Market rules and support measures in the wine sector
Opinion factsheet
On this page
- Agriculture, Maritime and Consumer policies
- Agricultural policy
Opinion number:
CDR-1989-2025
Status:
Adopted
Impact
The ‘wine package’ addresses several wine-specific recommendations of the High-Level Group on Wine Policy. Other recommendations, including those on EAGF financial management, water and social resilience, working conditions and gender inequalities, will be considered in future CAP work, as they are not specific to the wine sector.
Dialogue with regions and local bodies is reflected in the proposal, which gives Member States flexibility to consider regional and local situations. It also includes regional producer groups among eligible beneficiaries for wine tourism support and allows recognised organisations to propose marketing rules.
National funding for green harvesting in cases of market imbalance will require a duly substantiated notification to the Commission, including justification, duration, support amounts and safeguards to avoid overlap with EAGF measures, as double funding is prohibited under the CAP.
Adding distillation and grubbing-up as new strategic plan interventions could divert funds from existing measures that support the long-term resilience and competitiveness of the EU wine sector.
Increasing Union support for vineyard restructuring and conversion is not advisable, as uptake is already high and further support could increase medium-term wine supply while reducing resources for climate-related investment and innovation.
Introducing new priority criteria for planting authorisations, such as environmental or organic certification, could create a significant administrative burden for Member States and complications where growers lose certification or return to conventional production.
Using undefined terms such as ‘exceptional circumstances’ to justify extending planting authorisations could create legal uncertainty and be detrimental to winegrowers.
The de-alcoholised wine market is growing rapidly. The Commission supports this trend by facilitating de-alcoholised sparkling wine production, improving labelling and defining relevant terms. The proposal should also reduce production steps and energy use, while existing oenological and labelling rules, including nutrition information, remain aligned with those for other wines.
Extending support for promotion and communication operations from three to five years will help EU producers strengthen export positions, but any further extension would undermine market diversification and access for new operators.
The proposal includes necessary transitional rules to protect producers with existing stocks. No additional transitional provision is needed for de-alcoholised aromatised wine products, as current rules already reserve sales denominations for products meeting minimum alcohol content requirements.
Dialogue with regions and local bodies is reflected in the proposal, which gives Member States flexibility to consider regional and local situations. It also includes regional producer groups among eligible beneficiaries for wine tourism support and allows recognised organisations to propose marketing rules.
National funding for green harvesting in cases of market imbalance will require a duly substantiated notification to the Commission, including justification, duration, support amounts and safeguards to avoid overlap with EAGF measures, as double funding is prohibited under the CAP.
Adding distillation and grubbing-up as new strategic plan interventions could divert funds from existing measures that support the long-term resilience and competitiveness of the EU wine sector.
Increasing Union support for vineyard restructuring and conversion is not advisable, as uptake is already high and further support could increase medium-term wine supply while reducing resources for climate-related investment and innovation.
Introducing new priority criteria for planting authorisations, such as environmental or organic certification, could create a significant administrative burden for Member States and complications where growers lose certification or return to conventional production.
Using undefined terms such as ‘exceptional circumstances’ to justify extending planting authorisations could create legal uncertainty and be detrimental to winegrowers.
The de-alcoholised wine market is growing rapidly. The Commission supports this trend by facilitating de-alcoholised sparkling wine production, improving labelling and defining relevant terms. The proposal should also reduce production steps and energy use, while existing oenological and labelling rules, including nutrition information, remain aligned with those for other wines.
Extending support for promotion and communication operations from three to five years will help EU producers strengthen export positions, but any further extension would undermine market diversification and access for new operators.
The proposal includes necessary transitional rules to protect producers with existing stocks. No additional transitional provision is needed for de-alcoholised aromatised wine products, as current rules already reserve sales denominations for products meeting minimum alcohol content requirements.
Essential points
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)
- welcomes the recommendations of the High Level Group on Wine Policy adopted on 17 December 2024 and recommends that the Commission continue its work by also providing a response to the recommendations that have not yet been taken on board or that have been only partially taken up;
- points out that measures must be designed and implemented in close dialogue with the regions and bodies concerned at local level, applying greater flexibility, simplifying their use, promoting the spread of resistant varieties and precision farming techniques and enabling resources to be reallocated in wine sector programmes;
- stresses how important it is that green harvesting continue to come under interventions in the wine sector to ensure that it has the funds it needs to be implemented effectively. The option of complementary national funding will help meet the sector’s adaptation needs, but it must be ensured that the two sources of financing – the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and national funds – are compatible and comply with the constraints of Regulation No 1308/2013;
- encourages the Commission to consider amending Regulation 2021/2116 to remove the rule that EAGF funds for interventions in the wine sector have to be allocated annually;
- considers that the priority criteria for issuing authorisations referred to in Article 64(2) of Regulation 1308/2013 need to be reviewed: they should also take account of certification for environmental sustainability, organic production and integrated production systems;
- stresses the need to launch a process exploring communication and initiatives aimed at publicising and highlighting the value of non-alcoholic/low-alcohol products, as these products are highly energy-intensive and have high sugar content, with negative health effects.