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THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to the Council Decision (EU) 2019/848 of 17 May 2019 on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015note, and in particular Article 4 thereof,Whereas:
(1)The Union is a party to the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015 (‘the Agreement’) which was signed on behalf of the Union in accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2016/1892note on 18 November 2016, subject to its conclusion at a later date. The Agreement entered into force provisionally on 1 January 2017 in accordance with Article 31(2) thereof and was concluded by the Union by Decision (EU) 2019/848.
(2)Pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Agreement, the Council of Members of the International Olive Council (‘the Council of Members’) is to adopt decisions that modify the Agreement.
(3)Article 19(2) of the Agreement authorises the Council of Members to make such amendments as it deems necessary or appropriate to the designations and definitions of olive oils, olive pomace oils and table olives provided for in annexes B and C to this Agreement.
(4)The 115th meeting of the Council of Members on 8 June 2022 agreed to remove the ‘ordinary virgin olive oil’ category from Annex B to the Agreement as of 1 January 2026. The Union voted in favour of this amendment, as provided for in Council Decision (EU) 2022/2103note.
(5)On 8 July 2025, at the 121st meeting of the Council of Members, eight IOC members required a prolongation of the deadline for the elimination of the ‘ordinary virgin olive oil’ category.
(6)The Council of Members agreed to examine a proposal for an amendment to remove the ‘ordinary virgin olive oil’ category from Annex B to the Agreement as of 1 January 2028, in accordance with Article 19(2) of the Agreement.
(7)The proposal for the amendment was submitted to the Council in line with Article 4 of Decision (EU) 2019/848 and there was not a blocking minority objecting to the amendments.
(8)The Decision should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(9)The Council of Members has decided to approve the proposed amendment by an exchange of correspondence initiated before its next regular session in November 2025. This amendment to Annex B of the Agreement should be approved on behalf of the Union,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1#
The amendment to Annex B eliminating the ‘ordinary virgin olive oil’ category from Annex B of the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives beginning with 1 January 2028 shall be supported on behalf of the Union within the framework of a procedure for adoption by the Council of Members by an exchange of correspondence to be initiated before its next regular session in November 2025 or within the Council of Members’ 122th session to be held in November 2025.The draft International Olive Council Decision approving this amendment is presented as an Annex accompanying this Decision.
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