On Thursday 18 June, the European Parliament approved a delegated act (from 4 May) containing exceptional market measures to support EU wine and fruit and vegetable producers as a result of the coronavirus (see EUROPE 12482/12).
The act provides greater flexibility for granting aid in the fruit and vegetable sector and in applying measures under the support programmes for the wine sector.
The European Parliament is also still threatening to refuse to accept another delegated act, from 30 April, in order to obtain more aid for wine and fruit and vegetable producers.
On 2 June, the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture launched a procedure that might lead to the act being rejected. In order to give the Commission more time, MEPs extended the deadline for a potential European Parliament veto to 31 August.
Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany), the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture, put forward a list of demands, including flexibility for the wine sector regarding labelling rules relating to the year of harvest and derogations from competition rules.
Irène Tolleret (Renew Europe, France) expressed regret that the post-Covid-19 recovery plan makes no provision for national programmes for the agricultural sectors affected, and called for additional financial support for the wine industry. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)