WRITTEN QUESTION E-3631/98

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(3 December 1998)

Subject: Measures to encourage the use of olive oil as part of the campaign to prevent cardiovascular disease

As part of its activities to prevent cardiovascular disease, the Commission gives financial support to the European Heart Network which successfully organised a campaign in Parliament recently and published an extremely useful brochure entitled "Food, Nutrition and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in the European Union". However, the key element in the campaign, as well as the brochure, should be to promote the use of olive oil, which has been scientifically proven to be the most appropriate basis for a healthy diet because it is low in unsaturated fats and which is also a basic commodity produced by the Mediterranean Member States.

Will the Commission take measures to launch a wide-ranging campaign to promote the use of olive oil, granting financial assistance to the Mediterranean cardiology associations which are members of the European Heart Network?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 1999)

The Commission shares the view of the Honourable Member that the consumption of olive oil has positive health effects and that non-saturated fats play an important role in a healthy diet. In general, diet together with physical activity is a key health determinant and is therefore one of the priorities of the Community action programme on health promotion, information, education and training(1).

The Commission does not foresee financial support for a campaign to promote olive oil consumption under this action programme. The Commission is supporting a European project to develop a basis for possible European recommendations for a healthy diet. The project is chaired by the University of Crete and will look into the role of fats in a healthy diet. The Commission has chosen this approach because there is a need to consider diet in general rather than single products. European dietary recommendations would provide the Commission with an important tool in its work to ensure that health requirements are integrated into other Community policies as foreseen by the Treaties.

In the framework of the common agricultural policy (CAP) and based on Council Regulation (EEC) 1970/80 of 22 July 1980 laying down general implementing rules for campaigns aimed at promoting the consumption of olive oil in the Community(2), the Community has carried out promotional programmes since the early 1980s. The aim is to increase the consumption of products in surplus and thereby contribute to the stabilisation of the markets. The seventh campaign to promote the consumption of olive oil in the Community will be launched in spring 1999 and will cover all the Member States with a total budget of approximately 15 millions euro a year for three consecutive years for the dissemination of scientific knowledge on nutritional aspects of olive oil, and measures like advertising, public relations and promotion. All information to the public is based on objective and correct scientific information on the nutritional aspects of olive oil. All communication material is checked by a research institute which specialises in the health related aspects of nutrition. Olive oil will be promoted in the context of the "Mediterranean diet", which has been proved to have positive effects on health.

(1) Decision No 645/96/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 29 March 1996 - OJ L 95, 16.4.1996.

(2) OJ L 192, 26.7.1980 and OJ L 288, 31.10.1980.