After years of efforts, the EU’s recognition of Cretan olive oil as a product of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) represents a historic success for the island’s producers, according to a report in Haniotika Nea. The decision comes as the culmination of a campaign which has lasted almost seven years, with coordinated efforts and close cooperation between the Region of Crete, the Exporters’ Association of Crete and other organisations on the island.

The designation ensures that extra virgin olive oil with the label “PGI Kriti” will be produced and branded solely in the island’s four regional units, constituting an institutionally recognised product which bears the stamp of tradition, quality and the international reputation of Cretan olive oil.

According to the report in Haniotika Nea, a decisive advisory role was played, especially over the last two years, by the Exporter’s Association of Crete, whose president Alkis Kalabokis and vice-president Manolis Karpadakis worked closely with the Region of Crete, which was the driving force behind the initiative. An important part was also played by agricultural cooperatives and oil mills as well as individual producers.

The Exporters’ Association publicly thanks the Regional Governor Stavros Arnautakis, the former deputy regional governor and now MP Manolis Hnaris, the president of the Agri-food Partnership of the Region of Crete Eirene Houdetsenaki, and deputy regional governor Stavros Tzedakis for their advice in the coordination and completion of the dossier. They emphasise that the next step is the strict adherence to the specifications so as to protect the product’s identity and strengthen its commercial impact on international markets. The recognition of the name PGI Kriti, they say, signals the beginning of a new era for Cretan olive oil, which is now officially recognised as an ambassador of the Cretan soil and the Mediterranean diet worldwide.

MP expresses his satisfaction
PASOK MP for Rethymnon and leader on the party’s policy on Agricultural Development, Manolis Hnaris described the achievement of PGI status for Cretan olive oil as “the culmination of a major and important effort”.

In his statement to the press, he noted that the initiative had begun in 2018, with the documentation and submission of the dossier to the Ministry of Agricultural Development, and ended after a seven-year campaign in the positive decision by the EU. “As the responsible deputy regional governor then, and in charge of the dossier, I am especially pleased and satisfied at today’s development,” he said, thanking all those who contributed to the effort.

Mr Hnaris stressed that the terms of the designation – production, oil extraction and standardisation exclusively within Crete – constitute a “historic and exceptional” decision, giving the island’s oil producers and wholesalers the chance to enjoy the added value which corresponds to the quality of the product and the efforts they have put into it.

Lefteris Avgenakis
Heraklion MP Lefteris Avgenakis commented: “This achievement belongs not to one person or a few people, but to many who believed in the goal and worked with consistency and purpose. The Region of Crete, the Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives, the Agri-food Partnership of the Region of Crete, the Exporters’ Association of Crete, the Cretan Association of Oil Standardisers, the Cretan Organoleptic Laboratory for Olive Oil, distinguished scientists such as professor Dimitrios Lydakis and Professor Eleftherios Alysandrakis of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) as well as Georgios Mathioudakis of the European Commission and many other officials of the European Parliament, made decisive contributions to our achieving this result.”
(Haniotika Nea, 13/09/25)

EU food protection standards
According to the EU’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development, “EU quality policy aims to protect the names of specific products to promote their unique characteristics, linked to their geographical origin as well as traditional know-how. Product names can be granted a ‘geographical indication’ (GI) if they have a specific link to the place where they are made. The GI recognition enables consumers to trust and distinguish quality products while also helping producers to market their products better.”

There are two main geographical indications, PDO – Protected Designation of Origin, and PGI – Protected Geographical Indication. The differences between the two are linked primarily to how much of the product’s raw materials must come from the area, or how much of the production process has to take place within the specific region.

The specification for PDO states that “Every part of the production, processing and preparation process must take place in the specific region. … For example, Kalamata olive oil PDO is entirely produced in the region of Kalamata in Greece, using olive varieties from that area.” Labelling is mandatory for food and agricultural products, optional for wine.

The specification for PGI states that the designation “emphasises the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. … For most products, at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the region.” Labelling is mandatory for food and agricultural products, optional for wine.

A number of Cretan olive oils have achieved the more restrictive Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, but this is the first time that the quality of Cretan olive oil as a whole has been recognised. According to the website Europeanfoodmasters.eu, ten Cretan olive oils have achieved PDO status, coming from all four of the island’s Regional Units. Chania olive oil already has PGI status, while Kolymbari olive oil has PDO status.
(Agriculture.ec.europa.eu, Europeanfoodmasters.eu)