AREV wants to go backwards

AREV (l’Assemblée des Régions Européennes Viticoles http://www.arev.org/) is some kind of collaboration organisation between some European wine regions. In their latest press release they underline the importance of fighting the EU reform that will abolish planting rights control. Currently (and historically) the European planting rights control means that to be allowed to plant new vines you have to get planting rights, which in general is difficult to get. So if you have good demand for your wines it can be very difficult (if at all possible) to increase production by planting more vineyards. The EU reform will lead to that this control system will disappear. The principle will instead be that you can plant more vines if you want but it will be your responsibility to sell it (in the old system, if you could not sell it you would get subsidies). This new principle is something the AREV wants to fight. They also criticise the “neo-liberal” reforms that Mariann Fischer Boel has introduced in the wine sector. The AREV hopes that a future EU commissioner will be selected that has some wine background. Reading behind the lines it seems that the AREV is hoping for more subsidies and more controls, and less market orientation in the future. A pity. And in the long run it is hardly something that will benefit the European wine growers.