L 201/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.7.2001 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1513/2001 of 23 July 2001 amending Regulations No 136/66/EEC and (EC) No 1638/98 as regards the extension of the period of validity of the aid scheme and the quality strategy for olive oil THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 of 20 July 1998 amending Regulation No 136/66/EEC on the establish- ment of a common market organisation in oils and fats () introduced measures applicable for three marketing years, namely 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01. This three-year period was intended to give the Commission time to gather and analyse the informa- tion required with a view to elaborate, in 2000, a proposal to the Council for a reform of the above- mentioned common market organisation. While the measures introduced by this Regulation have permitted a number of improvements to the common organisation of the market, the information gathered and the experi- ence gained during those first two marketing years are neither complete nor sufficient to enable the Commis- sion to draw substantial and definitive conclusions regarding the common market organisation in oils and fats to be implemented from 1 November 2001. (2) It is necessary to assess the results of the transitional period envisaged in 1998 by Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 and Council Regulation (EC) No 1639/98 of 20 July 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2261/84 laying down general rules on the granting of aid for the production of olive oil and of aid to olive oil producer organisations (*). In order to obtain all the results of the measures implemented from the 1998/99 marketing year onwards and to permit more detailed information to be gathered on the sector and more detailed analyses to be carried out, it is necessary to extend until the end of the 2003/04 marketing year the period of validity of the provisions currently in force, in particular those laid down in Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22 September 1966 on the establishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and fats (%). (Y) Opinion de cial Journal (3 Opinion de cial Journal () O] L 210, 28.7.1998, p. 32. () O] L 210, 28.7.1998, p. 38. () O] 172, 30.9.1966, p. 3025/66. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 28262000 (O] L 328, 23.12.2000, p. 2). ivered on 17 May 2001 (not yet published in the Offi- ivered on 30 May 2001 (not yet published in the Offi- () ®) The arrangements for checks on the aid paid to produ- cers depend to a great extent on the existence and smooth operation of the geographic information system (GIS) referred to in Regulation (EC) No 1638/98. The GIS is essential for some of the options to be examined for the future and, at the very least, useful for the others. It should therefore be stipulated now that from 1 November 2003 the aid scheme covers only olive trees included in a GIS verified as being complete. Developments on the olive oil market indicate the need for a concerted strategy aimed at improving the quality of the product, including environmental impacts, and comprising, inter alia, incentives to promote the struc- turing of the sector and adjustments to the classification of olive oils and olive-pomace oils. For the sector to operate smoothly, a scheme should be introduced to encourage approved operators' organ- isations to implement quality improvement and certi- fication programmes and to improve the olive oil sector and market management. Around one year would appear necessary for the establishment of the detailed rules concerning certain items of the future scheme, for instance the creation of the organisations concerned and the drafting, and evaluation of programmes and their approval by the Member States. In order to permit the implementation of concrete measures as soon as possible, the bases of the scheme that will be decided to be introduced from 1 November 2002 should be laid down now. The descriptions and definitions of olive oils and olive- pomace oils are in certain cases unsatisfactory and could lead to confusion among both consumers and operators. Such problems cause disruption on the market and, in order to avoid them, new descriptions and definitions should replace those laid down in the Annex to Regula- tion No 136/66/EEC. In order to preserve the natural characteristics of virgin olive oils, the use of oil-extraction adjuvants having a chemical or biochemical action should be excluded. The progress achieved by producers and millers has led to an increase in the production of virgin and extra virgin olive oils and a reduction in that of ordinary oils and lampante oils. To enable this market development to be taken into account in the classification of virgin olive oils and to permit consumers to benefit from it, the maximum acidity of extra virgin olive oil should be reduced and ‘ordinary virgin olive oil' should be removed from the list of types of olive oil, the oils concerned being included under lampante olive oil.