Brussels, 22/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 15 April, the Comité Européen Des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) and national wineries associations published an open letter (to European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos) denouncing the pressure brought to bear by several countries of the EU to obtain from the European Commission a “restrictive” implementation of the vine plantings authorisation regime. This system of authorisation for planting, which was decided upon in the framework of the new common agriculture policy (CAP), is due to be introduced in 2016.
The two draft delegated acts and implementing acts prepared by the European Commission should make it possible to ensure as “simple and transparent” application of this new system is possible, limiting to 1% the annual maximum increase in surface area, stressed the signatories, who include Jean-Marie Barillère, the President of the CEEV. However, they added that “recently, a group of 14 member states expressed, through a common note (…), their position in favour of an even more restrictive regime than the former scheme of planting rights”. According to the CEEV, “this shopping list of disparate requests aims at imposing further arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions to the right to plant (…), in clear contradiction to the spirit and the letter of the reform” (our translation). (LC)