Speaking in Brussels, newly elected Chairman of the olive oil working party Andres Pinatel from France said “We have a good harvest this year up 30% on last years’ levels, after serious drought last year. The quality is also good in many countries and European producers have been making good progress here in improving the quality of their produce. We are seeing more and more production of virgin olive oil in the European Union. And it is important that consumers are well informed of the good quality of the produce and its origins”.
But we have serious concerns about the EU Commission proposal to give Tunisia extra temporary access to the EU market with a duty free tariff rate quota of 35,000 tonnes of olive oil per year for a two-year period when we have enough supplies of good quality EU produce on the EU market and prices are down. Moreover, the proposal applies to all types of Tunisian olive oil, where production does not have to comply with the tough environmental and phytosanitary requirements that EU production has to comply with. and which will directly compete with EU production. A priority for me during my two year mandate is to ensure that this reversed”.
“We also need to ensure measures are taken to help combat Xylella fastidiosa in olive trees. This is a very serious disease and research needs to be stepped up to eradicate this desease. In addition, farmers who have to apply the eradication measures need to have compensation for their income losses so that they can make it through this difficult period.
Andres Pinatel grows olive trees in Provence on a family farm with around 10 000 olive trees which has been in the family for 5 generations. He was also President of the Regional Chamber of Agriculture of PACA from 2007 to 2013 and was founder of the French interprofessional olive group AFIDOL. Mr Plydoros Xenikakis from Paseges was elected Vice-chair and he is also an olive producer in Greece
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