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23.5.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
132/1
II
(Non-legislative acts)
REGULATIONS
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 426/2012
of 22 May 2012
entering a name in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical
indications (Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ (Prasines Elies Chalkidikis) (PDO))
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
chloride content of the brine solution at the fermentation
stage. Greece and the objectors also agreed that the regis
tration of the name ‘Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ’ (Prasines
Elies Chalkidikis) should not prevent the placing on the
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
market of a product, the labelling of which includes the
Union,
term ‘variety Chalkidikis’, as long as the product in
question comprises or is derived from this variety and
that consumers are not misled, the usage of the variety
name constitutes fair competition, and the usage does
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 of
not exploit the reputation of the protected designation
20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications
of origin. Pursuant to this agreement this would be
and designations of origin for agricultural products and food
ensured when the term ‘variety Chalkidikis’ appears on
stuffs ( 1 ), and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 7(5)
the label in smaller letters compared to those of the
thereof,
product name, at a reasonable distance from the sales
designation of the product and provided it is accom
panied with the indication of the place of origin, when
Whereas:
this place is other than Chalkidiki.


(4)
In the light of the above, the name ‘Πρσινε Ελι
(1) Pursuant
to
Article
6(2)
of
Regulation
(EC)
No
510/2006
Χαλκιδικ’ (Prasines Elies Chalkidikis) should be entered
and in accordance with Article 17(2) thereof, an appli
in the Register of protected designations of origin and
cation from Greece received on 27 March 2006 to
protected geographical indications. The Summary should
register the name ‘Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ’ (Prasines
be updated accordingly and published,
Elies Chalkidikis) as a protected designation of origin
was published in the Official Journal of the European
Union ( 2 ).
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
(2) Belgium
and
a
private
company
from
Canada
lodged
objections to such registration under Article 7(1) of
Article 1
Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. The objections were
The designation contained in Annex I to this Regulation shall
deemed admissible under points (a), (b), (c), and (d) of
be entered in the register.
the first subparagraph of Article 7(3) thereof. By letter
dated 17 February 2011, the Commission asked the
Parties concerned to seek agreement among them.
Article 2
The updated Summary is contained in Annex II to this Regu
(3) An
agreement
was
reached
between
Greece
and
the lation.
objectors. Pursuant to this agreement, the Specification
and the Summary were amended in a minor way by
adding lactic acid and citric acid to the list of authorised
Article 3
preservatives and by limiting at 8,5 % the sodium
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day
( 1 ) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.
following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
( 2 ) OJ C 190, 14.7.2010, p. 37.
European Union.

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L 132/2
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Official Journal of the European Union
23.5.2012
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 22 May 2012.
For the Commission
The President
José Manuel BARROSO
ANNEX I
Agricultural products intended for human consumption in Annex I to the Treaty:
Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed
GREECE
Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ (Prasines Elies Chalkidikis) (PDO)

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EN
23.5.2012 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
132/3
ANNEX II
SUMMARY
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006
ΠΡΑΣΙΝΕΣ ΕΛΙΕΣ ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗΣ (PRASINES ELIES CHALKIDIKIS)
EC No: EL-PDO-0005-0539-27.03.2006
PDO ( X ) PGI ( )
This summary sets out the main features of the product specifications for information purposes.
1. Responsible
department
in
the
Member
State:
Name:
Υπουργεο Αγροτικ Ανπτυξη και Τροφμων, Δ/νση Βιολογικ Γεωργα, Τμμα ΠΟΠ — ΠΓΕ —
Ιδιτυπων και Παραδοσιακν Προντων (Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Organic Farming
Department, PDO/PGI/Special and Traditional Products Section)
Address:
Αχαρνν 29/Akharnon 29
104 39 Αθνα/Athens
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE
Tel. +30
2102125152
Fax —
E-mail ax29u030@minagric.gr
2. Group:
Name:
Κοινοπραξα Ενσεων Αγροτικν Συνεταιρισμν Πολυγρου και Χαλκιδικ (Association of Unions of
Farmers’ Cooperatives of Polygyros and Chalkidiki), with the trade name ‘Βιοκαλλιεργητικ Χαλκιδικ’
(Viokalliergitiki Chalkidikis — Chalkidikis Organic Farming)
Address:
Κωνσταντινουπλεω 13/Konstantinoupoleos 13
631 00 Πολγυρο/Polygyros
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE
Tel. +30
2371023076
Fax —
E-mail eas-pol@otenet.gr
Composition: Producers/processors: ( X ) Other: ( )
3. Type
of
product:
Class 1.6: Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed.
4. Specification:
(summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)
4.1. Name:
‘Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ’
(Prasines Elies Chalkidikis)
4.2. Description:
‘Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ’ (Prasines Elies Chalkidikis) are green olives produced exclusively from the varieties
‘Hondrolia Chalkidikis’ and ‘Chalkidiki’ of the Olea Europea species. The olives of these varieties grown in Chalkidiki
produce large fruit with a high proportion of flesh to stone, are a bright green/greenish-yellow colour, have a subtle
fruity aroma and a somewhat bitter and spicy flavour and an absence of any sensation of oiliness, on account of the
adaptation of the olive trees over centuries to the particular soil and climate conditions of the region, but also due to
the cultivation techniques used by the olive producers.
Prasines Elies Chalkidikis can be found in four types:
1. Whole olives.
2. Pitted olives.

