Euro-Mediterranean Policies and Olive Oil. Competition vs Job-Sharing (Reprint from IPTS Report No. 8, October 1996)

Nearly all the world's olive oil is produced and consumed in the Mediterranean region, three quarters in the EU. However, thanks to its healthy image demand is growing worldwide, especially in wealthy countries. Driven by changes in world trace and technology, non-EU Mediterranean countries have a new opportunity for growth, but they could become competitors of the EU producer countries. Olive oil could be made a key-activity for the market-based cohesion objectives outlined in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean space of cooperation. The EU and non-EU Mediterranean countries could work together to optimise world market growth, increase employment and protect the environment, by promoting the complementarity of their different production patterns. Technology will be a pivotal factor in addressing job-sharing and environmental objectives.JRC.J-Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (Seville