Reform wine sector without sacrificing tradition

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Jun 2006

ALDE group leader Graham Watson MEP expressed broad support for a Commission communication today outlining the shape of pending reform of the EU wine sector. The concrete legislative proposals will only be tabled next year after wide consultation.

"The Commission is right to seek to bring the wine sector into the 21st century. We are currently producing too much wine without finding a market for it. Failure to take action will perpetuate the worst aspects of the old CAP which encouraged over-production without reference to quality or consumer demand. We cannot continue to produce a surplus whilst losing market share."

"It is both illogical and inefficient to be spending 35 times more on distillation of surplus wine into ethanol and other alcohol concentrates than on promoting high quality products abroad."

Willem Schuth MEP (FDP Germany) and agriculture committee member commented:

"These reform proposals show a sensible approach aiming to make EU wine production more competitive, strengthen its reputation for quality and direct financial assistance to promotional activities in the global market place."

"Some necessary measures such as grubbing-up unproductive or poor quality vines may be necessary but the proposed voluntarist approach should not force wine-growers off the land against their will. This strikes a sensible basis for a balanced reform."

The new reforms are expected to be in place by 2008.