Vineyards, European Union extends planting and replanting permits by one year

The European Commission will extend by one year the validity of planting and replanting permits for vineyards expiring in 2024 in regions affected by drought or excessive rainfall: a measure that affects Spain, Italy and France in particular. The Brussels proposal has been accepted by member states and will be adopted in the coming weeks. This will allow affected vine growers to lose their authorization due to extreme weather events and will allow them to plant vines in 2025.
Under current legislation (Article 62 of Regulation 1308/2013), vineyard planting and replanting authorizations, recalls Efaw News, a European wine & food news agency, are generally valid for three years from the date they are granted. Within the period of validity of each authorization, winegrowers usually make decisions on the varieties and type of wine to be produced in the new vineyards, prepare the soil in the fall or winter, and procure the new vines, which are then planted in the spring, since spring is the most suitable time of year for planting.
However, Spain and southern Italy suffered from a persistent drought, while excessive and continuous rainfall affected northern Italy and France. Regions in other member states have also been affected, and because of these exceptional weather conditions, winegrowers have been unable to carry out certain operations, such as soil preparation, necessary to plant vines in time, and therefore may risk losing their authorizations as they expire imminently. This comes at a time when the wine sector is already suffering from unfavorable market conditions. For this reason, the Commission has decided that the validity of planting and replanting permits will be extended for another 12 months from their current expiration date in 2024.