Canary Islands updates the specifications for the PGI Canary Islands Avocado

The Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA) has approved the minor modifications to the specifications of the Protected Geographical Indication “Aguacate de Canarias” (Canary Islands Avocado), requested by the denomination’s management body. The decision is detailed in the Resolution of September 28, 2026, signed by the director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, and published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands No. 202, of October 8, 2026, within section III of other resolutions (document No. 3479). The modifications are applicable in Spain from the date of publication of the resolution.

The request originated from the Association of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Producer Organizations of the Canary Islands, TROPICÁN, which acts as the management body of the PGI and was also the requesting group for the registration of the denomination. On September 15, 2026, it submitted to the ICCA the modified text of the specifications, the text of the single document, and the certificate of the plenary decision to request the changes, approved unanimously by its members.

The processing is supported by Article 4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 2025/27 and Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Since these are modifications classified as minor and the requesting group coincides with the one that promoted the registration, European regulations exempt it from the national opposition procedure. The authority of the director of the ICCA derives from Decree 213/2008, of November 4, which approves the Regulation of Organization and Operation of the Institute.

The six approved changes

• Inclusion of the West Indian variety among the fruit varieties covered by the PGI.
• Update and establishment of the new minimum and maximum weights of the covered fruit.
• Revision of the minimum required percentages of dry matter and fat content to ensure optimal ripeness.
• Modification of the regulated diameters and distances for the planting frames of the registered estates.
• Adjustment of the official harvesting periods according to the variety and the cultivation area, taking into account the specific conditions of each harvest.
• Update of the rules for cleaning, conditioning, and post-harvest preparation of the avocados.

The justification for these changes is provided through a technical justification report, as detailed in the resolution itself. The file was reported by the Institute’s Control and Certification Service.

Publication of the specifications and the single document

The resolution orders the publication of the modified specifications and the updated single document, available at the Government of the Canary Islands electronic addresses enabled for this purpose by the ICCA. The approval decision incorporates, where applicable, the single document and the modified consolidated specifications, in accordance with Article 4, paragraph 4, of Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 2025/27.

The approved modifications shall apply in Spain from the date of publication of the resolution in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, pursuant to Article 4, paragraph 5, of the aforementioned delegated regulation.

Deadlines and means of appeal

Against the resolution, which exhausts the administrative route, the following may be filed:

• A contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Court, within a period of two months starting from the day following its publication.
• An optional appeal for reversal before the body itself, within a period of one month counted in the same manner, with the effects provided for in Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.

The text was signed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on September 28, 2026, by the director of the Institute.

The update of the specifications directly affects the holdings registered in the PGI, which must adjust varieties, sizes, maturity parameters, and harvesting calendars to the new requirements to maintain certification. The incorporation of the Antillana breed and the revision of the dry matter and fat thresholds seek to guarantee the optimal maturity of the protected fruit, while the adjustment of planting frames and post-harvest tasks conditions the planning of the farms and handling centers for the upcoming campaigns.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, No. 202, of October 8, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, pp. 36379-36380 (official reference: No. 3479).