Untransparent oil imports? Tighter controls are coming

Tighter controls on the movement of olive oil. A circular issued by the Quality Control and Fraud Repression Inspectorate (Icqrf) of the Ministry of Agriculture has integrated the Telematic Register of Olive Oil in force since July 2015, introducing some new requirements concerning the purchase of oil from abroad under the Inward Processing Trade (IPT) regime. These are imports of olive oil from abroad made to process the product, bottle it and then re-export it to international markets.

The circular, issued on 25 February, states that as of 1 March 'it will be necessary to enter in the register in the notes field all the operation codes concerning oils in Tpa, i.e. loading, processing and exporting'. The circular adds that the Inspectorate has requested the Masaf offices 'to provide for the updating of the computer application of the Telematic Oil Register so as to guarantee the punctual traceability of the oils in question without the need to fill in the notes field'.

Satisfaction with the measure was expressed by Coldiretti and Unaprol. "A decisive step," reads a note, "to fill a gap that risked damaging the transparency of the market to protect the consumer. The rule on processing traffic in recent years has favoured the import of foreign oil at zero tariffs to be processed, but without giving precise guarantees on its final destination'. 'We have always maintained,' commented Unaprol president and Coldiretti vice-president David Granieri, 'that digitalisation must be a weapon against ambiguity. We consider transparency a non-negotiable requirement'.

"We are in favour of any hypothesis of improvement that can increase the transparency of the sector," commented the head of the olive oil group of Assitol (the association of Italian olive oil industries), Anna Cane. "However, the Icqrf circular was only made known on 25 February and will be operational as early as 1 March: a time that is really too short to allow companies the necessary IT adaptation of their business systems. We therefore ask that the timing be revised, meeting the needs of the sector. We recall," the president continued, "that we have already publicly proposed to the competent authorities in the past that the National Agricultural Information System (Sian) be extended to the entire territory of the European Union. We reiterate this also on this occasion, hoping for the commitment of the institutions to increase the traceability of oil flows throughout Europe'.