Brussels, 15/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - After having met the services of the commissioner for agriculture, Mariann Fischer Boel, on 8 May, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU (COPA) and the General Confederation of Agricultural Co-operatives in the EU (COGECA) have declared that they oppose “a complete and brutal liberalisation of the sector aimed at creating a wine-growing model within the EU based on that of the 'new world'” (Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa).
COPA and COGECA “note the advances” that should figure in the draft legislative reform expected out on 4 July on control, limitation of grubbing, and upholding the ban on fermentation of imported musts in the EU, and the mixing of Community wine with wine from third countries. However, they are opposed to the relocation of European wine-growing outside historical areas of production, and the lowering of quality criteria for European wine. COPA and COGECA believe that is necessary to harness potential for production and to introduce tools for economic regulation, principally for crisis management, and to maintain a “limited list” of wine-making practices and specific rules on labelling which set out the declared attributes of high quality wines. These organisations recognise that reform of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) is “essential for modernising the sector and improving its competitiveness”. However, they believe that to achieve this modernisation, it is necessary to maintain the entirety of the budget in the first pillar (direct aid, and market spending) in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). They support the creation of national envelopes to allow each member state or region to orientate their development in terms of their situation and their economic, social and environmental ambitions, as well as their constraints of competition. (lc)