From no to health warnings to digital labeling: Uiv delivers its message to politics

Preserving and simplifying the “Promotion” measure of the National Support Plan in the Pac reform, and reinforcing support funds by linking them to competitiveness and ecological transition and not to the explantations incentivized by the European Union: the wine world delivers its message to politics and looks interested at the upcoming European elections (in Italy voting on June 8 and 9), putting on the table some instances in a meeting, today in Milan, between the Italian Wine Union (Uiv) and 12 Italian candidates to the Europarliament. According to the UIV - which represents 85% of Italian wine exports with its members - doubts about the socioeconomic centrality of an asset worth 1.1 % of GDP in Italy alone must be dispelled in the next European mandate. Starting with stopping prohibitionist aims and starting with health warnings, in favor of specific plans aimed at moderate and conscious consumption of wine. Other key proposals on sector policies, summarized for the occasion by Uiv in a “manifesto” delivered to the Italian Eurocandidates, include a single European digital label, the adoption of a single sustainability standard, with an EU definition of “sustainable wine”, the strengthening of free trade agreements and a “no” to any form of protectionism. Finally, on the subject of EU governance, Uiv is against the elimination of the Agri Commission, which it would like to strengthen instead, while it would like to see the strengthening of the Wine Intergroup with the appointment of an Italian chair.
“We think”, said UIV President Lamberto Frescobaldi, “it is right to affirm the value of a sector that has made many Italian and European rural communities a paradigm capable of preserving cultures and landscapes, while at the same time creating induced income and wealth for millions of people. This is why we ask the Italian candidates to become promoters of the recognition of wine culture as a European identity heritage”.
The candidates who participated in the debate are Pietro Fiocchi (Fratelli d’Italia - Ecr; North West), Nicola Procaccini (liaison, Fratelli d’Italia - Ecr; Central Italy), Massimiliano Salini (Forza Italia - Ppe; North West), Herbert Dorfmann (Forza Italia - Ppe; North East), Silvia Sardone (Lega - Id; Northwest), Alessandro Panza (League - Id; Northwest), Patrizia Toia (Democratic Party - S&d; Northwest), Daniela Rondinelli (Democratic Party - S&d; Central Italy), Caterina Avanza (Action - Renew; Northwest), Giovanni Poggiali (Action - Renew; Northeast); and Irene Tinagli (Democratic Party - S&d; Northwest). Joining them, though not a candidate is Maria Chiara Gadda of Italia Viva - Renew, vice chairwoman of the Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.