Matilde Poggi is the new president of Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants

Matilde Poggi is the new president of Cevi - Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants - the organization that brings together and represents the European Independent Winegrowers, acting as spokesperson before the EU institutions of the instances of the federations that are part of it, namely those of Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia, Belgium, Greece, Montenegro and Bulgaria, for a total of about 12,000 winemakers. After six years as vice-president, the president of Fivi - Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers), succeeds, therefore, to the French Thomas Montagne, who has led it since 2011, becoming the first Italian at the helm of the association that carries the voice of Independent Winegrowers, who have a crucial and central role in the supply chain and in the protection of the territory, often representing the top quality of their denominations, in Brussels, where all decisions regarding agricultural policies are taken.

“I would like to thank the European Independent Winegrowers for the trust they have placed in me - comments the new president Matilde Poggi - and I would like to thank Thomas Montagne in particular for having wanted me as vice-president six years ago: I will work on the path already traced by him. This is an important moment for Cevi, and giving the presidency to Italy reinforces the European nature of the Confederation. There are many challenges that await us, first and foremost the defense of the fruit of our labor, wine, an agricultural product with a cultural value that has always been at the center of the Mediterranean diet. For us, Vignaioli Indipendenti”, continues Poggi, “the direct relationship with consumers is one of our priorities. We will therefore work to achieve true harmonization of the rules for the free circulation of bottles of wine in the European Union, including sales to private individuals. We will also be very committed to the simplification of bureaucracy that, even if in different ways from country to country, affects too much the work of all the European winemakers”.