WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3055/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Reform of the COM in olive oil
Date: 1997-10-02
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: common organisation of markets, consumer information, designation of origin, food inspection, free movement of goods, labelling, marketing standard, olive oil, product quality, quality control of industrial products

16. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 117/141

From the economic point of view, it fails to encourage the competitiveness of the European olive-growing sector.
In fact, the proposal to introduce aid per tree means it will be impossible to maintain sustainable olive groves in
future, which is vital for safeguarding Europe(cid:146)s leading position.

From the environmental point of view, the introduction of aid per tree will prompt growers to stop cultivation,
increasing the risk of environmental deterioration.

From the social point of view, production aid protects current levels of employment and prevents depopulation in
rural  areas.  Introducing  aid  per  tree  would  in  practice  lead  to  the  disappearance  of  the  various  systems  of
exploiting the production of olive groves, some of which are of vital importance for small producers and their
employees.

Will the Commission review the question of providing aid on the basis of the number of trees? In this connection,
it  should  be  stressed  that  growers  could  leave  olives  on  the  trees,  collect  the  aid  and  save  the  labour  costs
concerned, or could plant olive trees solely for the purpose of securing aid.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 October 1997)

First and foremost, it should be made clear that the note on the olive oil sector referred to by the Honourable
Member sets out various alternatives for reforming the current common organisation of the market in olive oil,
one being the grant of aid per tree.

The Commission does not believe that this particular alternative will have the negative consequences outlined by
the Honourable Member (like the abandonment of cultivation, environmental deterioration and the problem of
unemployed  labour),  provided  that  the  aid  per  tree  is  granted  subject  to  certain  conditions,  including  the
obligation to pick the olives.

(98/C 117/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3055/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(2 October 1997)

Subject: Reform of the COM in olive oil

The Commission has submitted a note to the Council of Ministers and to the European Parliament on the olive
and  olive  oil  sector  (including  economic,  cultural,  regional,  social  and  environmental  aspects),  the  current
common market organization, the need for a reform and the alternatives envisaged (COM(97) 57 final).

From the point of view of quality, the Commission should take the initiative and submit to the Council a proposal
on standards to ensure that olive oil is genuine. Will the Commission introduce a labelling system to inform
consumers and avoid any possible confusion caused by blends? In addition, in order to prevent fraud, will it
provide the current COM with mechanisms to enable more effective checks to be made?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 October 1997)

In addition to an analysis of its impact on the olive oil market, the vexed issue of blends of olive oil and seed oil
(covered by the note referred to by the Honourable Member) requires that solutions also be found to the problems
arising in connection with the free movement of goods, controls and the labelling of such blends.

As part of its work to reform the common organisation of the market in olive oil, the Commission will analyse the
various  facets  of  the  issue  of  blends  and  will  carefully  weigh  up  the  ideas  put  forward  by  the  Honourable
Member.