Europe will import more duty-free olive oil to help Tunisia

To help strengthen Tunisia’s economy, hit not least by 2015 terrorist attacks, European Parliament backed emergency plans to allow an additional 70,000 tonnes of its virgin olive oil to be imported duty free in the EU, in 2016/17

Spain, Italy and Portugal win Mario Solinas Quality Award

According to the competition rules released in September 2015, entries for this first edition were classified in one of the following sections on the basis of the median intensity of their fruitiness

New emergency plan to import 70,000 tonnes of Tunisian olive oil duty free in European Union

The terrorist attacks of 18 March 2015 in Tunis and 26 June 2015 in Sousse hit the Tunisian economy very hard. The olive oil sector indirectly employs more than a million people, accounting for one-fifth of jobs in the country’s agricultural industry. Olive oil is Tunisia’s main agricultural export

The London International Olive oil Competitions

Brand awareness accomplishes several objectives for companies seeking to increase sales in the marketplace. Your costumers want your olive oil award on the label of your product

Plant health: compromise text between the Council and the Parliament

On 18 December 2015, under the Luxembourg Presidency and subject to the European Parliament and Council formal vote, the Coreper (Permanent Representatives Committee) approved a final package on plant health.

Insects as food and feed: what are the risks?

Interest is growing in the potential benefits of using insects in food and animal feed, but what would be the risks from production, processing and consumption of this alternative source of protein?

Larger food pack sizes increase consumer estimates of portion sizes

Larger food pack sizes can increase consumer estimates of portion sizes finds a new study completed by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) and the University of Surrey

European Union offers Tunisia increase of olive oil exports

The European Commission has adopted a legislative proposal offering additional temporary access for Tunisian olive oil to the EU market to help support Tunisia's recovery in the difficult period being faced by the country

Ukraine and Russia in the sunoil market: competitors or partners?

The 2013/14 season saw sunseed records in Ukraine and Russia. Both countries harvested bumper total sunseed crops and are processing them at a record pace: a combined almost 6.6 MMT of sunoil has been produced in Ukraine and Russia this season

Neonicotinoids: foliar spray uses confirmed as a risk to bees

Safety net measures for dairy, fruit and vegetables to be extended

Safety net measures for the European dairy, fruit and vegetables sectors will be extended into 2016. The European Commission is currently finalising the last details with a view to formally adopting the relevant legal decisions in the coming weeks as a matter of formality

Plant health risks linked to import of soil and growing media

The great majority of the growing media identified by the literature search – 678 out of 880 – included plant materials. Measures such as heat treatment, use of pesticides and fumigation to reduce the presence of harmful organisms in soil and growing media.

Greater protection of GI wines: EFOW applauds the INTA committee vote on the TTIP resolution

he European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW), the Brussels-based organisation representing Geographical Indications (GIs) wines, welcomes the positive outcome of today’s vote in the European Parliament’s international trade (INTA) committee on MEP Lange’s report on the TTIP calling for a greater protection of GIs

Over 97% of foods in EU contain pesticide residues within legal limits

Compared with the results for 2010, when the same food products, excluding wine, were tested, the percentage of samples exceeding the legal limits has fallen for all food products tested

European Parliament demand action to halt spread of Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa is of highly dangerous immediate threat to production, especially in southern Europe. Welcome EU import restrictions on plants from affected areas in third countries. They also urge that growers be compensated for their losses, and suggest stepping up funding for research to combat the bacteria, which may attack other plants

The possible associations between pesticide exposure and human health

The EFSA report highlighted a number of methodological limitations in the epidemiological studies, including a large heterogeneity of data, a lack of direct exposure estimates, and use of generic pesticide definitions

Measures for the evaluation of high-quality extra virgin olive oils

Calls on the Commission to take measures to protect the producers of high-quality extra virgin olive oils from unfair market competition, while enhancing the EU’s olive sector

Spanish olive oil system near to the crack?

The Mfao futures market forced to become a financial instrument. Deoleo announces a loss of 74 million euro in 2014 due to sales below cost. Also decreased turnover, below the 800 million euro