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L 132/4
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Official Journal of the European Union
23.5.2012
3. Pitted stuffed olives. Almond, red pepper, carrot, gherkin and garlic may be used as a filling, and the olives are
stuffed by hand. The products used for the filling may not exceed 15 % of the weight of the olives.
4. Crushed olives.
All types may be flavoured with oregano, thyme, bay leaves, celery, garlic, capers and red pepper. The flavouring
ingredients may not exceed 2,5 % of the weight of the olives.
The ingredients used for the filling and to flavour the olives are products originating in the Prefecture of Chalkidiki.
At the time of release for consumption, the product must present the following characteristics:
Types of olives
Parameters Whole Pitted Pitted
and
stuffed Crushed
Physical character Fruits of cylindrical/conical shape ending in a marked papilla, with robust and glossy skin
istics of fruit
and bright green/greenish-yellow colour.
Flesh firm and succulent. Flesh
slightly
cracked,
with whole stones,
succulent.
Organoleptic char Subtle fruity aroma, lack of an oily taste.
acteristics of fruit
Slightly bitter and spicy taste. If the olives Slightly bitter and Slightly bitter and
are flavoured, the tastes of the seasonings spicy taste, comple spicy taste. If the
can be discerned.
mented by the
olives are flavoured,
flavour of the filling the tastes of the
ingredients.
seasonings can be
discerned.
Quality character All the olives belong to the quality categories ‘Extra’ and ‘Select’ and the minimum admissible
istics of fruit
size is 181/200 fruit per kilogram. Defective fruit in both categories account for less than
7 % of the net weight of the olives.
Brine characteristics The brine contains up to 8,5 % sodium chloride, has a pH of 3,8 to 4,0 and minimum
acidity of 0,8 %.
Net weight of fruit At least 65 % of the weight of the final At least 55 % of the At least 65 % of the
preserved in brine
product.
weight of the final weight of the final
product.
product.
For the other quality parameters and the adjuvants used during processing and packing, the provisions laid down in
the legislation on foodstuffs, international OIC standards and those of the Codex Alimentarius Commission apply.
4.3. Geographical area:
The geographical area from which Chalkidiki green olives originate is the Prefecture of Chalkidiki, which borders to
the north-west on the Prefecture of Thessaloniki and is bound by the Aegean in the other directions. Geographically,
it incorporates the Chalkidiki peninsula with the characteristic form of the three peninsulas (Chalkidiki’s ‘fingers’),
except the easternmost Mount Athos peninsula which is not contained within the Prefecture of Chalkidiki because it
is a self-governing community.
47 % of the area of the Prefecture, i.e. 137 160 ha, is taken up by woods and wooded areas, while 32,7 %, i.e.
95 500 ha, is agricultural land. The irrigated areas account for 20 000 ha and correspond to 21 % of the total arable
land. The area of the Chalkidiki olive plantation totals 23 000 ha.
4.4. Proof of origin:
Prasines Elies Chalkidikis are grown, processed and packaged in the Prefecture of Chalkidiki. The producers and olive
groves are recorded in the Prefecture’s Olive Cultivation Register and in the Integrated Administration and Control
System (IACS), and updated each year. The quantity and origin of the raw material are always certified on delivery to
the processing units with the required accounting records, in which relevant registers of producers and suppliers are
also kept. Each processing unit is recorded with its business name and the details of the head office in the relevant
register of the Chalkidiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in the relevant register of OPEKEPE (Paying and
Inspection Agency for Community Guidance and Guarantee Aid) with a unique code.

