“The HoReCa is closed down, and the EU wine market has been cut in half. This will be a long crisis”

“The hotel and restaurant sector is closed down practically everywhere, and we estimate that 30% of the volume and 50% of the value on the European wine market will be blocked. Furthermore, though there were a few signs of growth at the beginning of March, we are now seeing big drops in supermarkets, reconfirming the negative trend for the sector”. This is the analysis of Jean-Marie Barillèr, president of the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV), representing the federations of EU wine companies, which leaves no room for interpretation. The analysis also emphasizes how, while exports have not completely stopped, they are “irregular, and none of the traders have managed to maintain the traditional economic flow since the start of the crisis. We also must consider that a part of the HoReCa will be "dismantled", which will impact tourism, as well as the possible collapse of some importers and distributors. We have to be fully aware that we will be facing a rather long crisis and that it will take time and investments to recover on the markets”. The secretary of CEEV, Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, also pointed out that Anti-crisis and revitalization measures are needed. The CEEV has sent their proposals to the European Commission, which include freezing the CMO resources not spent in 2019/2020, so that they will be available for 2022/2023, as well as greater flexibility in promotion, simplifying bureaucratic and fiscal measures, and authorizing voluntary distillation during the crisis to reduce surpluses on the market and keep prices from falling.