It also assessed the Commission’s oversight of the MS’s control systems. The audit took place between 2018 and 2023 in four MS – Belgium, Greece, Spain and Italy – and covered the Commission (DG SANTE and DG AGRI), as well as the competent authorities in these four countries. The Court selected these Member States because Greece, Spain and Italy account for around 91% of the EU’s olive oil production and, amongst non-producing countries, Belgium is the Union’s largest exporter of olive oil. The report is structured into three main sections. The first section sets out the key messages, addressing the relevance of the subject to the European Union and presenting a summary of the Court’s main conclusions and recommendations. The second part sets out in detail the ECA’s observations regarding the legal framework for olive oil conformity checks and its implementation by Member States. The final part of the report consists mainly of the annexes, the European Commission’s replies and supporting evidence intended to supplement and justify the technical and methodological basis underpinning the conclusions presented. Main conclusions and recommendatoi ns of the ECA The Court concluded that, although the EU legal framework applicable to olive oil conformity checks is comprehensive, Member States do not apply it in full. The Court also concluded that Member States rarely detect contaminants at levels above the legal limits in olive oil samples, although there are weaknesses in the control systems, particularly with regard to contaminants other than pesticides. The Court’s audit also revealed that traceability checks do not always make it possible to identify the origin of olive oil. In light of these findings, the ECA made five main recommendations: Recommendation 1: Strengthen the Commission’s supervision of Member States’ control systems for olive oil Recommendation 2: Clarify the rules for blending of different virgin olive oils Recommendation 3: Improve guidance on checks for contaminants in olive oil Recommendation 4: Clarify and provide guidance on traceability check requirements Recommendation 5: Improve the traceability of olive oil The deadlines set for the implementation of these recommendations range from 2026 to 2028, depending on the time required for such implementation. Comments on the report The report is very well structured, as it enables the reader to quickly grasp its context and the main objectives and conclusions of the audit, even for readers with little technical knowledge of the sector. Furthermore, presenting the key messages, conclusions and recommendations right at the start of the report makes it easier to read and enables non-specialist decision-makers to immediately grasp the most relevant findings. The report provides an analysis of the weaknesses in EU regulations governing the control of olive oils and the shortcomings in their implementation by Member States, whilst also highlighting the existence of specific risks in certain areas. It serves as a catalyst for introducing improvements to public policies in this area, since highlighting existing gaps provides the Commission and Member State governments with information on the need to step up inspections and improve certain specific practices. Although Portugal has not been included in this analysis, the document remains an important tool, as by highlighting the weaknesses in other Member States’ control systems, it may serve as a starting point for an analysis of our own control system. Furthermore, the improvements that the Commission intends to implement in response to the ECA’s recommendations will also affect the national control system in the coming years. 134 CULTIVAR ANALYSIS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDIES No. 35 Olive groves and olive oil
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