A Retrospective View of the EU Policy Reforms in the Olive Oil Sector and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The expansion of the European Union (EU) to include Greece and Spain in 1981 and 1986, respectively, converted the EU from a net importer to a pure olive oil exporter. In the subsequent decades, the EU’s olive oil policy was oriented to reinforce the sector’s competitiveness by encouraging the production of a high-quality product for the benefit of growers, processors, traders and consumers. Nevertheless, the main objectives of the EU olive oil policy differentiated over the years, since the EU decided to promote and adopt more sustainable agricultural practices for the benefit of both the environment and the public health of European citizens. This paper offers a retrospective view of the EU’s olive oil policy and then discusses the likely consequences stemming from the last reform (2014) for the olive sector, since olive cultivation is considered important for the rural economy in many regions of Southern Europe.