Olive oil updated EU marketing standards: proposed enforcement arrangements

This consultation is seeking views on the proposed arrangements for the enforcement of EU marketing standards on olive oil which will apply from 2014.

The proposed enforcement arrangements will include:

• annual inspections of olive oil bottling establishments;

• annual conformity checks consisting of a chemical and taste analysis of olive oil samples collected from operators bottling olive oil and from the retail sector.

This consultation is likely to be of particular interest to those involved in the production, bottling and sale of olive oil.

The sale of olive oil in the EU is controlled by marketing standards which specify:

• the different categories of olive oil;

• the methods of analysis to be used to confirm the category of oil;

• member state control requirements e.g. inspections.

These marketing standards are being updated from 2014 to:

• clarify member states’ obligations;

• introduce a new minimum annual sampling requirement for member state control bodies;

• introduce a requirement for relevant businesses to keep registers of each category of olive oil they hold, up to the bottling stage.