2024 CEVI’s General Assembly

To open the General assembly, participants welcomed Toni Cuspinera and Gabriel Castello representing Gremi de Vinyataires Lliures, CEVI’s new member from Spain.

After a tour de table to present the situation of the wine sector in each of their countries, the members have discussed the files carried out by CEVI during the past year, from the new labelling regulation to the revision of the Geographical indications system or the demand to the Commission for the High Level Group on the wine sector.

Following the General assembly, the Board meeting approved the Provisional budget for 2024, including the revamp of CEVI’s website.

Eventually, the members had to review CEVI’s Manifesto for the European elections. Indeed, Brussels dictating over 50% of the regulations within the wine sector, these elections present a prime opportunity to convey the positions of European independent winegrowers to the candidates. Planned to be published by mid-May, this document will focus on the main priorities of the independent winegrowers, including:

• A one-stop-shop for excise duties;
• The extension of planting authorisations;
• A European ‘toolbox’ in which Member States can choose the best fitted measures to their national wine sector against economic difficulties, including measures related to the management of the winegrowing potential;
• No restrictive measures on moderate wine consumption…

After the election, an internal working group will be set to prepare ‘topical sheets’ explaining in detail the four topics of the Manifesto: Wine as an agricultural product, Economic sustainability, Environmental sustainability, and Social sustainability/Societal role.

CEVI warmly thanks the Vignerons Indépendants de France, its local federation of Vaucluse, and their respective presidents, Jean-Marie Fabre and Thierry Vaute, for having received us so well. We shared beautiful moments with the members of the Vignerons Indépendants du Vaucluse and had great pleasure in discovering their region.