The European Commission's wall held. There will be no doubling of Tunisian olive oil imports at zero dutyA decision that marks a point in favor of Italian and European olive growers and that confirms the line of caution already outlined by OlivoNews, which had extensively covered the issue in recent months, highlighting the critical issues of an agreement that risked bringing the national sector to its knees.
Commissioner Hansen's "No"
After pressure from Coldiretti and Filiera Italia, who sent a scathing letter to EU leaders, an official response from European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen has arrived. The letter is clear: the Brussels executive “does not provide for additional trade concessions”. The Tunisian government's proposal to increase the concessional quota to 100.000 tonnes per year was therefore rejected..
Protection and reciprocity: the battle over the rules
The crux of the matter isn't just economic, but also food safety. Hansen agreed with the need to ensure that imported products meet the same European standards in terms of:
- food safety: residue monitoring;
- sustainability: certified agricultural practices;
- reciprocity: Stop the use of pesticides banned in Europe but still permitted in North Africa.
A market under pressure: the numbers for 2025
The data paint a worrying picture that justifies the mobilization. In 2025, Coldiretti underlines, as many as 600 million kilos of foreign oil crossed the Italian bordersA massive influx that depressed the prices of domestic extra virgin olive oil, favoring what organizations define as an "opaque market."
In this context, The Tunisian case remains emblematic: with a 40% increase in arrivals and an average price of around 3,5 euros per kiloThe risk of dumping has become a reality. Selling at these prices means, for many Italian olive growers, producing at a loss.
“A mortal danger for our producers,” Coldiretti and Filiera Italia had filed a complaint. This complaint has now been supported in Brussels, blocking a measure that would have favored traffickers and illegal practices, to the detriment of label transparency.
