“The support to wine sector must be a priority”: Italy, France and Spain write to the Eu

The impact of climate change on harvests and business competitiveness, the slowdown in global consumption, the instability of export markets and the geopolitical environment, rising production costs, the need to strengthen the principles of the single market, and the essential administrative simplification required to remove bureaucratic obstacles that hinder the competitiveness of our companies: these are the challenges facing the wine sector today, widely recognized by those who represent it in the three most important wine-producing countries, Italy, France, and Spain. Although these countries compete with one another, they are united in defending a sector that, in Europe alone, contributes more than 130 billion euros to Gdp (Ceev estimates). This is a sector which must be protected, beginning with the defense of the Common Agricultural Policy - Cap (currently under reform and facing the threat of budget cuts and the consolidation of expense categories, ed) which “must continue to be a tool capable of supporting these essential changes”. The sector “must have access to sufficient and targeted resources” because “support for our supply chain must be a priority in order to safeguard our economy, our culture, the environment, and our territories”. This message was delivered with one voice to the respective governments and the European Commission by the industry associations of the three countries, which together account for more than half of global wine production. For Italy, these include Alleanza delle Cooperative Agroalimentari Italiane, Assoenologi, Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, Copagri, Federdoc, Federvini, Fivi, and Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv. The associations met in recent days in Irouléguy, France, within the framework of the “Contact Group”, the annual forum in which national representative organizations of the sector discuss and align their positions on the main challenges facing the wine industry.
According to the wine associations, in order to address the challenges of today and tomorrow, “at a time of crisis for the sector, it is essential that the Cap budget is not reduced and that support for the wine industry continues to be fully financed by the European Union, rather than being co-financed, even partially, by Member States. Requiring each country to bear part of the public co-financing burden risks creating disparities in support for the sector among our respective countries, fragmenting the internal market, and weakening the entire industry at the European level. Before considering other solutions, the tools that already exist, and which have been strengthened and adapted through the “Wine Package” must be implemented and integrated into the new Cap.
In particular, the current framework (dedicated budget, measures and eligible beneficiaries, European co-financing rates, and a common European framework) must remain consistent with the specific features and needs of the sector. Likewise, the industry urges the continuation of European simplification efforts aimed at facilitating trade within the single market”. The sector,explains a note, also reiterated its appreciation for the work carried out by Commissioner Hansen, both in terms of approach and outcomes, regarding the “Wine Package” and the concrete responses it has provided to industry expectations, for example, in relation to dealcoholization and digital labeling which must now be implemented without further delay.
“It would be unacceptable if the work carried out over the past two years were not reflected in the future Cap. The sector needs the European Union to provide a transitional period that will allow the continuation of sector-specific interventions in the wine industry pending the implementation of the new 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework. Furthermore, in a social context where, fortunately, public health is playing an increasingly more important role, the sector wishes to remind everyone that wine is a product of pleasure and culture which, when consumed in moderation, fits perfectly within a healthy lifestyle. Vine cultivation is the beating heart of many regions, ensuring their economic and environmental vitality. We therefore expect the public authorities of our three countries both to pursue a clear and effective fight against excessive alcohol consumption—a cause that the sector fully and unequivocally supports, and to provide consistent and determined support for, and promotion of, the responsible consumption of wine”.