Brussels, 26 June 2013. EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines, welcomes the agreement reached last night- by the Agriculture Ministers on the future on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This agreement which maintains a regulation system for vine plantations until 2030 meets the wine-growers’ expectations. It will now be discussed with the European Commission and the European Parliament during a last trilogue meeting this Wednesday. This agreement will define the future of the CAP.

For more than 3 years EFOW has been at the forefront of the fight against the 2008 decision to liberalize planting rights as of 1st January 2016. The other producer organizations, as well as decision-makers from the wine producing countries have followed suit. The discussion is coming to an end with the adoption of the CAP reform. In a political agreement found in Luxembourg on 25 June the Agriculture’s Ministers confirms that regulation should stay at the heart of the European wine policy.

The package adopted by the Council of Ministers foresees the regulation of all vine plantations whatever the wines category and a 1% annual increase in vine planting authorizations. Ministers have also rallied the European Parliament’s position on the duration of the system, i.e. until 2030.

For EFOW’s President Mr. Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, “the compromise adopted by the farm Ministers is a new and decisive step in our battle for regulation in the wine sector. We are pleased with their decision to rally the European Parliament’s position on the duration of the new planting authorisations system which provides the wine sector with a stable and sustainable legal framework. This also reflects the fact that nowadays the European Parliament plays a key role in defining the Common Agricultural Policy. We hope that this agreement will serve as a basis for a final agreement between the three institutions on the future of the CAP”.

Press contact:

Daniela Ida ZANDONA (Bruxelles) : +32472900396

Pascal BOBILLIER-MONNOT (Paris): +33610267473

Jesus MORA CAYETANO (Madrid): +34661586614

Pasquale DE MEO (Rome): +390644250589

Alberto RIBEIRO DE ALMEIDA (Porto): +351222071647

David BRASZIL (Budapest): +3614137527

EFOW welcomes the agreement of agriculture’s Ministers on CAP reform