EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, MARIANN FISCHER BOEL, RINGS THE ALARM. “IT IS NECESSARY TO RE-ESTABLISH AN EQUILIBRIUM IN THE WINE SECTOR; NON COMPETITIVE PRODUCERS MUST LEARN HOW TO WALK BY THEMSELVES”

“The proposed European Union reform puts the wine sector in a more competitive position: we must re-establish the equilibrium of the sector and any reform that does not take into consideration these elements does not merit the name of reform. Among other things, this means that the entire sector must learn to walk by itself, without crutches, and this is significant, above all, for production that is not competitive like distillation, for example; a scheme or project, therefore, is necessary for the weakest producers to have the possibility to leave the sector, with heads held high so to say, because, for example, when distillation is abolished there will be some wine producers who will not be able to survive”. This was the declaration made by Mariann Fischer Boel, European Agriculture Commissioner, in response to the recent discussions on wine sector reforms.

“I want to give them the possibility of leaving the sector with dignity” – continued Fischer Boel – “offering other possibilities like, for example, that of introducing the single payment system. In other words, I am not deaf to criticism, but I feel a bit disappointed when I must look at the costs for wine and for the wine sector in general; 0.5 billion euros for distillation, to destroy a wine that no one wanted to drink, and 1.4 billion euros for its promotion: this is pure madness. In conclusion, it is absolutely necessary to do something about promoting the strength of European wine, of the European wine sector, within Europe itself, but also, and above all, on foreign markets”.