WHILE MORE AND MORE EU COUNTRIES ARE AGAINST ABOLISHNG VINEYARD PLANTING RIGHTS ( 2015) THE EUROPEAN DENOMINATION OF WINES AND FEDERDOC ARE MEETING IN FLORENCE (MAY 26). CURBASTRO SAYS: “DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES”

The common market wine organization – CMO wine (CE regulation Nr. 479/2008 and all subsequent amendments) has drawn up a series of measures decided upon by the European Commission, of which some are not yet in effect, but are planned to go into effect in the next few years. One of the most important, as WineNews has often pointed out, is abolishing the vineyard planting rights at the end of 2015. The commission has totally revolutionized the system and rules regarding vineyard management, which up until now have been subject to constraints based on economic criteria, by liberalizing planting for all types of wine and creating terrain for an indiscriminate production growth, even for DOC wines.
While more and more EU countries are joining the opposition to this measure – Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Austria and Spain, Federdoc (Italian federation of consortiums for the protection of DOC wines), the highest authorities in the wine sector of European Denomination of Origin wines will meet at the Georgofili Academy in Florence on May 26th to discuss the “deregulation” proposed by the new CMO wine. (info:www.federdoc.com).
“The total elimination of vineyard planting rights by 2016,” explained Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President of EFOW (European Federation of Origin Wines - Bruxelles) and Federdoc, “would have disastrous effects on the quality of wine: overproduction and consequent price crash, delocalization and job loss, industrialization of the product and loss of quality. Reduction of the asset value of land is already progress”. Fernando Praetor-Ruiz, President of Cecrv (Conferencia Espanola de Consejos Reguladores Vitivinicolas - Madrid) and Vice President of Efow, Pascal Ferat, member of Cnaoc (Confédération Francaise des Producteurs des Vins Aoc) and President of “Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne” and Giuseppe Aulitto, General Manager for European and International Market Policies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will also join the discussion.
The effects of eliminating planting rights that have existed for France since 1953 and for the other EU countries since 1976 could be devastating, Federdoc says. More than likely vineyard areas would be increased. For example: Côtes-du-Rhône from 61.000 hectares to 120.000 hectares; Roja from 60.000 to 350.000 hectares and Chianti from 17.000 to 35.000 hectares. These possible scenarios are what worry the exceptional board that will meet in Florence, which is linked to the EFOW, the association founded to represent, protect and promote European Denomination of Origin wines and Geographic Indication in Europe and the world.