Focusing on investment immigration in Spain and life in Spain: To further improve the image of olive oil products and ensure product quality, Spain has adopted the recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture and recently passed a royal decree that will prohibit restaurants, hotels, and other catering industries from using refillable bottled olive oil starting January 1, 2014. Any such olive oil that has already been purchased must be used up by February 28, 2014.
This proposal was initially put forward by the European Union, and olive oil producing countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy expressed their support. However, it was not implemented due to opposition from some member states. Nevertheless, Spain has decided to take the lead. The new decree stipulates that only olive oil that is fully packaged and clearly labeled may be used, and once opened, it cannot be restored to its original state and must be equipped with devices that cannot be reused for refilling.
The Spanish Agricultural Food Cooperatives believe that this measure is essential for controlling product quality, while the Spanish Hotel and Catering Association argues that this move is unnecessary, as providing a bottle of olive oil for toast or salad is a significant waste.