WRITTEN QUESTION E-3065/00 by Sergio Berlato (UEN) to the Commission. Olive pressers.
Date: 2000-10-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: common organisation of markets, olive oil, olive-growing

C 151 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

(2001/C 151 E/065)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3065/00

by Sergio Berlato (UEN) to the Commission

(2 October 2000)

Subject: Olive pressers

The olive sector is in the throes of a serious crisis. The situation in Italy last year was already problematic,
with 30 % of the crop not picked and olive oil from third countries, of an inferior quality, being marketed
at reduced prices, with adverse effects on the entire Italian olive sector.

The impact of Regulation (EEC) No 2366/98 (1), which places onerous obligations on olive pressers to buy
electronic weighing systems, adapt ENEL electricity meters, keep compulsory records of loads entering and
leaving the mills, issue certificates for each individual pressing and standardise yields (unworkable given
that olive yields vary according to the characteristics of the area), will worsen the crisis in the olive sector.

Could the Commission:

1.

2.

3.

draw up measures to give olive pressers access to special tax and credit facilities, as part of the
planned reform of the COM for olive oil production aid,

endeavour to promote the reinstatement of agricultural loans, placing them on a biennial basis,

consider giving olive pressers a year(cid:146)s extension to acquire the equipment set out in Regulation 2366/
98?

(1) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998, p. 50.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 2000)

The Commission believes that the present level of olive oil prices in the Community is connected with the
Community(cid:146)s high production, and that imports accounting for less than 2,5 % of that production are not
on the whole likely to influence the Community market.

Given the level of production in Italy for 1999/2000,
Honourable Member(cid:146)s assertion that 30 % of the Italian olive crop was not harvested.

the Commission remains puzzled by the

Since Member States are responsible for tax policy and lending facilities, the common agricultural policy
cannot introduce tax exemptions or loans for mills. What is more, if a Member State decided to introduce
credit facilities or tax concessions, these could be regarded as state aid of questionable compatibility with
the EC Treaty. That is why Member States must notify the Commission whenever they grant business-
or producer-specific tax concessions or loans, so that it can examine whether the aid complies with
Articles 87-89 (formerly Articles 92-94) of the EC Treaty. The Commission also considers that (despite the
administrative constraints, costs and possible post-inspection penalties to which they are subject under the
common market organisation for oils and fats) mills benefit greatly from the CMO (cid:129) which has enabled
them to maintain, increase and improve production and hence their income.

As regards a possible one-year deferral of the standards stipulated by Commission Regulation (EC)
No 2366/98 of 30 October 1998 laying down detailed rules for the application of the system of
production aid for olive oil for the 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 marketing years (1), the
Honourable Member should refer to the Commission(cid:146)s answer to Written Question P-3026/2000 by
Mr Musotto (2).

(1) OJ L 293, 31.10.1998.
(2) OJ C 136 E, 8.5.2001, p. 161.