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EU report reveals 'gaps' in olive oil controls

The EU's olive oil market is highly regulated to ensure quality, safety, and traceability – but a recent audit found control system gaps that need improving.

Last month, the EU's supreme audit institution – the European Court of Auditors (ECA) – published a special report on the control systems in place for olive oil in the EU – the largest producer, consumer and exporter of the vegetable oil worldwide. Globally, 61% of olive oil is produced in the EU; 65% is exported from the EU; and 45% of all olive oil produced globally is consumed in the region. Spain is by far the biggest EU olive oil producer, followed by Italy, Greece, and Portugal, according to a five-year production average between 2019-2024, provided by the ECA.

“The EU's reputation for its high-quality and genuine olive oil is key not only economically, but also from the cultural and public health perspectives,” the ECA wrote in its report.

The EU has in place a framework of control systems to ensure olive oil sold in the region is genuine, safe to consume, and can be traced back to its origin. The ECA assessed this framework across four member states – Belgium, Greece, Italy, and Spain – looking at actions taken between 2018 and 2023. Greece, Italy and Spain collectively account for around 91% of total EU olive oil production.

Olive oil controls 'unevenly applied'

Findings showed that whilst the regulatory framework to control the production, manufacture, and sale of olive oil in the EU can be considered “comprehensive ”, the control systems are “unevenly applied” and the European Commission (EC) does not always have full visibility on actions in each market – particularly when it comes to conformity and traceability checks.

Checks for pesticide residues, for example, are well established and rarely reveal cases of non-compliance. Checks for other contaminants, however, are inconsistent and risk-based justification is not always documented. EU countries also monitor traceability to varying degrees in the course of their food safety and conformity checks, according to the report.

“EU rules are not always complied with,” the ECA said. “Some of the member states we visited do not carry out the minimum number of checks, or they carry out incomplete laboratory analyses or exclude parts of the market from their risk analysis.”

Belgium was the only member state to have carried out the required number of checks during the five-year period; Italy too, except during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. According to findings, Spanish authorities carried out “far fewer category checks than required” and Greek authorities “systematically carried out fewer checks than required”. The ECA said Spanish authorities argued the minimum number of checks should have been reduced due to bad harvests in 2022/23 and 2023/24 and Greek authorities reported ongoing shortages in staff and funding, along with procedural challenges in procuring laboratory services.

Despite this, the ECA said there were also cases where authorities conducted additional checks that “complement the conformity checks required by the EU”, such as label controls ahead of export; on-the-spot police inspections; and anti-fraud checks in retail and catering.

Confidence, clarity and reputation

“Consumers must be able to trust the quality and authenticity of the olive oil they buy,” said Joëlle Elvinger, the ECA member in charge of the audit. “While the EU has robust rules, they are not always fully applied. Improving checks, traceability, and legal clarity is essential to protect not only consumers but also the reputation of European olive oil”.

Speaking to Ingredients Network, ECA spokesperson Matthias Beermann said the reputation of such a key EU market is certainly important.

“With growing competition, including expanding production in the Southern Hemisphere, maintaining high standards and robust control systems is essential to protect the EU's reputation and secure a competitive advantage for its producers,” Beermann said. Olive oil actors “all along the supply chain” have an important role to play in achieving this, he said.

ECA recommendations

In its report, the ECA makes five recommendations to improve the effectiveness of EU olive oil control systems. It said the Commission must strengthen its oversight of member state control systems for olive oil; clarify rules for blending different virgin olive oils; improve guidance on contaminant checks; clarify and provide guidance on traceability check requirements; and improve overall traceability.

The EC accepted all recommendations made in the report and is set to implement these in the near future, describing the report as “insightful analysis” that highlights “areas for improvement”. It said it will now ask member states to submit appropriate information so it can provide umbrella support via additional technical support, exchange of good practices and clarification on legal obligations. It has also agreed to work with experts and national administrations to clarify rules on blending virgin olive oils from different harvest years and categories, as well as push for more detail on the controls for contaminants, including for imported olive oil. On traceability, the EC said it will work to clarify and provide guidance on check requirements and drive overall improvements in this space.

“...The Commission is ready to provide legislative clarification, technical assistance and to foster cooperation. This collaborative approach will help ensuring that all member states can meet their obligations under EU law.”