The regional government of Andalusia, Spain, has submitted a request to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture to urge the European Commission to suspend the active perfection regime applied to Tunisian olive oil imports. This regime allows goods from non-EU countries to enter the EU without immediate payment of duties, provided they are processed before being re-exported. Andalusia cites concerns that the current regime is disrupting the EU market.
Andalusia's request, made in September 2026, is based on Article 195 of EU Regulation 1308/2013, which authorizes Brussels to suspend the regime partially or entirely if it perturbs or risks perturbing the EU market. The region argues that 76.3% of Spanish imports of Tunisian olive oil benefited from this regime between January and April 2026, with extra virgin olive oil accounting for 75% of the volumes concerned.
The Andalusian government's move aligns with concerns expressed by Italian unions, which have also urged the European Commission to reconsider Tunisia's preferential tariff regime. These unions fear that increasing Tunisian olive oil imports could put downward pressure on prices in the European market, creating unfair competition for EU producers.
In response to Andalusia's and Italy's requests, the European Commission has ruled out granting new trade concessions to Tunisia on olive oil imports. The Commission's decision aims to protect EU producers from potential market disruption caused by increased imports from non-EU countries, including Tunisia.
Tunisia has been seeking to increase its annual olive oil export quota to the EU from 56,700 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes. However, Andalusia's request to suspend the preferential tariff regime could limit Tunisian olive oil's access to the European market. This development may impact Tunisia's efforts to expand its olive oil exports to the EU.
Andalusia's concerns about the impact of Tunisian olive oil imports on the EU market are shared by other EU producers. The region's olive oil production is significant, and the influx of cheaper imports from Tunisia could threaten local producers' competitiveness. The European Commission will need to balance the interests of EU producers with those of Tunisian exporters.
The dispute over Tunisian olive oil imports highlights the complexities of EU trade policy and the challenges of balancing competing interests. As the European Commission considers Andalusia's request, it will need to weigh the potential impact on the EU market, Tunisian exporters, and the overall EU-Tunisia trade relationship.
Key points
- Andalusia requests suspension of preferential tariff regime for Tunisian olive oil imports, citing market disruption concerns.
- European Commission rules out new trade concessions to Tunisia on olive oil imports.
- Dispute highlights complexities of EU trade policy and competing interests.
