Brussels, 18/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission presented a draft delegated act on national support programmes in the wine sector.
Regulation 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products sets out provisions on national support programmes in the wine sector. It also grants the Commission the power to adopt delegated and implementing acts.
The purpose of this delegated act is to supplement Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 with regard, for example, to the responsibility of expenditure, the content of the wine support programmes, the costs eligible for EU support, the prohibition on double funding, payments to beneficiaries after due checks and specific control rules according to the payment method used, rules on force majeure and exceptional circumstances and transitional provisions.
The regulation makes provision for support for information and promotion operations. This support should be limited to a maximum period of three years for the same beneficiary in the same third-country or third country market. The text determines the costs that cannot be considered eligible for support for restructuring and conversion of vineyards. With regard to support for green harvesting, the proposed regulation would allow member states to apply restrictions regarding varieties, specific environmental and phytosanitary risks and the method to be used to carry out that measure in order to be able to adapt the implementation of that measure to the specific needs resulting from their market situation and to the conditions of the areas planted with vines, while taking into consideration the impact of the different green harvesting methods. A maximum period of duration of this support should be set in order to ensure that the measure does not become a permanent alternative outlet for products compared to placing them on the market. Rules are also planned on aid for setting up mutual funds. These rules should aim at preventing abuses, according to the text. It also says that certain conditions for support for the harvest insurance should be established.
The draft regulation will be put to the Council and to the Parliament which may issue objections. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)