On Monday 16 December, the High-Level Group on the European wine sector endorsed its recommendations on the future of the sector.
The themes raised are production potential (in relation to the structural fall in demand), strengthening the sector’s resilience in the face of market developments and its adaptation to climate change, and improving adaptation to market trends. These recommendations are forwarded to the European Commission (see EUROPE 13481/13).
Harvesting vines. The EU experts suggest, in particular, the implementation of permanent grubbing-up schemes to address the structural oversupply in certain regions and/or market segments, and suggest using national aid to meet the most immediate needs and giving Member States the option of financing grubbing-up schemes under Article 216 of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation to meet specific needs in the longer term.
The Commission is invited to consider possible options as to whether and how the Common Agricultural Policy budget should be used for grubbing-up measures in the future.
New vineyards. In addition, there is the sensible idea that Member States should be able to reduce the area made available by authorising new vineyards at regional or geographical indication level, including for regions benefiting from grubbing-up or crisis distillation. Mention is also made of the possibility of granting Member States even greater flexibility in setting the criteria for allocating and managing planting authorisations, in order to avoid an increase in the vineyard area in regions and market segments that are subject to oversupply.
The Commission is invited to improve existing risk management tools and to strengthen the possibilities offered by the CAP to support insurance and mutual schemes against production risks with a view to reinforcing national insurance schemes. The experts suggest looking at reinsurance or co-insurance mechanisms at EU level, among other things.
Link to the recommendations: https://aeur.eu/f/eu1 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)