Olive cultivation is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region and is important for the rural economy, local heritage and the environment. In 2000, the area under olive groves in the EU was approximately 5.163.000 hectares (1), roughly 4% of the utilisable agricultural area, of which 48% were in Spain and 22.5% were in Italy. Approximately 2.5 million producers -roughly one third of all EU farmers- are involved, with 1.160.000 in Italy, 840.000 in Greece, 380.000 in Spain, and 130.000 in Portugal. France, the fifth producing country in the EU, has a much smaller number of growers. 

Olive production is the main source of employment and economic activity in many producing regions, and it has shaped the landscape in these countries over many centuries. Nowadays,national guaranteed quantities in tonnes are as follows: 

Spain: 760.027, Italy: 543.164, Greece: 419.529, Portugal: 51.244, France: 3.297, Total: 1.777.261                                                                                 

(Source: Fact sheet "The Olive Oil Sector in the European Union", published by European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture)