92000E2517

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2517/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) and Sergio Berlato (UEN) to the Commission

(2 August 2000)

Subject: Protection of pure olive oil

Commissioner Fischler has admitted that the question on the search for an analytical method to ascertain the presence of hazelnut oil in olive oil is a valid one.

Does the Commission therefore not consider that once such a method has been determined and incorporated into Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91, its aim should be to safeguard the various types of pure olive oil rather than to please the multinationals?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

A method of analysis is laid down in Community legislation only after it has been tested several times and has been subject to many rigorous laboratory tests to analyse its level of precision.

To this end the Commission calls on the assistance of expert chemists from each Member State, who meet regularly in Brussels. They are professionals from universities or research centres and their standing in their particular fields of expertise is beyond question. As already stated in the reply to the Honourable Member's earlier written question P-1763/00(1), these experts together with other researchers from the main non-member countries that produce olive oil also take part in research work coordinated by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), based in Madrid. It must be stressed that the IOOC is an international organisation which counts the Community among its members and is part of the United Nations.

Under the circumstances, the analytical methods laid down in Commission regulations are chosen precisely because of their scientific objectivity vis-à-vis the physical and chemical problems to be overcome. They do not work towards political ends and so do not pursue the two goals referred to in the question.

(1) OJ C 72 E, 6.3.2001, p. 111.