EU producers of origin wines are worried about the European Commission’s draft text on geographical indications, which is expected in January 2017 as part of the simplification of secondary legislation in the wine sector.
Pressure has been brought to bear on Commissioner Phil Hogan by a platform of 17 member states and by producers who have delivered progress in plans to simplify the wine industry’s secondary regulation (see EUROPE 11484).
Temporary labelling under threat? The president of the European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW), Bernard Farges, said on 8 December that he feared that, in a draft text on designations of origin and geographical indications in the wine sector, the Commission might seek to suspend the provision that allows temporary use, before final validation by the Commission, of a label, in the event a change of specifications. If this were to happen, the time it takes to recognise this designation would seriously harm the producer’s ability to adapt, stressed Farges. He is also concerned about possible inclusion on labels of terms such as “cask wine” for those which have no geographical indication. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)