Reform of wine industry has a good nose to it - WATSON

11.30.14am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jul 2007

As the European Commission's Agriculture Commissioner, Marianne Fischer Boel, presents her proposals for reforms of the wine industry to the European Parliament today, Graham Watson MEP has welcomed the reforms outlined. Some 200,000 hectares of vines will be "grubbed up", subsidies for unsold wine, often made into industrial alcohol, will be scrapped and restrictions on successful vineyards will be lifted enabling them to produce more wine.

Commenting, Graham Watson, the Lib Dem MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, said:

"I am pleased that the EU is beginning to reform its agricultural sector. One can only welcome the production of more good wine and an end to subsidised wine that no one will drink. There needs to be genuine competition in the wine sector and the sooner the EU stops subsidising poor quality wine, whose best quality is often as a de-icer on roads and motorways, the better for wine lovers across Europe.

"The Commission's proposals are particularly good news for the wine producers of South West England, whose excellent products are gaining ever greater recognition."