IOC CHAIRPERSON

         At the end of its regular session in the autumn of each year, the Council of Members elects a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from amongst the representatives of the Members, in line with the provisions of the IOC Rules of Procedure. The term of office of these posts lasts one crop year.
         The Chairperson exercises the powers or functions assigned under the International Agreement and specified in the Rules of Procedure, without detracting from the functions vested in the Executive Director.
The Chairperson also represents the IOC legally and presides the sessions of the Council of Members.

 

 

COUNCIL OF MEMBERS

        The Council of Members is made up of the representatives of the Parties which have acceded to the International Agreement; it is the principal decision-making organ.
         The mandate of this top-level body is to define the broad guidelines of the Organisation and to adopt its action programme. It is the forum for discussing ways of defending the olive sector and of achieving the general objectives written into the Agreement.
         When taking decisions, it has every power to implement the provisions of the Agreement or to arrange for them to be put into effect.
         Unless it decides otherwise, the Council of Members usually holds its regular session once a year at the IOC headquarters, although it can be convened at any time at the discretion of its Chairperson, and it may hold extraordinary sessions.
         Decisions of the Council of Members are taken by consensus, within a time limit fixed by the Chair. If consensus is not reached by the deadline, decisions are taken by a qualified majority.

 

 

COMMITTEES

        Under article 12(1) of the Agreement, the Council of Members is allowed to establish any committees and subcommittees which it believes would be useful in assisting it.
         After being merged by the Members at their 93rd session there are now five committees, specifically the Economic Committee, the Technical Committee, the Promotion Committee, the Financial Committee and the Advisory Committee.
         The first four committees are composed of one representative of each Member, who may be accompanied by experts. These committees meet in advance of the sessions of the Council of Members.
The Advisory Committee is made up of representatives of the various branches of the olive sector.

 

 

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT

         The general brief of the Executive Secretariat is to help the Council of Members and its committees to carry through the duties they are assigned under the International Agreement.
It is made up of an Executive Director, senior officials and the staff necessary to perform the tasks stemming from the Agreement.
         Because of the role it plays as administrator, driving force and information centre, the Executive Secretariat is the mainstay of the Organisation in that it has to implement the decisions and global strategy mapped out by the Council of Members.
         It also does important work in assembling and circulating information – economic, commercial, technical, agricultural and scientific - on olive products and markets, notably through the official IOC magazine, OLIVAE, which is published in four language editions ( English, French, Italian and Spanish) and through this website.
Other documents, sets of statistics, studies, market research and practical handbooks are also prepared, either for sessions of the Council of Members and committee meetings, or for wider distribution.