a minimum area of 24 square metres’ has been clarified and supplemented in order to avoid any ambiguity and to facilitate inspections. The term ‘tree base’ has been replaced by the more accurate term ‘tree’, the method for calculating the density has been specified (the ‘area is obtained by multiplying the two inter-row distances and the space between trees’), particularly in the case of terraced plantations (the minimum distance between trees takes into account the height of the terrace), and a minimum distance between trees has also been introduced (4 metres).

—

Intercropping: A ban on intercropping in groves with the PDO has been introduced in order to avoid competition with the olive trees, especially when they are young. However, in accordance with local customs, fruit trees not considered to affect the product’s final quality may be grown in olive groves provided that they do not represent more than 5 % of the total number of trees on the parcel in question.

—	Pruning: In order to document good pruning practices, it has been specified that the pruning debris must be removed from the groves before the next harvest, and a reference to the possibility to crush them on the spot has been added.

—	Irrigation: The irrigation deadline — initially set according to the date when colours begin to turn for each variety — has been replaced by a fixed date, 30 September, in order to facilitate implementation and inspection.

—	Age when the trees start producing: For purposes of drafting clarification, it has been specified that the age when the trees with the designation of origin start producing — set at 5 years — is ‘after the planting of the tree on the parcel’ (parcel with the designation of origin).

—

Yield: The method for calculating yield has been specified such as to avoid any ambiguity. It has therefore been indicated that yield must be calculated with regard to the ‘production harvested’ (and not the total production of the tree, including olives that fall to the ground and are not collected or covered by the designation), ‘irrespective of the intended use of the olives’ and ‘on average’ on the holding.

—

Harvesting: Various provisions relating to harvesting have been introduced: the procedure for opening and closing the harvest year to ensure that the olives are harvested when they have reached the desired sufficient state of ripeness, the authorised harvesting methods (authorised mechanical harvesting methods, ban on the use of ‘permanent’ nets) to maintain local practices contributing to the production of high-quality oil using sound olives that remain intact.

—

Ripeness and health status of the olives used and delivery times: In order to ensure the specificity of the product related, among other things, to the state of ripeness of the harvested olives, the degree of ripeness of the olives used has been specified according to the traditional harvest period of olives in Haute-Provence: the consignments do not contain more than 30 % of black olives. The provision on the soundness of the olives used has been supplemented by defining maximum thresholds for olives with defects: ‘The total share of worm-infested, bird-pecked, congealed or browned olives must be less than 10 % of the number of olives in each batch.’ Mouldy or fermented olives are not covered by the designation of origin.’ The purpose of this provision is to clarify the concept of ‘sound olives’ in order to better guarantee the final quality of the product. The deadlines for ‘harvesting and delivery’ and ‘harvesting and crushing’ have been reduced to 3 days and to 6 days, respectively, instead of 4 days and 7 days, in order to take account of current practices favouring the production of high-quality oil.

—

Oil production: The maximum temperature of the olive paste has been reduced to 27 °C instead of 30 °C (throughout the processing chain) to take account of changes to rules governing the words ‘cold pressing’. The processes and treatments authorised have been listed (‘no treatments are authorised before extraction, except for washing and pitting, and after extraction, except for decanting, centrifuging and filtration’), thus stating clearly the possibility of pitting the olives before extracting the oil. It is specified that ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ comes from a blend of varieties in the same proportions as those defined for the groves. The production of monovarietal oil of the aglandau variety has been authorised.

Labelling

The wording of labels specifically referring to the designation has been brought into line with Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012. The European Union’s PDO logo and the words ‘appellation d’origine protégée’ (protected designation of origin) are among the references that must be included on labels for products covered by the designation of origin ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’.

Other: inspections, updating of the contact details of the inspection bodies and of the applicant group, and link

—	In the light of changes to national legislation and rules, the section ‘National requirements’ is presented as a checklist in the form of a table with reference values and evaluation methods for each point.

—	The sections ‘References to the inspection bodies’ and ‘Responsible department in the Member State’: the name and the contact details of the official inspection bodies and of the group have been updated.

—

Link: the elements relating to the history of the designation deleted from the section ‘Proof of origin’ have been transferred, in part, to the section ‘Link with the geographical area’, which has been reorganised in order to further explain the specific characteristics of the geographical area and those of the product and the causal link between the specific characteristics of the geographical area and those of the product.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘HUILE D’OLIVE DE HAUTE-PROVENCE’

EU No: FR-PDO-0105-01340 — 27.5.2015

PDO ( X ) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

2.   Member State or Third Country

France

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.5 — Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

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

‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ is an olive oil characterised by:

—	a yellow visual appearance with green reflections that disappear gradually;

—	an intense smell dominated by aromas of raw artichoke, apple, banana, freshly cut grass and fresh almond, either combined or alone;

—	the taste is delicate, with a dominant flavour of raw artichoke and secondary flavours of banana, grass, apple and fresh almond, either combined or present alone.

Prior to first marketing, the pungency (called ‘fieriness’ later in this document) is greater than or equal to 2 and the bitterness greater than or equal to 1 according to the organoleptic scale of the International Olive Council (IOC).

The free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, must not exceed 0,8 g/100 g of olive oil. The peroxide value is restricted to 15 milliequivalents of oxygen peroxide for each kilogramme of olive oil when first marketed.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ is obtained from olives or oils from the following varieties:

—	aglandau (80-100 %)

—	picholine, bouteillan, tanche and old local varieties (varieties planted before the frost of 1956 and represented by a significant number of trees in the production area) (0-20 %).

