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On 9 February 2017, the Executive Director of the IOC, Mr Abdellatif Ghedira, and the Deputy Director in charge of Technical Cooperation, Promotion and Economic Affairs, Mr Jaime Lillo, received the President of the Mediterranean Olive Oil Cities Network (RECOMED), Ms Ana María Romero, together with two members of the Spanish Association of Olive Municipalities (AEMO) – a RECOMED member –, Mr Salvador Cubero and Mr José María Penco.
The President of RECOMED presented the main missions of this network, which was created in November 2011 in Imperia (Italy) with the aim of bringing together the olive growing cities and municipalities of countries in the Mediterranean basin. Today this non-profit organisation works for the olive growing cities and municipalities of 13 countries (Albania, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) to promote and raise awareness of olive growing and to contribute to the socio-economic development of olive growing areas. Ms Romero explained to the IOC representatives that the challenges of olive growing and promotion, together with the production and consumption of olive oil, are at the heart of RECOMED’s mission to examine and communicate on the links between olive growing and health, culture and the environment.
Highlighting the similarity between the aims of RECOMED and the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, 2015, the President expressed her wish that the Executive Secretariat might contribute, within its capacities, to establishing synergies for action and joint thinking on the future development of the olive sector.
The IOC Executive Director welcomed this proposal and suggested drawing up a framework for collaboration between the two organisations, with a view to conducting cultural and scientific activities and exchanging information. Certain activities could begin this year, in connection with World Olive Day and the implementation of The Routes of the Olive Tree project.
Ms Romero congratulated herself on the proposal for collaboration and invited the Executive Director to participate in an upcoming meeting of the members of RECOMED, which would be held during the Expoliva Trade Fair in May 2017, and which could even serve as an appropriate setting for the signature of the framework agreement proposed by the IOC Executive Director.
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