Nicosia, 10/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday, 9 September, in a backdrop to the informal European agriculture ministers' meeting in Cyprus, European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos announced that the European Commission would be presenting its ideas on maintaining a mechanism for regulating and maintaining vineyard plantation rights at the next high-level group meeting on wine on Friday 21 September. The Commission does not wish to return to the question of scrapping plantation rights in 2015 again but neither is it proposing a total liberalisation of the sector any longer, which was, however, decided in 2008. It is therefore giving its support to some of the suggestions put forward by producer countries, the fifteen EU countries that had voiced their opposition to ending plantation rights. The high level group will conclude its work in November and will make a number of recommendations, followed by legislative proposals that are likely to be put forward next year.
Ciolos informed the press that he had already proved his openness in this connection by setting up this high level group to discuss plantation rights. He considers, however, that there is no question of any return to the past. This high-level group aims to set up a mechanism that will protect the quality and future of European wine, following the decisions that will be taken on increasing the area of cultivated surface. The Commissioner explained that not everything could be administered from Brussels when it involved surface area and quantity. He added that the system was too expensive and underperforming, given the situation on the market linked to demand and production structure.
He would like farmers to play a greater role in producer organisations, as well as in the development of market regulation mechanisms.
The Commissioner considers that with regard to the question of so-called quality wines, those that already have a PDO or PGI, it is quite normal that inter-professional and professional bodies continue to play a role in regulating winegrowing areas in complete transparency and taking into account market requirements. The Commissioner also considers that harmonising the plantation rights management system is also required.
With regard to other wines, such as table wine and wine that does not have a PDO or PGI label, it will be necessary to develop a system that guarantees balance between the quantity of vine planted and the demand (i.e. regulation, with a certain amount of flexibility). Ciolos warned, however, that this would not mean a system where the Commission decides on what quantity can be planted and what the distribution between countries would be. He would like to involve member states and sector professionals and preserve Community involvement in an effort to prevent crises or slippage in the way areas evolve in relation to the market.
The main EU member state producing countries opposed to the scrapping of vine plantation rights will be submitting their proposal to the Commission for maintaining the system beyond 2015. This “platform”, which, for the time being, includes France, Germany, Spain and Italy, will be put forward for the third meeting on 21 September in Palermo, by the high level group set up to tackle this dossier. According to the preparatory document, it would like the rights contained within the whole system to be applied to all categories of wine, including those that do not have any geographical indication, whilst authorising a gradual increase in production potential, within a limit set out at an EU level. Certain management roles would be harmonised but, “member states will be able to freely decide on their national organisation with regard to managing and reserve” at national and/or regional levels. (LC/trans.fl)