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

All of the processes, from the production of the olives to their transformation into olive oil, are carried out within the defined geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

—

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

The labelling of oils with the ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ designation of origin must include:

—

The name of the ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ designation and the words ‘appellation d’origine protégée’ (protected designation of origin). These words must all be in the same field of vision and on the same label. They must be indicated in conspicuous, clearly legible and indelible characters of a sufficient size to stand out from the label on which they are printed so as to be clearly distinguishable from all other written or graphic information.

—	The European Union PDO logo.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area extends over the territory of the following municipalities:

The department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence:

—	The municipalities of Digne-les-Bains, Entrepierres, Revest-des-Brousses, Simiane-la-Rotonde and Sisteron.

—

The municipalities of the cantons of Digne-les-Bains-Ouest, except for the municipalities of Le Castellard-Mélan, Hautes-Duyes and Thoard, Forcalquier, Manosque-Sud-Est, Manosque-Nord, Manosque-Sud-Ouest, Les Mées, Mézel, except for the municipality of Majastres, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, except for the municipality of La Palud-sur-Verdon, Peyruis, Reillanne, Riez, Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues, except for the municipalities of Lardiers and Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues, Valensole and Volonne.

The department of Bouches-du-Rhône: Jouques, Saint-Paul-lès-Durance.

The department of the Var: Ginasservis, Rians, Saint-Julien, Vinon-sur-Verdon.

The Department of Vaucluse: La Bastide-des-Jourdans, Beaumont-de-Pertuis, Grambois, Mirabeau, Peypin-d’Aigues and Vitrolles-en-Lubéron.

5.   Link with the geographical area

Specificity of the geographical area

The distinctive features of the geographical area of the designation are, on the one hand, the geographical unit formed by the Durance valley and, on the other, its high-lying position (400 to 750 m).

The soils in the geographical area have common characteristics, such as their stoniness (puddling stones from the Oligocene Epoch, pebbles, angular, flattened elements often composed of gelifracted material) and calcium content (all the soils are carbonated).

In addition, Haute-Provence features a Mediterranean-Provençal type of climate with a continental influence characterised by hot dry summers but also by occasionally low, mainly negative, night-time and winter temperatures, an annual temperature range that is very high (between 17 °C and 18 °C on average) as well as a daily range of temperature that varies greatly and thermal inversion phenomena.

There were references to the cultivation of olive trees in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence back in the Middle Ages. Olive tree cultivation was at its most extensive in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a period during which it resisted serious frosts better than elsewhere.

Over the centuries, people were able to select the varieties best adapted to the local climate, in particular the aglandau, which became the dominant variety. The olive trees are planted on man-made terraces (a succession of nearly horizontal parcels separated by retaining walls made of dry stones with no binding substance, to compensate for the natural gradient of the ground). Traditionally the olives are harvested throughout the geographical area when still rather green, during the month of November, over a relatively short period of no more than 55 days.

‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ is highly appreciated by consumers owing to its reputation and quality. For a long time now, the quality of ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ has been recognised and regularly rewarded at various local, regional and national competitions.

Specificity of the product

The specificity of ‘Huile d’olive de Haute-Provence’ is related, in particular, to the predominant use of the aglandau variety, which represents 80 % to 100 % of the varieties making up the oil. The oil obtained has a good structure and it is fine and rich in aromas, which are characterised by raw artichoke, apple, banana, freshly cut grass and fresh almond. Generally, the oil’s marked fieriness exceeds its bitterness, and its yellow colour with green reflections is typical, in particular at the beginning of the season.

Causal link

Owing to the terrain, which results from the high-lying position of the geographical area, and to the characteristics of the Mediterranean climate with a continental influence, the olive trees must be cultivated principally on terraces. The dry-stone retaining walls of the terraces make it possible to drain the soil during wet weather but also to re-supply the soil with water during periods of drought (by condensation of the ambient air humidity at night). They regulate the temperature by storing solar energy, thereby protecting the harvest at the onset of cold weather and the durability of the olive trees, which are sometimes at risk during the coldest weather occurring in the geographical area, usually in February. The stony, carbonated soils have a fine, sandy loam matrix typical of the geographical area, and they are particularly suitable for growing olive trees, which thrive in aerated and well-drained soils. Over the centuries, the combination of the soil and climate characteristics exerted varietal selection pressure that led to the emergence of the aglandau as the dominant variety. Despite their late ripening, the fruits of the aglandau, which are harvested in November, resist well frosts occurring at the peak of the harvest. Frosts of exceptional intensity, which occur two or three times a century, have gradually sealed the success of the aglandau. This variety is present almost everywhere in Provence, though it is strongly dominant only in Haute-Provence.

The presence of the aglandau in the groves and in the composition of the oil, where its minimum share is 80 % of the different varieties used, has a determining influence on the characteristics of the oil and distinguishes it clearly from other oils. Despite its late ripening, the fruits of this variety have a low water content and an oil content at the time of harvest that guarantee a good resistance to the first autumn frosts, which do not affect the quality of the oil. However, the olives are harvested before the intense frosts, which occur most often in the last two weeks of December. As a consequence, the proportion of olives that are still green is often high during harvest. The fat-soluble chlorophyll they contain gives the oil its typical green reflections in the first few weeks after production. Over time, the oil gradually loses those green tinges without any alteration of the organoleptic characteristics of the oils, which subsequently display a hue with golden highlights. Indeed, the chlorophyll pigments are degraded when subjected to light. The oils are also rich in polyphenols, elements of fieriness and bitterness, which serve to ensure the proper preservation of these oils over time.

Reference to publication of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-5703c586-9a23-41bb-8b07-0b449c7ecead

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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