EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.CONTEXT OF THE DELEGATED ACT

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 of 29 July 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards marketing standards for olive oil, and repealing Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 29/2012 lays down rules on the characteristics of the olive oils referred to in Part VIII, points 1 to 6, of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. Limit values for the characteristics of olive oil set out in Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 are set in accordance with the IOC Trade Standard applying to olive oil and olive-pomace oil (IOC Trade Standard). The IOC Trade Standard changed with regard to one chemical parameter, total sterol content for some monovarietal olive oils, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 should be amended accordingly.

2.CONSULTATIONS PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE ACT

Consultations involved experts from all the 27 Member States during three meetings of the Expert Group for agricultural markets, in particular concerning aspects falling under the single CMO regulation; Subgroup: Arable Crops and Olive Oil, taking place in September and October 2025. The draft was agreed at the meeting of 26 March 2026. The draft versions of the present act were transmitted to the European Parliament and to the Council.

In addition, a general public consultation was carried out through the publication of the draft delegated regulation on the Better Regulation Portal from 23 April 2026 - 21 May 2026. WTO partners were notified.

3.LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE DELEGATED ACT

The act introduces a new article on labelling monovarietal olive oils from either the Koroneiki or the Nocellara del Belice variety and amends Annex I of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 with regard to the chemical parameter total sterol content for those varieties.

COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) …/...

of 21.8.2026

amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards marketing standards for olive oil

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 1 , and in particular Article 75(2), thereof,

Whereas:

(1)Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 2 lays down rules on the characteristics of the olive oils referred to in Part VIII, points 1 to 6, of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(2)The limit values for the characteristics of olive oil laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 reflect the trade standard for olive oil and olive-pomace oil of the International Olive Council (IOC) 3 (‘IOC Trade Standard’).

(3)At its 119th IOC session, which took place on 25 June 2024, the IOC adopted Decision DEC-III.2/119-VI/2024 revising document COI/T.20/DOC. NO. 15/REV. 11 – method for the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oil with regard to certifying certain organoleptic characteristics. The Union voted in favour of that amendment, in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2024/2911 4 .

(4)At its 121st IOC session which took place on 8 July 2025, the IOC adopted Decision DEC-III.1/121-VI/2025 amending the IOC Trade Standard as regards the total sterol content in monovarietal olive oils from either the Koroneiki or the Nocellara del Belice variety. The Union voted in favour of this amendment, in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2025/1213 5 .

(5)There has been an increase in the number of monovarietal extra virgin olive oils placed on the market has increased as a result of changes in production practices and consumer preferences. Although these oils are authentic and of a high quality, some do not meet the required limit for total sterol content which is influenced mostly by the olive variety, as well as by other factors such as degree of olive ripeness, geographical area and irrigation.

(6)The IOC is currently carrying out a study on total sterol content in extra virgin olive oil. While this study is ongoing, the International Olive Council has provided as an intermediate solution by adopting an amendment to the IOC Trade Standard, that lowers the limit of total sterol in extra virgin olive oils for the two most concerned varieties, Koroneiki and Nocellara del Belice. That amendment allows producers to place those single variety oils on the market. As a different limit will apply for these varieties, it is important that both consumers and control authorities can easily identify that a specific olive oil is a monovarietal olive oil of one of these two varieties.

(7)In order to ensure the implementation at Union level of the most recent international standard established by the IOC on certifying organoleptic characteristics and the limit value for the parameter total sterol content in monovarietal olive oils from either the Koroneiki or the Nocellara del Belice variety, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 should be amended accordingly to reflect that implementation.

(8)Since monovarietal extra virgin olive oil covered by this derogation cannot currently be placed on the market under any olive oil category, operators should be able to benefit from the amendment of the marketing standards laid down in this Regulation without delay. The new marketing year for olive oil starts on 1 October 2026, this Regulation should therefore enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(9)Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 is amended as follows:

(1)the following Article 8a is inserted:

‘Article 8a

Variety

The labelling of extra virgin olive oil made solely from either the Koroneiki or the Nocellara del Belice variety shall indicate that variety on the label, on the accompanying documents and any other labelling.’

(2)Annex I is replaced by the text set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 21.8.2026

For the Commission

The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj .

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104 of 29 July 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards marketing standards for olive oil, and repealing Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 29/2012 (OJ L 284, 4.11.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2022/2104/oj ) .

(3) https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/what-we-do/chemistry-standardisation-unit/standards-and-methods/ .

