REQUESTS FOR MORE THAN 12.000 NEW VINEYARDS, COVERING 67.000 HECTARES, TEN TIMES THE AVAILABLE 6.400 HECTARES, MAINLY IN VENETO AND FRIULI. COLDIRETTI ON EU LEGISLATION AND VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

There are more than 12.000 requests for new vineyards, covering an area of 67.000 hectares, equal to ten times the 6.400 hectares available in Italy, which are mainly (two-thirds) from Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, though the boom of requests came from almost all the regions. This is the Italian farmers association, Coldiretti’s evaluation of the new EU legislation that went into effect on January 1, 2016, regarding the management of vineyards based on the authorization system, which granted the possibility to increase vineyard areas, while establishing strict rules to avoid liberalization.

The fact that the 1% threshold of areas planted with vines has been exceeded in all regions, with very few exceptions (Piedmont, Lazio and Umbria), highlights the negative aspects of the December 15, 2015 Ministerial Decree which, according to Coldiretti needs to be urgently revised to combat speculation and “the more I ask for the more I’ll get”, with other protection mechanisms. As we already pointed out at the time, continued Coldiretti, it is necessary for national choices to provide active management of production potential to avoid the risk that the lack of rules, in the name of streamlining, could harm the industry.

Although a more streamlined management approach is a good thing, and not necessarily based on competitions with norms of eligibility and priorities, Coldiretti believes it is necessary and essential that a competition related to proportional allocation such as the current one, be accompanied by appropriate protection and fairness systems against the phenomena of speculation. And, it should be based on the determination of a maximum surface and / or individual assignment and an exemption threshold below a given surface by the application of the proportional deduction.

To respond promptly to the need for surface growth manifested in some territories, Coldiretti said it is necessary to anticipate the next competition announcement (2017) by the end of 2016, to give future authorizations at the very beginning of next year, and allow producers to plant authorized vineyards next spring, so as to recoup a year.