The extension of the ‘KALAMATA’ PDO olive oil designation to the whole of the Messinia region has been approved
HELLENIC REPUBLIC
MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE RECONSTRUCTION,
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
DEPUTY MINISTER
PRESS OFFICE
Athens, 13 July 2015
PRESS RELEASE
The extension of the ‘KALAMATA’ PDO olive oil designation to the entire region of Messinia has been approved
The extension of the defined geographical area and the improvement of the description for ‘KALAMATA’ PDO ‘KALAMATA’ by the European Commission, bringing a successful conclusion to a long-standing effort for the benefit of producers throughout the Regional Unit of Messinia.
To achieve this, it was necessary to overcome various obstacles, in particular the objections lodged in 2013 by the United Kingdom and companies based in Switzerland, Norway and Egypt, in close cooperation with the Ministry and the relevant services of the European Commission, and with the most comprehensive documentation possible.
Consequently, the European Commission, having examined all the supplementary information submitted by Greece, concluded that the application for amendment submitted by the Messinia Agricultural Cooperative should be approved, as it has been demonstrated that the geographical area covered by the ‘Kalamata’ PDO for olive, and that the olive oils produced in the Messinia region have the same organoleptic and chemical characteristics as those produced in the Kalamata region.
Following the approval of the implementing regulation, the Deputy Minister, Mr Apostolou, made the following statement: ‘We are particularly pleased with today’s decision to approve the amendment to the specifications of the PDO ‘KALAMATA’ and, in particular, the extension of the defined geographical area to cover the whole of the Messinia region. High-quality farming and certified products are the only way forward for the rural economy and the internationalisation of our agriculture; consequently, this decision supports our broader policy of producing products with high added value’.