The European Commission has just unveiled its proposed reform of EU wine policy, known as the “wine package”. A disappointing text for CEVI (European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers), which had actively submitted proposals to strengthen the resilience of Independent Winegrowers’ businesses and support their performance on the market.
© CEVI Portugal
Despite some progress, the wine package fails to support the development of family-run artisanal micro and SMEs in the wine sector
While CEVI had called for a broader crisis management toolbox for Member States, it is pleased to have been heard regarding the inclusion of a grubbing-up measure in article 216 of the CMO regulation and the extension of replanting authorisations. These changes will allow winegrowers to better adapt their practices to economic realities and agronomic needs. In addition, the simplification of digital labelling and the extension of the “promotion” measure are also concrete improvements long advocated by CEVI.
Yet this reform package leaves a strong sense of unfinished business, as it overlooks several key recommendations from the High-Level Group that we saw as vital for the future of the sector.
“We regret the omission of certain key recommendations from the High-Level Group, such as improving risk management tools or allowing for multiannual financial management of sectoral programmes. In the face of increasing challenges and adverse weather events, these tools are essential,” says Samuel Masse, President of CEVI.
More worrying still: the text confirms a vision of viticulture based only on concentration of supply and large-scale production, embodied by the growing role of Producer Organisations. This is both a strategic mistake and a model entirely at odds with the reality of the artisanal, family-run businesses we represent — businesses whose success relies on product differentiation. The absence of a dedicated promotion scheme for small producers — despite being recommended by the High-Level Group — and the exclusion of organisations representing Independent Winegrowers from support measures for wine tourism further reflect a narrow and uniform view of the sector, disconnected from past failures and present realities.
“Independent Winegrowing accounts for more than half of Europe’s wine production. It is a cornerstone of rural economies, biodiversity, and regional identity. EU wine policy cannot afford to ignore this reality — dismissed by the Commission, but which must now be recognised by the co-legislators. As we face a generational turning point in a geopolitical context that is both unstable and polarised, we feel that this proposal is heading in the wrong direction,” Samuel Masse adds.
CEVI will continue its engagement with European institutions in the coming weeks to ensure the voice of Independent Winegrowers is heard and to defend a wine sector that is human-scale, value-creating, sustainable, and alive.