Answer to a written question – Follow-up question on the classification of extra virgin and virgin olive oil under EU law – P-002272/2025(ASW)

The Commission confirms that extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil are agricultural products under Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products[1].

As this regulation does not define processed, first-stage processed or unprocessed agricultural products, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the definition of virgin olive oils, in point 1 part VIII, Annex VII of the regulation.

This definition clarifies that virgin olive oils are obtained directly from olives using either ‘mechanical or other physical means’.

Given the definition of agricultural products in paragraph 1 of Article 38 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the definition in Regulation (EU) 1308/2013, extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil can be considered ‘products of first-stage processing’.

For the purposes of food hygiene, Regulation (EU) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs[2] does define processing and processed and unprocessed products under points (m), (n) and (o) of Article 2(1).

For the purposes of fair trade, Regulation (EU) No 510/2014 on trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products[3], point (b) of Article 2 defines ‘processed agricultural products’.

• [1] Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/2023-01-01.
• [2] Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/852/oj.
• [3] Regulation (EU) No 510/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 laying down the trade arrangements applicable to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 1216/2009 and (EC) No 614/2009; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/510/oj.