The bottling of olive oil for distribution to end consumers in the EU is regulated by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, which replaced the earlier Implementing Regulation (EU) No 29/2012. According to Article 4, olive oil must be offered to end consumers in packaging of no more than five liters with a non-reusable closure. However, member states may permit larger packaging for restaurants, hospitals, canteens, and similar community facilities.
TEIKEI, however, aims for a future-proof, reusable system without single-use waste. We want to establish collectively organized refill and bottling systems that are legally compliant despite these regulatory hurdles—using a new logic that places responsibility in the hands of the community.
Under Article 4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, olive oils may only be offered to end consumers in packaging of no more than 5 liters with a non-reusable closure. The packaging must be labeled according to the regulation’s requirements.
Recital 6 of the regulation justifies this with the authenticity of olive oil: packaging for retail sale should not exceed a certain size and must have an appropriate closure.
This creates leeway when dealing with collectively organized structures, where the final packaging is not provided by a company but within the community.
In practice, TEIKEI relies on a system with the following components:
The decisive point here is that the "last mile"—the bottling into a ≤5-liter container—is not handled by the supplier but by the community.
Discussions with authorities and feedback from the network show:
From a legal perspective, it is not prohibited for a community to receive a larger barrel or can and then bottle it on-site into ≤5-liter units.
Prerequisites:
👉 Important: The TEIKEI approach does not call for circumventing the law but instead uses the existing leeway within the EU regulation—while incorporating responsibility, transparency, and community.
Why can’t 17-liter cans be sold directly to end consumers?
→ Because, according to Article 4 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2104, only packaging up to a maximum of 5 liters is permitted—to ensure the authenticity of the olive oil.
How can I still get a barrel?
→ Only by registering a community, which serves as the legal framework for distribution.
What is a final container?
→ The vessel that reaches the member directly. It must be ≤5 liters in size and correctly labeled.
Is TEIKEI acting illegally?
→ No. The approach complies with the EU regulation. No sales of containers larger than 5 liters to end consumers are conducted.
TEIKEI rethinks law and responsibility: Instead of anonymous mass distribution, we rely on communities of responsibility, transparency, and climate-friendly logistics. The law protects against misuse—not against innovation.
If we take transparency, traceability, and food ethics seriously, then we are not the problem but part of the solution.
👉 Become part of this movement—form a community, refill collectively, and make packaging obsolete.
➡️ Register a community
One level up: Background Knowledge
Author: Felix Schröder, with assistance from AI (ChatGPT)
Creation: written by Felix Schröder › formatted in Markdown by ChatGPT › published by Felix Schröder › layout adjusted by Claude
Created: 2025-05-29 · Last updated: 2026-10-10 · Questions or feedback? support@teikei.us