On Friday 11 October, the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council organised a debate in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) on the wine market.
In this way, experts are continuing a series of sectoral debates in the SCA, following discussions on the dairy sector, the pork and poultry sectors, the meat sectors and the cereals, oilseeds and sugar sectors. A final discussion at this level is planned for the fruit, vegetable, beekeeping and olive sectors.
The meeting of the High Level Group on Wine will take place next week. The SCA debate centred on three questions proposed by the Hungarian Presidency (decline in wine consumption, CAP support measures, crisis prevention).
The European Commission representative pointed out that the EU is the world’s largest wine producer (62% of world production by volume) and the world’s largest consumer and exporter of wine. Spain, France and Italy account for 70% of the EU’s wine-growing area.
The delegations in the SCA discussed the following topics: the importance of product promotion and quality programmes, the challenges posed by climate change and adverse weather events, the importance of developing varieties resistant to climate change and disease, the simplification of labelling rules and a uniform interpretation of these rules, and a simplification of the planting rights system. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)