De Castro: “for wine fresh resources for promotion and 60% co-financing for CMO”

“In response to the objection raised by the S&D Group, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has taken up a large part of Parliament's proposals. In particular, for wine we expect fresh resources for promotion, and therefore an increase in appropriations, but also an increase in co-financing from 50 to 60% of the entire CMO measure (i.e. plant restructuring, green harvesting and so on). There are two different aspects: on the one hand, the increase in the budget, and therefore in resources for promotion, which we expect, and on the other, as announced by Wojciechowski, the very important news for the sector, of the 10% increase in EU co-financing. Add to this the news that we already knew: the advance to 2020 of the 2021 measures, with a certain flexibility therefore granted to the Member States, and then we await an advance of the intervention made in the transitional regulation with regard to permits for new installations, to recover those expiring in 2020 in Italy”. So, to WineNews, Paolo De Castro, S&D coordinator at the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament, in the light of the letter sent by Commissioner Wojciechowski to the President of the Commission, Norbert Lins, after the refusal of MEPs to endorse the first emergency measures presented by the European Executive to help the two sectors.
“In the letter - explains again De Castro - Wojciechowski plans to propose to the College of the European Commission a new package of complementary and autonomous interventions. In particular, the EU Commissioner gives the fruit and vegetable sector additional flexibility on co-financing rates for operational programs. For the wine sector, on the other hand, he considers an increase in EU aid for restructuring, investment, green harvesting and promotion in third countries. But also flexibility in payments to producers who have carried out crisis distillation and storage, as well as derogations from competition law with measures that can also be financed through State aid. The firmness and dialogue on the part of the European Parliament has made it possible to give concrete answers to the pressing demands of the Italian fruit and vegetable and wine sectors which, as ComAgri, we have made their own. Now - continues De Castro - we are waiting to see Wojciechowski's proposals made official by the European Commission. Given the seriousness of the situation, we agree with the Commissioner that we must act now to get support to our producers as quickly as possible. The fruit and vegetable and wine sectors,” Mr. De Castro concludes, “will remain a special focus. The European Commissioner himself is ready to take stock of their market situation this autumn, once the measures have been introduced and implemented. We commit ourselves now to invite him to a meeting with industry representatives by the end of September, and decide together what steps are still needed”.