Brussels, 06/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - At its weekly meeting next Wednesday, the European Commission will discuss the problem of fiscal harmonisation on wine. Commissioner Fritz Bolkestein's services will attempt to fine-tune an up-dated proposal for the 1992 directive on the minimum rate of excise duty on alcoholic drinks, which is a long way off achieving unanimity in the College. The adaptations that are foreseen include the abolition of the zero tax on wine. The rate of tax on wine will be equivalent to half of that applicable to beer. The possible getting rid of zero duties on wine is totally rejected by those who work in the sector. Mr Bolkestein considers that the absence of excise on wine creates distortions in internal market trade, whereas Commissioners such as Viviane Reding (who benefits from the support of certain partner who come from traditional wine producing countries) consider that the potential loss of tax revenue for certain Member States will be very limited. According to Ms Reding, the proposal put forward by the services of Mr Bolkestein will not resolve the problem of the differences in tax that exists in France and the United Kingdom nor between the different rates applied to German and Danish beer.