C 110/24 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.4.2004 Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the 'proposal for a Council Regulation on the common organisation of the market in olive oil and table olives and amending Regulation (EEC) No. 827/68' (COM (2003) 698 final - 2003/0279 (CNS)) 2.7 Quality standards. The EESC reiterates the need for a total ban within the EU on blends of olive oil with other vegetable oils . 2.7.1 The technical difficulty involved in analysing and monitoring blends, the percentage of olive oil included and the quality thereof, makes it difficult to check strict compliance with Article 6 of Regulation 1019/2002. This opens the door to fraud, which only contributes to the deteriorating quality and image of olive oil, in addition to being detrimental to the consumer. 2.7.2 The introduction of other food oils mixed with olive oil not only is damaging to this high quality product, but also means that consumers are buying a product which, compared to olive oil, is acknowledged as being of inferior food quality. 2.8 Designation of origin. In order to protect and promote quality, the EESC further stresses that the origin of olive oil must be determined by the place of origin of the olives used. 2.9 The EESC would alert the Commission and the producer countries to the serious problems affecting the olive-pomace oil sub-sector as a result of the so-called benzopyrene crisis which has---since it began in July 2001---caused major losses in the sector, reflected in a 70% drop in the price and a 50% fall in consumption, in comparison with the situation before the crisis. 2.9.1 The EESC urges the Commission to set maximum levels for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in olive-pomace oil; such a move has been pending for more than two years and this has been seriously detrimental to the sector. Brussels, 25 February 2004. The President of the European Economic and Social Committee
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