(4) Council Decision (EU) 2024/2911 of 5 November 2024 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union within the Council of Members of the International Olive Council (IOC) as regards one method of analysis and the IOC trade standard for olive oils and olive pomace oils, (OJ L, 2024/2911, 19.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/2911/oj ).

(5) Council Decision (EU) 2025/1213 of 12 June 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Council of Members of the International Olive Council (IOC) as regards the trade standard for olive oils and olive pomace oils, (OJ L, 2025/1213, 19.6.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1213/oj ).

‘ANNEX I

CHARACTERISTICS OF OLIVE OIL

A. Quality characteristics

Category	Acidity (%)(*)	Peroxide value (mEq O2/kg)	K232	K268 or K270	ΔK	Organoleptic characteristics		Fatty acid ethyl esters (mg/kg)
						Median of defect (Md)(*)(1)	Fruity median (Mf)(2)
1. Extra virgin olive oil	≤ 0,80	≤ 20,0	≤ 2,50	≤ 0,22	≤ 0,01	Md = 0,0	Mf > 0,0	≤ 35
2. Virgin olive oil	≤ 2,0	≤ 20,0	≤ 2,60	≤ 0,25	≤ 0,01	Md ≤ 3,5	Mf > 0,0	—
3. Lampante olive oil	> 2,0	—	—	—	—	Md > 3,5(3)	—	—
4. Refined olive oil	≤ 0,30	≤ 5,0	—	≤ 1,25	≤ 0,16		—	—
5. Olive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils	≤ 1,00	≤ 15,0	—	≤ 1,15	≤ 0,15		—	—
6. Crude olive-pomace oil	—	—	—	—	—		—	—
7. Refined olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,30	≤ 5,0	—	≤ 2,00	≤ 0,20		—	—
8. Olive-pomace oil	≤ 1,00	≤ 15,0	—	≤ 1,70	≤ 0,18		—	—
(1) The median of the defects is defined as the median of the defect perceived with the greatest intensity. (2) Upon request, and depending on the positive attributes median of the oils that have been assessed, the panel leader may certify those attributes according to the expressions described in Annex II. (3) The median of defect may be less than or equal to 3,5 when the fruity median is equal to 0,0.

B. Purity characteristics

Category	Fatty acid composition(1)						Total transoleic isomers (%)	Total trans- linoleic + trans-linolenic isomers (%)	Stigmasta- dienes (mg/kg)(3)	ΔECN42	2-glyceryl monopalmitate (%)
	Myristic (%)	Linolenic (%)	Arachidic (%)	Eicosenoic (%)	Behenic (%)	Lignoceric (%)
1. Extra virgin olive oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00(2)	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,05	≤ 0,05	≤ 0,05	≤ \|0,20\|	≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %
											≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %
2. Virgin olive oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00(2)	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,05	≤ 0,05	≤ 0,05	≤ \|0,20\|	≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %
											≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %
3.Lampante olive oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,10	≤ 0,10	≤ 0,50	≤ \|0,30\|	≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %
											≤ 1,1 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %
4. Refined olive oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,30	—	≤\|0,30\|	≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %
											≤ 1,1 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %
5. Olive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,30	—	≤ \|0,30\|	≤ 0,9 if total palmitic acid % ≤ 14,00 %
											≤ 1,0 if total palmitic acid % > 14,00 %
6. Crude olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,30	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,10	—	≤ \|0,60\|	≤ 1,4
7. Refined olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,30	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,40	≤ 0,35	—	≤ \|0,50\|	≤ 1,4
8. Olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,03	≤ 1,00	≤ 0,60	≤ 0,50	≤ 0,30	≤ 0,20	≤ 0,40	≤ 0,35	—	≤ \|0,50\|	≤ 1,2
(1) Other fatty acids content (%): palmitic: 7,00-20,00; palmitoleic: 0,30-3,50; heptadecanoic: ≤ 0,40; heptadecenoic ≤ 0,60; stearic: 0,50-5,00; oleic: 55,00- 85,00; linoleic: 2,50-21,00. (2) When the linolenic acid is more than 1,00 but less than or equal 1,40, the ratio apparent β-sitosterol/campesterol has to be greater than or equal to 24. (3) Total isomers which could (or could not) be separated by capillary column.

