Brussels, 12 October 2011. The European Commission published today its legislative proposal on the reform of the CAP post-2014. The text includes the disappearance of the planting rights regime for viticulture as from January 1st 2016. The Commission remains silent despite the strong position taken by 12 Member States and the European Parliament (EP) against the liberalisation of the system. EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines, calls upon the EP and the Council to act in favour of maintaining the system of planting rights.

In its legislative proposal on the future of the CAP towards 2020, the European Commission has officially recorded the end of the planting rights regime despite the growing mobilisation in favour of keeping this mechanism from the Council and the EP. Thus, if the text is not amended by the Parliament and the Council (co-decision procedure) on the occasion of the reform of the CAP, the liberalisation of planting rights will apply from January 1st 2016.

As explained by Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President of EFOW, “the European Commission has unfortunately not been open minded and has not shown political courage. The Commission cannot remain silent when 12 Member States representing 64% of the population ask to reopen the debate. We now rely on the European Parliament and the Council to act within the framework of the CAP to help us in our fight for the maintenance of the planting rights regime. ”

Our current priority is to reach the qualified majority in the Council: we are still missing 66 votes.

Contacts:

Daniela Ida ZANDONA’ (Bruxelles): +322733 50 58

Pascal BOBILLIER-MONNOT (Paris): +33142612125

José Alfonso SIERRA SALINAS (Madrid): +34619665066

Pasquale DE MEO (Rome): +390644250589

Alberto RIBEIRO DE ALMEIDA (Porto): +351222071647

David BRASZIL (Budapest): +3614137527

The CAP reform enacts liberalisation of planting rights