Brussels, 21/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Given the poor climatic conditions (heavy rain and limited sunshine at the end of the season), 11 EU member states have been allowed to increase the limits for enriching wine by 0.5%, following a vote in the management committee on Tuesday 19 October. The countries concerned are Belgium, Poland, Netherlands Germany, Austria, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia. Enrichment increases the sugar concentration to maintain the quality of certain wines.
This derogation has not been used in the EU since 1978, except in the UK. It is not a large-scale change since, in the reform of the wine sector, enrichment limits were reduced by 0.5% for the 2009 crop. Thus, this brings a temporary return to pre-reform limits.
The measure will not lead to an increase in the average volume of wine production in the EU because of the marked drop in European production this year (down roughly 4 million hectolitres this year, including a 2.5 million hectolitre fall in Germany). (L.C./transl.rt)