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COM(94) 86 final 
Brussels, 22.03.1994 
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l|IS^jpg||i||§ COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
Sixth action programme (end 1994 - end 1996) 
to promote the consumption of olive oil 
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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
Sixth action programme (end 1994 - end 1996) 
to promote the consumption of olive oil 
1. Article 11(6) of Regulation (EEC) No 136/66/EEC on the establishment of a 
common organization of the market in oils and fats(^), as last amended 
by Regulation (EEC) No 3179/93<2), allocates a percentage of the 
consumption aid to information measures and to other measures to promote 
the consumption of olive oil in the Community. 
An exact figure cannot as yet be put on the amounts available from 
applying these percentages to the total amount of aid. It should amount 
to ECU 155 million at the end of 1993. 
Some ECU 83 million in expenditure between 1980 and 1993 will be set 
against the total amount available. 
If this amount and the expenditure as yet uncompleted on the programmes 
currently under way (ECU 1 million) are subtracted from the amounts 
available (about ECU 155 million), a balance of ECU 71 million is 
available of which it is proposed to use ECU 20 million to fund 
programmes to compile and disseminate scientific knowledge, public 
relations and advertizing programmes and the analysis of the chosen 
methodology by means of assessments and surveys under the sixth action 
programme which will most likely cover the two years from the end of 1994 
to the end of 1996. 
2. In Article 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 1970/80(3), as last amended by 
Regulation (EEC) No 1651/86^4), the Council specifies the various 
measures to be taken to promote the consumption of olive oil in the 
Community. 
(1) OJ No 172, 30. 9.1966, p. 3025. 
(2) OJ No L 285, 20.11.1993, p. 9. 
(3) OJ No L 192, 26. 7.1980, p. 5. 
(4) OJ No L 145, 30. 5.1986, p. 10. 
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Furthermore, the implementing arrangements for establishing the detailed 
programme of measures envisaged, the procedure for their implementation 
and the criteria for selecting the proposals submitted as part of 
invitations to tender have been fixed by Article 4 of Commission 
Regulation (EEC) No 1348/8l(1), as amended by Regulation (EEC) 
No 2213/86<2>. 
3. The sixth campaign to promote the consumption of olive oil will fall into 
three parts: 
(A) the dissemination of existing scientific knowledge, 
(B) public relations and advertizing measures 
(C) an analysis of the campaign's effectiveness by means of surveys and 
assessments. 
A. Dissemination of scientific knowledge 
This involves continuing the measures which have demonstrably changed 
consumers' eating habits and awareness in the course of previous 
campaigns. It is essential, however, to standardize the message 
communicated and rationalize the work. In the past, the agencies 
responsible for disseminating scientific knowledge in the twelve Member 
States on the basis of scientific material supplied by the Commission 
individually prepared bulletins intended for doctors, proposed the 
medical congresses in which to participate and organized seminars for the 
medical profession. Final approval rested with the unit "Promotion of 
agricultural products". 
With a view to improved management, it is proposed that the Commission 
should in future by assisted by a lipids expert. This external 
consultant would have responsibility for: 
evaluating the written material used in the past; 
preparing - in all of the official Community languages - a selection 
of research findings on mono-unsaturated fatty acids so that thev 
might be consistenty disseminated in all Member States; 
writing articles on the health and nutritional benefits of olive oil; 
(1) OJ No L 134, 21. 5.1981, p. 17. 
(2) OJ No L 196, 16. 7.1986, p. 7. 
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aaaiatine tfce GommissiOA with the contents of publicity measures 
(written and audio-visual material) and public relations (congresses, 
training programmes, etc) as well as the target audience (the medical 
or paramedical professions, final consumers). 
The prepared material and the articles in particular will be made 
available to the agencies responsible for presenting a "media plan" 
and/or carrying out public relations activities. Dissemination will be 
by the most appropriate means in specific circumstances so that the 
direct managerial work to be undertaken by the Commission can be 
rationalized. Dissemination of information may perhaps be differentiated 
by groups of Member States or linguistic affiliations, for example. 
B. Communication/public relations/publicity measures 
As in the past, both the generic and institutional promotional campaigns 
will aim to exploit the nutritional and cooking qualities of olive oil 
and its organoleptic characteristics. 
In the case of Spain in particular, given the particular circumstances of 
the market there, promotional activities will aim above all to inform the 
consumer of the characteristics and quality of edible virgin olive oils. 
Efforts will also continue in all of the non-producer Member States, 
given the genuine interest in the product displayed during the previous 
campaign the successful outcome of which should be built upon so as to 
ensure a profitable return on existing expenditure. 
To this end, a with a view to consolidating and/or opening up new markets 
in non-producer countries, the allocation reserved for expenditure on 
advertizing needs to be increased in the sixth campaign. 
Additional information could be achieved through a public relations 
programme, channeled through the "Euro-Info-Centres", thereby making use 
of structures already existing in each Member State. 
