Overview
- An official European Court of Auditors report published Wednesday says EU rules are solid but unevenly enforced, leaving quality, safety and provenance at risk.
- In auditors’ tests, the origin of 4 out of 24 sampled olive oils could not be established, exposing traceability failures in the supply chain.
- Checks for pesticide residues generally work for EU-made oil, yet monitoring for other contaminants such as mineral oil hydrocarbons, dioxins and plasticizers remains limited.
- Import controls are described as poor or sporadic, with few screenings for pesticides or other contaminants on non‑EU oils entering the bloc.
- The auditors urge legislative changes to end opacity around blended or adulterated oils, as MEPs Maria Noichl and Jutta Paulus press for tougher enforcement and clearer labeling across a market dominated by EU producers and supplemented by imports mainly from Tunisia.