Labels: EU rules are not open to olive oil

The EU proposal on food labelling, made by the European Commission in Bruxelles, had to represent a change, deeply expected after the Italian decree on the origin of the olive oil (virgin and extra-virgin) which became effective on 17th January, that obliges to show the origin of the olives. The Italian decree crashes with the present laws, which allow a facultative and not compulsory origin information, and with the strict contrary positions of the General Direction Agriculture of the EU executive. But if there is an availability, it is very weak and it doesn't seem a solution to a possible dispute between Rome and Bruxelles. It appears that the present formula has been changed in the last hours due to the pressures made by the services of the Commission who were against the compulsory origin mark.
The new rules (which will be approved by the UE Council and by the European Parliament) recognize that this food origin mark can be imposed by a member state in case a risk of fraud for the consumer is possible (if the origin is not labelled) or when there is an evident link between the origin and the quality of the product, or if it is requested by the most consumers in the country. However these conditions would not be sufficient to justify the Italian decree because the olive oil is ruled by a specific (vertical) legislation of the European Union, and the new rules on labelling are not in contrast with the vertical laws already used. Kyprianou has not answered very clearly the Italian journalists during today's press conference "any possible obligation of the origin mark- Kyprianou has said- must be referred to a particular quality of the product or justified by the need to avoid misinformation for the consumer.
But for some food there are specific laws inside the European Union agricultural politics where it is pointed out how and when the products can be labelled". In other words the origin mark is possible "in general" with good reasons, but neither for the olive or for other food ( such as chicken meat: at present there is a dispute between Italy and Bruxelles) because they enjoy a specific regulation. On the other side the European Union recognizes the compulsory origin mark for the member-states for other food products such as bovine meat, eggs, honey, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit. A difficult contradiction to be explained and that could boost during the debate at the European Parliament, regarding the new rules of food labelling.