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C. Surveys - assessments 
The surveys and assessments undertaken during the fifth campaign (1991-
93) have given some indication of the measures which should be pursued 
because of their effectiveness. The Commission will take this into 
account when preparing the detailed programme. 
With this experience in mind, surveys should continue during the 1994-96 
campaign with a view to establishing the degree to which the measures 
undertaken have been assimilated by the consumer and the capacity of 
these measures to encourage purchases of olive oil and their contribution 
to improved product awareness. 
These surveys should also enable the Commission to judge the 
effectiveness of the work of the agencies responsible for carrying out 
the promotional measures before authorizing them to begin the second 
phase of the campaign. 
Lastly, as a result of identifying the strong and weak points of the 
measures surveyed, it will be possible to rectify the campaign in 
progress and better adapt future programmes to the requirements of both 
consumers and producers while at then same time abandoning those measures 
which cost more than their results justify. 
4. Role of the Comité Interprofessionnel Communautaire de l'Huile d'Olive 
(CICHO - Community-based Inter-Trade Committee on Olive Oil) 
The Comité Interprofessionnel Communautaire de l'Huile d'Olive (CICHO) 
was officially established on 23 July 1993. 
The Commission feels that this Committee can play a very useful advisory 
role in promoting olive oil. Its opinion could be sought, for example, 
during the preparation of both the general and detailed promotional 
programmes, on the wording of invitations to tender and on the choice of 
agencies to implement the measures. 
* t ^ 
*fee CIOB© eoeUl eowtribwte to tt» e**£e*« of the campaign by providing 
the Cteiraaieaion wittj rental «r eeaesementa of the effectiveness and quality 
of the meaewres included in the programmas. Furthermore, with a view to 
ensuring maxim*® coordination between the Community's promotional 
cacnpaign and the various advertising and promotional measures undertaken 
by the olive-oil industry, a system to provide the industry with regular 
information on Community activities could be established. 
5. Technical and auditing assistance 
The Commission stresses the need to call on communications and auditing 
experts in particular when implementing and monitoring the measures, 
given the shortage of staff in the competent departments. Their only 
role should be the provision of technical assistance, however. 
6. Role of advertizing/communications agencies 
In view of the need to simplify the direct management of the measures 
carried out by the various Member States, a very small number of agencies 
should be chosen to undertake media campaigns and to be possibly involved 
in exhibitions and events relating to nutrition and food, and in sporting 
and cultural events. These agencies could be given responsibility for 
undertaking some measures on a modular basis, by groups of Member States 
and/or linguistic affiliation, for example. 
7. Budget allocations 
The overall amount to be allocated to all of the aforementioned measures 
is ECU 20 million for the two-year campaign from the end of 1994 to the 
end of 1996. 
The indicative allocation for each of the categories of measures to be 
undertaken during the sixth two-year campaign to promote olive oil is as 
follows: 
1994/96 (%) 
(ECUs) 
A. Dissemination of scientific knowledge 3 360 000 (16.8) 
B. Advertizing/public relations/communications 15 820 000 (79.1) 
C. Surveys, assessments 320 000 ( 1.6) 
D. Technical and auditing assistance 500 000 ( 2.5) 
TOTAL 20 000 000 
FINANCIAL STATEMENT - **ËÎ?s '~™$^ 
Date: 
1. BUDGET HEADING: 1221 Schemes related to consumption APPROPRIATIONS: ECU 24 million 
2. TITLE: Communication from the Commission to the Council on the programme of measures for promoting the 
consumption of olive oil under the sixth campaign (end 1994-end 1996) 
3. LEGAL BASIS: Article 11(6) of Regulation 136/66/EEC 
4. AIMS OF PROJECT: 
To specify the various measures to be taken to promote olive oil consumption in the Community 
5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
5.0. EXPENDITURE 
- CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET 
(REFUNDS) 
- NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION 
- OTHER 
5.1. REVENUE 
- OHM RESOURCES OF THE EC 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS DUTIES) 
- NATIONAL PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS CURRENT FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(1994) 
P,». FOLLOWING FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
(1995) 
+ ECU 10 million 
1996 
5.0.1. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 
5.1.1. ESTIMATED REVENUE +ECU 10 million 1997 1998 1999 
5.2. METHOD OF CALCULATION: 
Cost of measures to be taken: ECU 19.5 million 
Cost of technical and accounting assistance contracts: ECU 0.5 million 
TOTAL ECU 20.0 million 
Assumed allocation by budget year: 50% in 1995 and 50% in 1996 
6.0. CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN THE RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 
YES 
6.1. CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 
6.2. IS A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET NECESSARY? 
6.3. WILL FUTURE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS BE NECESSARY? YES 
COMMENTS: 
This programme is financed by deductions from consumption aid adopted by the Council in order to implement 
measures intended to promote olive oil consumption 
? 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(94) 86 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-94-094-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-66466-5 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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