L 349/56 Official Journal of the European Communities 24.12.98 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2815/98 of 22 December 1998 concerning marketing standards for olive oil THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation No 136/66/EEC of 22 September 1966 on the establishment of a common organisation of the market in oils and fats ('), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1638/98 (3, and in particular Article 35a thereof, Whereas as a result of agricultural traditions and local extraction and blending practices directly marketable edible virgin olive oils may be of quite different taste and quality depending on their geographical origin; whereas this may result in price differences within the same category as defined in the Annex to Regulation No 136/ 66/EEC which disturb the market; whereas there are no substantial differences linked to origin in other categories of edible olive oil; whereas, for those categories, indication on immediate packagings of the designation of origin may lead consumers to believe that quality differences do exist; whereas it is therefore necessary, so as not to distort the market in edible olive oils, to establish Community marketing standards which provide for a designation of origin restricted to extra virgin and virgin olive oils which satisfy precise conditions; Whereas the marketing standards relating to origin must take account of the results of the current negotiations on the harmonisation of the rules of origin in non-preferen- tial trade with third countries; whereas a system involving the compulsory designation of origin requires a system for tracing and checking all quantities of olive oil in circulation; whereas such a movement tracing system will be examined at the same time as the classification of the oils to which it applies as part of the work on olive oil quality strategy which must be carried out by 31 October 2001; whereas an optional and provisional system for the designation of origin should therefore be set up within the European Community; Whereas, in the case of imported olive oils, the provisions on non-preferential origin contained in Council Regula- tion (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing () OJ 172, 30. 9. 1966, p. 3025/66. () OJ L 210, 28. 7. 1998, p. 32. the Community Customs Code (°), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 82/97 (*), must be complied with; Whereas the designation of a regional origin may be the subject of a protected designation of origin (PDO) or a protected geographical indication (PGI) pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (%), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1068/97 (°), whereas designations of a regional origin should be reserved for PDOs or PGIs so as to avoid confusion among consumers and therefore market disturbances; Whereas when the origin of a virgin olive oil relates to the European Community or to a geographical area covering the entire territory of a Member State there can be no confusion in practice with PDOs or PGIs; whereas extraction practices and techniques, particularly in the olive oil production sector, influence the quality and taste of virgin oils; whereas transfers of olives from one country to another are extremely limited, mainly because of the substantial reduction in the quality of the oil obtained which they entail; whereas extraction of the oil should therefore be regarded as conferring origin, which will also take account of the difficulties as regards control and changing the class of product which are involved for international trade; Whereas in the European Community and the Member States a major proportion of the virgin olive oil marketed is composed of blends of olive oils so as to guarantee constant quality and the typical organoleptic characteris- tics expected by the market; whereas the typical charac- teristics of the virgin olive oil in the areas in question are guaranteed despite, or sometimes because of, the addition of a small proportion of olive oil originating in another area; whereas, therefore, in order to permit regular market supplies in accordance with traditional trade flows and taking account of the fluctuations in production volumes specific to olive-growing, the designation of origin for such an area should be maintained when the product is a blend containing a small proportion of olive oil from other areas; whereas in that case consumers must be informed that the product does not originate in its entirety in the zone which is the subject of the designa- tion of origin; () OJ L 302, 19. 10. 1992, p. 1. (" OJ L 17, 21. 1. 1997, p. 1. () OJ L 208, 24. 7. 1992, p. 1. () OJ L 156, 13. 6. 1997, p. 10.