Table B continued

Category	Sterols composition						Total sterols (mg/kg)	Erythrodiol and uvaol (%)(**)	Waxes (mg/kg)(**)
	Chole- sterol (%)	Brassica -sterol (%)	Campe-sterol (%)	Stigmasterol (%)	Apparent β–sito-sterol(5)(%)	Δ-7-stigma-stenol (%)
1. Extra virgin olive oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,1	≤ 4,0(4)	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (6)	≥ 1 000(13)	≤ 4,5	C42 + C44 + C46 ≤ 150
2. Virgin olive oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,1	≤ 4,0(4)	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (6)	≥ 1 000	≤ 4,5	C42 + C44 + C46 ≤ 150
3. Lampante olive oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,1	≤ 4,0	—	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (7)	≥ 1 000	≤ 4,5(10)	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 ≤ 300(10)
4. Refined olive oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,1	≤ 4,0	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (8)	≥ 1 000	≤ 4,5(11)	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 ≤ 350
5. Olive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,1	≤ 4,0	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (8)	≥ 1 000	≤ 4,5	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 ≤ 350
6. Crude olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,2	≤ 4,0	—	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (9)	≥ 2 500	> 4,5(12)	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 > 350(12)
7. Refined olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,2	≤ 4,0	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (9)	≥ 1 800	> 4,5	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 > 350
8. Olive-pomace oil	≤ 0,5	≤ 0,2	≤ 4,0	< Camp.	≥ 93,0	≤ 0,5 (9)	≥ 1 600	> 4,5	C40 + C42 + C44 + C46 > 350
(4) An extra virgin or virgin olive oil that exhibits 4,0 < campesterol % ≤ 4,5 is authentic provided that stigmasterol ≤ 1,4 %, Δ-7-stigmastenol ≤ 0,3 % and all other parameters lie within the limits fixed in this Regulation. (5) Apparent β-sitosterol: Δ-5,23-stigmastadienol+clerosterol+ β-sitosterol+sitostanol+ Δ-5-avenasterol+ Δ-5,24-stigmastadienol. (6) An extra virgin or virgin olive oil that exhibits 0,5 < Δ-7-stigmastenol % ≤ 0,8 is authentic provided that apparent β-sitosterol/campesterol ≥ 28, ΔECN42 ≤│0,10│and all other parameters lie within the limits fixed in this Regulation. (7) A lampante olive oil that exhibits 0,5 < Δ-7-stigmastenol % ≤ 0,8 is authentic provided that apparent β-sitosterol/campesterol ≥ 28, ΔECN42 ≤│0,15│, stigmastadiene ≤ 0,30 and all other parameters lie within the limits fixed in this Regulation. (8) A refined olive oil or olive oil composed of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils that exhibits 0,5 < Δ-7-stigmastenol % ≤ 0,8 is authentic provided that apparent β-sitosterol/campesterol ≥ 28, ΔECN42≤│0,15│ and all other parameters lie within the limits fixed in this Regulation. (9) A crude olive-pomace oil or refined olive-pomace oil or olive-pomace oil that exhibits 0,5 < Δ-7-stigmastenol % ≤ 0,8 is authentic provided that stigmasterol ≤1,4%, ΔECN42 ≤│0,40│ and all other parameters lie within the limits fixed in this Regulation. (10) Oils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be lampante olive oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is less than or equal to 350 mg/kg or if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is less than or equal to 3,5 %. (11) Oils with an erythrodiol + uvaol content of between 4,5 and 6 % must have an erythrodiol content of less than or equal to 75 mg/kg. (12) Oils with a wax content of between 300 mg/kg and 350 mg/kg are considered to be crude olive-pomace oil if the total aliphatic alcohol content is above 350 mg/kg and if the erythrodiol and uvaol content is greater than 3,5 %. (13) ≥ 800mg/kg for monovarietal extra virgin olive oil from either the Koroneiki or the Nocellara del Belice variety.

Notes:

(a) The results of the analyses must be expressed to the same number of decimal places as used for each characteristic. The last digit must be increased by one unit if the following digit is greater than 4.

(b) If just a single characteristic does not match the values stated, the category of an oil shall be changed or the oil shall be declared non-compliant for the purposes of this Regulation.

(c) For lampante olive oil, both quality characteristics marked with an asterisk (*) may differ simultaneously from the limits established for that category.

(d) If a characteristic is marked with two asterisks (**), this means that for crude olive-pomace oil, it is possible for both the relevant limits to be different from the stated values at the same time. For olive-pomace oil and refined olive-pomace oil, one of the relevant limits may be different from the stated values.’