Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Valdemone DOP and Sicilian IGP olive oil: IRVO receives ACCREDIA accreditation.

Agri-food certifications: a unique model in Italy from Sicily recognized by MASAF as the Oil and Wine Certification Body

 

From Sicily, a national record in wine and oil certifications.Regional Institute of Wine and Oil, which operates according to the guidelines of the Sicilian Region and the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries, has requested and obtained from ACCREDIA theextension of accreditation in accordance with the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 standard for the Valdemone DOP extra virgin olive oil and for the Sicilia IGP oil and the renewal of the authorization from MASAF as Certification Bodies of the olive oil supply chain.

Since 2021, IRVO has been accredited by ACCREDIA, the Italian Accreditation Body, for wine certification according to the international standard UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012.

To be recognized, Certification Bodies are required to comply with strict rules that require them to operate impartially, competently, and consistently in the certification of products, processes, and services.

The organizational structure must be independent and make decisions based solely on objective evidence. A key requirement is competence, meaning the presence of qualified inspectors and assessors capable of managing the entire certification process: from application submission to on-site inspections, documentation review, and certificate issuance.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry authorizes Certification Bodies only if they possess the accreditation required by the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 standard.

The decree of 22 December 2025, implementing EU Regulation 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wines, spirits and agricultural products, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms, also introduced the requirement for public control authorities to be accredited in accordance with the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 standard.

The provision, published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic on March 16, 2026, establishes, in Article 56, paragraph 8, that public Certification Bodies must obtain accreditation within six months of the decree's entry into force.

In this context, with resolution no. 13 of April 17, 2026, the IRVO extraordinary commissioner requested ACCREDIA to extend its accreditation, pursuant to the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17065:2012 standard, also for Valdemone DOP extra virgin olive oil and Sicilia IGP oil.

The process required the integration of documentation, training of IRVO personnel involved in the control and certification activities of the Sicilian olive oil supply chain, and an accompanied visit with an ACCREDIA inspector.

The checks were carried out at an olive oil producer who had requested compliance with the PGI Sicilia control plans and at a packager of PGI Sicilia extra virgin olive oil interested in sampling the product for the purpose of obtaining the suitability certification.

At the end of the process, at its meeting on July 21, 2026, ACCREDIA's Agri-Food Sector Accreditation Committee approved the extension of accreditation to IRVO, in the "Product" category, pursuant to EU Regulation 2024/1143, for category 1.5 "Oils and Fats." The extension specifically concerns Valdemone DOP Oil and Sicilia IGP Oil.

This result, achieved before the September 16, 2026, deadline, strengthens IRVO's role as the only public certification body in Italy and opens up new prospects for the entire Sicilian olive oil supply chain.

This recognition follows the renewal of the authorization received from MASAF and the recent selection by the Consortium for the Protection of Sicilian PGI Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which has identified IRVO as the Certification Body for the three-year period 2026-2029.