The European Commission adopted a communication on Friday 25 November on reaching an agreement that confers special status on the European Union within the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV).
The EU currently has no official status in the OIV. Commission representatives may take part in expert groups. They are also sometimes asked to attend (without being able to intervene in) the General Assembly, where resolutions are adopted by the OIV’s members. “This ad hoc and limited participation does not allow the Commission to be fully informed about the development of new resolutions”, the Commission says.
It will therefore propose to the OIV that the EU be granted the “special status” provided for in Article 4 of the OIV’s rules of procedure, so that it can take part in important meetings. The Commission asks the Council to approve its course of action and the letter it proposes to send to the OPV in pursuit of this special status.
The OIV is an intergovernmental scientific and technical organisation active in the sector of vines, wine, wine-based drinks, table grapes, raisins and other vine products. It was set up by an international agreement signed on 3 April 2001.
The OIV has 45 member countries, including the main producer countries, with the exceptions of USA, Canada and China. Nineteen EU member states, including France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain, are members of the OIV. The organisation has financial resources of almost €2.5 million a year, derived mainly from the subscriptions of members and observers. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)