Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2568/912 defines the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of olive and olive-pomace oil and lays down methods of assessing those characteristics. Those methods and the limit values for the characteristics of oils should be updated on the basis of the opinion of chemical experts and in line with the work carried out within the International Olive Council (IOC).

To ensure the implementation at Union level of the most recent international standards established by the IOC, certain methods of analysis as well as certain limit values for the characteristics of oils laid down in Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 should be updated.

Consequently, the limit values for stigmastadienes, waxes, myristic acid and fatty acids alkyl esters should be adapted and some decision trees for verifying whether on olive-oil sample is consistent with the category declared should be amended accordingly. Decision trees for campesterol and delta-7-stigmastenol accompanied by more restrictive parameters should be introduced in order to facilitate trade and guarantee olive oil authenticity, in the interest of consumer protection. The method of analysis relating to the composition and content of sterols and the determination of erythrodiol and uvaol should be replaced by a more reliable method which also covers triterpene dialcohols. It is also appropriate to review the organoleptic assessment of olive oil and to insert a method enabling the detection of extraneous vegetable oils in olive oils.

In the light of the developments relating to the procedures for the conformity checks of oils, the method of sampling of olive oil and olive-pomace oils should be adapted accordingly.

Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91 should therefore be amended accordingly.

In order to allow a period of adjustment to the new rules, to give time for introducing the means of applying them and to avoid disturbance to commercial transactions, the amendments made by this Regulation should apply as from 1 March 2014. For the same reasons, provision should be made for olive oil and olive-pomace oils that are legally manufactured and labelled in the Union or legally imported into the Union and released for free circulation before that date to be marketed until all stocks are used up.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets.