Government Enforces New Regulations on Olive Oil Sales: Tins Without Receipts to Incur Fines Up to 5,000 Euros

In a significant move to regulate the olive oil market, the Greek government is enforcing new measures starting 2025 to eliminate the sale of tins of olive oil directly from producers without official receipts.

This decision aims to curb tax evasion and promote market standardization, with hefty fines reaching up to 5,000 euros for violations.

According to Alpha, the Ministries of Finance and Rural Development have collaborated to roll out a trio of policy measures designed to transition the market away from the "bulk in a tin" practice. These steps include mandatory documentation for both producers and distributors to ensure transparency in the transaction process.

Producers will now be required to submit a digital shipment form in the first year and a harvest declaration in the second year. This documentation will offer a clear record of the quantity of olives harvested and the volume of olive oil produced, ensuring compliance with the new standards.

Inspections will be conducted at olive mills to reinforce these regulations, and a digital registry of processing and packaging facilities will be established. This registry will facilitate the electronic issuance of an alphanumeric approval code, overseen by the Ministry of Rural Development.

A further measure involves implementing a digital declaration of olive oil production and standardization, targeting olive mills, factories, and packaging plants nationwide. The aim is to prevent the informal distribution of 17-kilogram tins without proper documentation, which are popular among consumers.

Last year, producers were selling these tins directly to consumers at prices between 7 and 8 euros per kilo. This is higher than mill prices but lower than those of bottled, standardized olive oil available on retail shelves. Despite regulations prohibiting the packaging and sale of olive oil in containers larger than 5 liters, this practice continued informally.

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