EU wine policy to be reformed

On June 22 the EU agricultural commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel presented a proposal to reform the cash-consuming wine support policies in the EU. The purpose is to improve the competitiveness of European wines and create more balance between demand and supply. The proposal contained e.g. changes in the system of planting rights, measurements to encourage grubbing up vines in areas with overproduction, an end to “market support” measures such as distillation (at subsidised prices) of excess production, modernisation of the technical rules governing the production, an end to chaptalisation (adding sugar to the fermenting must to increase the alcohol content) changes in labelling rules (allowing for example the mention of grape varieties on table wines) and much more. The proposal will now be discussed and a decision is expected towards the end of 2006 or beginning of 2007. Read more Journee-Vinicole.com, Jancis Robinson, Decanter