| Members of the European Parliament have backed a study that aims to protect the historical and cultural position of European wine production, reports the European Weekly, New Europe. The study also called for cautious reform of the European Union's 1.3 billion Euro a year wine regime and proposes the 1.5 billion litre wine lake be "abolished" through a combination of voluntary and compulsory distillation of surplus wine.
Roughly €500 million a year are currently spent on converting surplus quality wine into either ethanol or vinegar.
The study report by Greek Socialist MEP Katerina Batzeli was on the European Commission's proposals to increase the competitiveness and appeal of EU wine. They advocated incentives to root up vines, abolish subsidies for the distillation of surplus wine, simplify labelling and update wine-making practices.
Perhaps the most contentious issue was the proposal of "grubbing up," (giving money to winegrowers to turn vineyards over to other use) 400,000 hectares of land. Wine production occupies two percent of the agricultural area ( 1.5 million farms) of the European Union with France, Italy and Spain being the biggest producers.
MEPs rejected the Commission's proposals for such a widespread grubbing-up exercise. The report said that the "permanent abandonment of wine growing" must not be the centerpiece of reform. They suggested a number of criteria should be applied before aid for grubbing-up was granted.
The report also called for the power to approve new wine-making practices within the EU to lie with the Council of Ministers and the Parliament. The definition of "wine" and the right to use the word on a bottle has been a source of controversy for some time as different techniques are developed and " New World " wines have entered the European market.
The report also wants EU members to harmonise the languages used on the labelling of wine and the need to better protect geographical designations of wine so that the label and region match.
Cautious, carefully-managed reform is needed to restore the vitality of the EU wine sector, said the report, passed by a margin of 484-129. It recommended retaining distillation measures for now, empowering Member States to restrict grubbing-up of vines, and liberalising planting rights only gradually. It also advocated strict labelling rules and maintaining current regulations on acceptable winemaking practices.
Full report on: http://www.neurope.eu |
