The International Olive Council carries out many different tasks the importance and relevance of which are recognised by all the members. It does so through a series of measures and activities aimed at applying the provisions of the Agreement.

The 2005 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives is the latest contribution to the organisation of the international market for olive oil and table olives.

In this respect, the IOC provides members with the forum they need for reflection and discussion to jointly fulfil the objectives fixed in the Agreement.

With this in mind a set of provisions has been written into chapters V and VI of the Agreement. These are designed to ensure regular trading operations, not just for reasons of legality but also of economic stability. This is done by the adoption of a series of provisions and principles on designations (names) and definitions for olive oils, olive-pomace oils and table olives and indications of source and designations of origin.

These are the basis of international rules. Members undertake to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that these rules are applied and to prohibit and restrict their incorrect use in international trade.

In addition, ever since it was set up, the IOC has endeavoured to draw up standards for olive oils and olive-pomace oils and table olives, notably to facilitate international trading.

Specifically, it has drawn up and adopted two trade standards. One is the trade standard for table olives and the other is the trade standard for olive oils and olive-pomace oils.

Two food standards have also been developed in close cooperation with the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. These are the Codex standard for olive oils and olive-pomace oils and the Codex standard for table olives.

International standardisation is a way of ensuring that the methods of analysis and control used on this basis cannot be questioned. At the same time it helps to avoid arbitration disputes between users of different standards. It therefore undeniably contributes to providing guarantees in international trade relations.

However, the work of the IOC is not finished. Standards have to be updated to keep abreast of technical progress, to respond to changes in commercial demands or to allow for new descriptions and names. Methods of analysis have to be regularly adapted to reflect developments and breakthroughs in olive oil chemistry and sensory analysis. All of this is a task the IOC accepts fully.

With smooth international trading again in mind, the IOC also offers operators a number of tools for avoiding or settling disputes. These are a standard international contract for transactions in olive oils and olive-pomace oils, and a sister contract for table olives; a code of fair and established practices for international trade; rules for conciliation and arbitration and the services of an International Conciliation and Arbitration Board to deal with possible disputes in business transactions; and a scheme for the international recognition of testing laboratories and olive oil tasting panels that apply IOC methods and operate under IOC supervision and coordination.