Common organisation of the market in wine

PURPOSE: to reform the common organisation of the wine market.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 on the common organisation of the market in wine, amending Regulations (EC) No 1493/1999, (EC) No 1782/2003, (EC) No 1290/2005, (EC) No 3/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2392/86 and (EC) No 1493/1999.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation reforming the common organisation of the EU's wine market.

The reform pursues the following objectives:

• increasing the competitiveness of EU wine producers;
• winning back markets both within and outside the European Union;
• balancing supply and demand;
• simplifying rules;
• preserving the best traditions of European wine production;
• reinforcing the social fabric of rural areas, and
• ensuring respect for the environment.

Its key elements include the following:

• a scheme for grubbing-up premiums. Participation will be on a voluntary basis subject to certain conditions. In addition to the Community funds available for these premiums, member states can grant supplementary national aid up to 75 % of the premium already allocated;
• eligibility to the single payment scheme for those who have grubbed up vines, giving rise to the payment of the regional average amount of direct decoupled aid up to a limit of EUR 350/ha;
• the abolition of planting rights in 2015 with some derogations until 2018;
• the attribution of national envelopes which each member state can allocate to the funding of
• different measures such as the promotion of European wine in third countries, restructuring and conversion of vineyards, modernisation, green harvesting, mutual funds, the harvest insurance and transitional measures for distillation and must aid;
• an evaluation report on the effects of the reform, to be submitted by the Commission in 2012;
• the possible indication of grape variety and vintage for all wines, subject to certain conditions;
• a procedure for the protection of designations of origin or geographical indications;
• criteria for sugar enrichment (chaptalisation).

The new regulation replaces regulation 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market

(CMO) in wine. Its provisions are aligned as much as possible on the "single CMO" into which it is destined to be incorporated at a later stage.

It is part of a reform of the EU's common agricultural policy that started in 2003 with arable crops and livestock and continued in 2004 with olive oil, tobacco and cotton, in 2006 with sugar and in 2007 with fruit and vegetables. It also takes into account Community policies for sustainable development, greater competitiveness, simplification and better regulation.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 13/06/2008.

DATES OF APPLICATION: from 1 August 2008, with the following exceptions: 30 June 2008 for the grubbing-up scheme and support programmes; 1 August 2009 for arrangements relating to oenological practices, protection of designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms, labelling and presentation, the vineyard register, compulsory declarations, accompanying documents and product registers; 1 January 2008 for derogations from the ban on the vinification of grapes from certain areas under article 2 (3) of regulation 1493/1999; 1 January 2009 for a number of amendments to Regulation 1782/2003.

Chapter II of Title V shall apply until 31 December 2015.