WRITTEN QUESTION No. 343/98 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Crisis on the olive-oil market
Date: 1998-02-17
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: Italy, World Trade Organisation, aid to agriculture, consumption, dismissal, economic recession, olive oil, product quality, production quota

C 304/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

2. 10. 98

(98/C 304/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0343/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(17 February 1998)

Subject: Crisis on the olive-oil market

The crisis on the Italian olive-oil market, and the fact that final demand for packaged oil has fallen by 7.2% in the
last year, has prompted Assitol Oliva and Federolio to shed part of their work-force. The trend does not seem to
be halting and is thus causing increasing anxiety.

1.
Does the Commission not consider such action ill-timed, given that the new (cid:145)olive-oil(cid:146) COM has not yet
been approved at Community level and employees should consequently not be dismissed before new rules have
been laid down?

In view of the emergency, does it not believe that the maximum guaranteed production volume should be

2.
raised and national production ceilings imposed?

3. Will  it  establish  a  genuine  labelling  system  to  preserve  the  quality  of  extra  virgin  olive-oil  and  afford
certainty on that point, since this might help more than any other measure to ensure that Italian oil, which has a
protected designation of origin, can compete on European and world markets?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 1998)

The Commission is aware of the reduction in the quantities of olive oil packed in Italy and enjoying consumption
aid, due particularly to the current relatively low level of this aid (ECU 12 per 100 kilograms).

This situation is being looked at in the context of work which should result in a proposal for reform of the current
market  organisation  for  olive  oil.  As  part  of  this  work,  the  Commission  is  considering  whether  to  abolish
consumption aid, a possibility which Parliament appears to view favourably.

It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  the  two  principal  associations  of  Italian  packers  to  which  the  Honourable
Member  refers  should  have  to  adapt  their  structures  to  the  new  situation,  in  particular  by  reducing  the  staff
working on the submission and checking of applications for aid by their associates.

As part of the preparatory work on the reform of the market organisation for olive oil, the Commission is looking
carefully at the suggestions made by the Honourable Member, including an increase in the maximum guaranteed
quantity and the fixing of maximum quantities for each producer Member State and the introduction of new
marketing standards to protect extra-virgin olive oils more effectively.

(98/C 304/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0344/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(17 February 1998)

Subject: Framework for Community action in the field of water policy

The  Commission  has  drawn  up  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Directive  establishing  a  framework  for  Community
action in the field of water policy (COM(97)0049 › 97/0067(SYN)) (1). Will the Commission insert a new article
providing for involvement of the public and water management companies with a view to:

1.  pointing  out  the  need  and  laying  down  a  requirement  to  set  up  advisory  bodies  to  assist  the  authorities
concerned, which would have the tasks of assessing catchment area plans, supervising their implementation,
and pursuing additional information and social awareness campaigns;

2.  compiling  compulsory  public  registers  for  each  catchment  area,  covering  water  quality  and  discharge
monitoring,  supervision  of  concessions,  and  any  other  data  that  might  be  useful  for  the  purpose  of
implementing the standards specified in the framework Directive?

(1)  OJ C 184, 17.6.1997, p. 20.