In his greetings to the agricultural world today in Mittelhausen, Alsace (France), the French President clearly expressed his opposition to the liberalisation of planting rights. EFOW welcomes this stance and calls upon the French and German governments to take further steps to secure additional support at the European level.
Addressing representatives of the Alsatian agricultural world, French President Nicolas Sarkozy officially expressed his support for the system of wine production management. He stated that he is “against to the liberalisation of planting rights”, referring to the threats that such action would impose on those who have invested time and money to improve the quality of their wine.
EFOW’s members have been alarmed, for several months, by the scheduled disappearance of the planting rights scheme at the EU level. By allowing everyone to plant everywhere, the EU runs the risk of destabilising the entire market and the wine sector. The position of Mr. Sarkozy, which echoes that of Angela Merkel of April 2010, is likely to reassure the French and European winemakers and sends a strong signal to other EU Member States.
EFOW wishes to underline that the stakes are now at the European level. A majority of Member States must act against the principle of the liberalisation of the planting rights before the 1st of January 2016. The French and German governments will now have to convince their counterparts to reach such common position. This is important in view of the progress report that the Commission should present in 2012 on the wine CMO and on the reform that should follow.
EFOW’s President, Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, concludes: “EFOW welcomes the clear message sent by President Sarkozy. We are all aware of the importance and weight of the Franco-German axis and hope that other Member States will follow suit”.
Contacts :
Pascal BOBILLIER-MONNOT: +33 (0)6 10 26 74 73
Daniela Ida ZANDONA’: +32 (0)2 733 50 58