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European
Union L
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4.5. Method of production:
1. O l i v e c u l t i v a t i o n a n d h a r v e s t i n g
In Chalkidiki, virtually all the olive groves are planted using a type of planting midway between traditional and
modern, with distances between the trees of 6 × 6,5, 6,5 × 6,5 and 6 × 7 m. Most producers, through their organi
sations, apply a documented integrated crop management system. In order for the producers to deal with the
phenomenon of biennial bearing, but also in order to obtain large and high-quality fruit, winter and summer
pruning and debudding are systematically carried out.
The yields, on average, fluctuate around 9 000 kg/ha per annum.
Harvesting takes place during the period from 15 September to 10-15 October each year, when the fruit is at the
appropriate stage of ripening and has the desired colour, according to the monitoring of ripening applied by the
producers and their organisations. Using ladders, the producers pick the olives by hand and place them in plastic
crates, in which they also transport the product to the processing units. The fruit must be clear of leaves, wood and
any other foreign matter and should have a uniform green/greenish-yellow colour, should not have any bruises,
scratches, damage from insects and diseases or been eaten by birds, etc. In the processing units the olives are
weighed and accepted over with a quality and quantity acceptance form.
2. P r o c e s s i n g
After acceptance the olives are transferred to tanks in order for the debittering process to take place. For this purpose
a 1,5 to 2 % caustic soda solution is added, in line with the temperature and stage of ripeness of the olive. This stage
lasts 12 hours. After the caustic soda solution has been removed with three rinses, water is added to the tanks,
where the olives remain for eight hours. The water is then changed two or three times, each time after eight hours.
The debittering can also be done naturally, using only water in the tanks for the soaking and rinsing. In both
methods special care is given to keeping the olives slightly bitter.
At the end of the procedure, the olives are transferred to tanks for fermentation and a solution of up to 8,5 % brine
is added. A regular check of the salt content of the brine and of the pH is carried out, and salt is added as and when
necessary. The olives remain at this stage until the brine stabilises at the desired salt content. The fermentation
procedure already starts in the previous stage and the time it takes depends on the stage of ripeness of the fruit and
on the ambient temperatures, and ranges from two to four months.
Pitting is carried out mechanically. A lateral incision is made at one end of the olive and then a cruciform incision at
the side of the stalk. With the aid of water and with mechanical pressure the stone is extracted. For crushing the
olives, light mechanical presses are used that do not damage the flesh or break the stone.
The olives intended for stuffing are conveyed to work benches where experienced female workers fill them by hand.
Olive stuffing is a traditional practice in Chalkidiki and almonds or small pieces of red pepper, carrot, gherkin and
garlic are used.
The olives may be flavoured with aromatic plants of the region (oregano, thyme, capers, bay leaves, garlic, celery and
red pepper).
3. Q u a l i t y s e l e c t i o n a n d g r a d i n g b y s i z e — p a c k i n g
After fermentation and pitting, the olives are transferred from the tanks to work benches, where experienced workers
carry out a visual check of the fruit and manually remove the spoilt and bruised fruit and, generally, all fruit that has
suffered any deterioration. The fruit are then transported by conveyer belt to the sorting equipment, where they are
sorted by size and placed in containers.
The olives are mostly packaged in plastic containers made of material that is harmless for consumers and does not
react with the product, in tin cans and in glass jars, irrespective of the weight of the content. The containers are filled
with brine, to which L-ascorbic acid, citric acid or lactic acid can be added, in accordance with EU and Greek law, to
preserve the product.
The fruit may also be packaged at units outside the Prefecture of Chalkidiki to which the processed product is
delivered, provided that traceability is ensured on the basis of transport documents, the relevant accounting records
and the labelling rules contained in paragraph 4.8.
4.6. Link:
1. N a t u r a l
From an agricultural point of view, the soil in the Chalkidiki Prefecture is perfectly suited to olive growing as the
trees grow and bear fruit across the entire range of terrain, from the poor chalky rocks in the mountains to alluvial
fertile soil of calcareous origin in the plains.

