Brussels, 20 March 2024
During the last Wine Intergroup meeting of the current legislature, EFOW – the European Federation of Origin Wine – represented by its’ Vice-President and Treasurer Mr. Maxime Toubart, presented its Manifesto for the June European elections.
The Wine Intergroup meeting in the European Parliament took stock of the 2019-2024 legislature and set the stage for the next term.
During the meeting, EFOW regretted that the von der Leyen Commission lost interest in Geographical Indication (GI) products. The Green Deal promoted a very restrictive understanding of sustainability, focusing on environmental and health issues and ignoring the economic and social pillars of agricultural production. In doing so, the EC side-lined wine appellations, ignoring the fact that they remain CAP success stories and essential tools for the vitality and rural development of many EU regions. The sector stayed afloat and preserved its specificities thanks to the constant support and mobilisation of the Members of the Wine Intergroup.
Mr. Toubart on behalf of EFOW’s members also presented the main priorities of wine appellations for the next mandate of the European Parliament and the European Commission. He called for the setting up of a High Level Group on wine to prepare the upcoming CAP reform giving the current crisis affecting part of the sector. He asked for a de-escalation and de-polarisation of health debates while insisting on the fact that the sector cannot does not want to be equated to tobacco. Finally, he highlighted importance of exports for the wine sector and stressed the dangers of developing a trade protectionist policy.
To conclude, the Vice-President and Treasurer of EFOW said: “GI products can provide answers to the current crisis in the agricultural world. GIs are anchored to given territories across the EU, they encourage the creation and distribution of value and the renewal of generations and ensure a sustainable development approach. They should be better studied and put to value by decision-makers. We call on the EU institutions to believe in us again“.
