“Yes to uprooting, but with shared criteria to safeguard the socio-economic and landscape-environmental stability. And with funding from the member countries and not from the European Strategic Funds (PNS). Greater flexibility in the funds for promotion and a better regulatory definition for new wines (dealcoholized) to facilitate their marketing and simplifications on digital labeling. The recommendations included in the draft of the High Level Group of the European Commission on the Future of Wine in the EU go largely in the direction hoped for and supported by Unione Italiana Vini (UIV)”. This is stated by the main Italian organization in the sector following the third meeting of the High Level Group held in Brussels on November 15. The final document will be released on December 16.
What does the draft of the European Commission High Level Group on the Future of Wine in the EU recommend?
On the subject of uprooting, according to the draft, the High Level Group recommends “addressing situations of structural excess supply with national funding” despite the distinctions long supported by Uiv and linked to “vineyards with high landscape value, such as slopes, terraces, varieties with genetic value or in areas with environmental value or where viticulture is central and which are at risk of depopulation”.
A position that, for Uiv, would preserve the “package” of specific funds earmarked for “active measures”, such as promotion, which the sector needs to address the challenge of changes in consumption and market uncertainties.
According to Uiv, it is essential that the document maintains the focus on the competitiveness of the sector, that some flexibility is introduced in the management of potential and authorizations and that, as proposed by Masaf, the possibility for countries to save the savings of PNS funds that could be reinvested in the sector is introduced for the first time.
Among the topics discussed, there was also that of simplification in the field of CMO Promotion, with the positive recommendation to “increase the duration of support for promotion measures to allow for market consolidation”.