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L 132/6
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Official Journal of the European Union
23.5.2012
The characteristics of the climate in Chalkidiki are particularly favourable for olive trees; although it lies in northern
Greece, Chalkidiki’s extensive coastline along the shores of the Aegean (630 km of coastline) means that it is in the
same range of minimum and maximum temperatures as olive-producing regions farther south such as Messinia,
Etoloakarnania and Attica. Furthermore, it benefits from high rainfall, with an average annual rainfall of between
450 mm (on the plains) and 850 mm (in the mountains).
Another reason why the climate of Chalkidiki is favourable for the cultivation of olives is that, depending on altitude,
it is characterised by mild to cold winters and mild to hot and dry summers with a high number of sunlight hours
and long transitions between seasons. The average temperature during the summer does not exceed 22 °C, and the
very lowest temperatures in winter rarely drop to – 10 °C, even in the mountains, creating ideal conditions for
successful olives.
In addition to their large size, Prasines Elies Chalkidikis are characterised by a robust and glossy skin of bright
green/greenish-yellow colour, a rich, firm and subtle flesh, a subtle fruity aroma and a somewhat bitter and spicy
flavour.
The soil and climate conditions in Chalkidiki as well as the techniques for growing and processing the olives enhance
the abovementioned quality characteristics of the product in the following way:
— The long period of relatively low temperatures in the harvesting period combined with the growing techniques,
especially pruning and debudding, maximise the potential of the varieties to help make production stable and the
olives grow to a very large size with a high ratio of flesh to stone.
— As a result of the mainly calcareous origin of the soil, the olives are rich in volatile compounds, which give them
their fine fruity flavour.
— Thanks to the high number of sunshine hours and mild temperatures during the summer, as well as the
monitoring of ripening by the producers and their organisations, when they are harvested the olives are
bright green, have a succulent flesh and are of the right consistency for easy pitting without damage or
deterioration.
— The growing techniques, in particular irrigation and monitoring of ripening, mean that the olives retain a low oil
content, which contributes to the lack of an oily taste, to the distinctive aromatic characteristics, as well as to the
avoidance of oxidation and, as a result, to better preservation of the olives.
— The traditional method of harvesting by hand ensures that the olives are in the best natural condition and that
their further processing is successful, while the manual selection and stuffing of the olives ensures the best,
authentic final product.
Similarly, by combining traditional practices, the processing units have adapted processing techniques to the special
characteristics of the different varieties to overcome difficulties with the olive during fermentation, to keep its
organoleptic characteristics unaltered, and to succeed in the stable production of a uniform product known
throughout Greece for its slightly bitter and spicy taste. The fact that many of the units are export-oriented also
means that Prasines Elies Chalkidikis are marketed in many countries outside Greece.
2. H i s t o r i c a l
Some references to olive groves in Chalkidiki date back to 1415: the olive grove of Andronicus, in the Agios Pavlos
(St Paul’s) monastery of Kassandra, the scattered ancient olive trees in the monastery of Vatopedi in Souflari of
Kalamaria (Nea Triylia), the same in the neighbouring Daoutlou (Eleochoria) and the olive grove of the monastery of
Iviron on the island of Kafkania of Olympiada. In the rest of Chalkidiki there were existing domesticated olive trees,
and their presence often gave rise to place names. It would seem that the fruit from these olive trees were mainly
used for the preparation of edible olives.
In the mid-19th century, Chalcidiceans began to concern themselves more systematically with olive-growing, the
grafting of wild olive trees and, on a smaller scale, the transplanting of domesticated trees. This trend must mainly
have been due to the favourable tax conditions created by the ‘Regulation on the licensing of new olive groves’
promulgated in 1863. By 1887 Christakis Zografos had already established the huge olive grove of Portaria, with a
surface area of some 500 ha and over 32 000 trees. At the same time, Hatsis Osman founded a large steam-powered
oil mill in Yerakini of Polygyros, which sparked off the modernisation of similar mills in Chalkidiki.
Chalkidiki’s causal link with the olive tree and its fruit is also witnessed by the age-old cultivation and production of
olive products in the region, as historically documented, and the preservation of numerous folk traditions to this day.
In Chalkidiki, for at least the last two centuries, the olive has been an important part of the inhabitants’ economic
life, social activity and cultural traditions.

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23.5.2012 Official
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European
Union L
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4.7. Inspection body:
Name: Οργανισμ Πιστοποηση και Επβλεψη Γεωργικν Προντων (Ο.Π.Ε.ΓΕ.Π.) (Organisation for the Certifi
cation and Supervision of Agricultural Products — AGROCERT)
Address: Πατησων & νδρου 1/Patission & Androu 1
112 57 Αθνα/Athens
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE
Tel. +30
2108231277
Fax +30
2108231438
E-mail: info@agrocert.gr
Name: Νομαρχιακ Αυτοδιοκηση Χαλκιδικ (Prefectural Authority of Chalkidiki), Διεθυνση Αγροτικ Ανπτυξη
(Directorate for Rural Development)
Address: 631 00 Πολγυρο/Polygyros
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE
Tel. +30
2371039314
Fax +30
2371339207
E-mail: agro6@halkidiki.gov.gr
4.8. Labelling:
In addition to the protected designation of origin ‘Πρσινε Ελι Χαλκιδικ’ (Prasines Elies Chalkidikis) and the
relevant marking, the labels must bear the following indications to make it possible to verify the origin of and
protect the product:
— code number giving the year of production, the processing unit, the batch and final packing unit if the final
packing is done by a different unit,
— the product’s shelf life if it is a finally packaged product,
— logo with the name of the product in Greek or Latin characters, comprising an oval image containing a map of
Chalkidiki from an 1829 lithograph of the British Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge as background
and an olive branch with green olives in the foreground.
When Prasines Elies Chalkidikis are used for the production of paste, the indication ‘Πστα απ “Πρσινε Ελι
Χαλκιδικ ΠΟΠ” ’ (Paste made from ‘Prasines Elies Chalkidikis PDO’) may be used, provided that the paste is
produced using only Prasines Elies Chalkidikis with the addition of up to 7 % extra virgin olive oil only.

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