For over 35 years, the AREV (Assembly of European Winegrowing Regions) has been an essential link between the European winegrowing regions and the European institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg. Our mission is to defend and promote wine-growing regions and a dynamic, sustainable and environmentally-friendly wine industry. These are our demands to the next European Commission and Parliament (2024-2029) to pursue appropriate, innovative and pragmatic policies and legislation that support and revitalise European wine-growing regions.
For an inclusive and effective High Level Group on Wine
We welcome the decision by the European Commissioner for Agriculture to set up a High Level Group on the future of winegrowing. AREV, along with the other players in the sector, has strongly requested that this group be set up, and we cannot afford to lose this opportunity to relaunch the European wine sector. Market analysis tells us that there are many difficulties: consumption is falling, especially for red wine; exports – still a strong economic driver – are beginning to show some fragility; and production is being jeopardised by weather phenomena such as extreme drought or torrential rain due to climate change.
In addition to all this, there are other matters which, although they fall under other Commissions, do affect the wine sector and which should therefore be included in the analysis and worked on proactively in a cross-cutting and interrelated manner with other Commissions by the Agriculture Commission, given that they affect a sector within its area of competence. The radical positions on alcohol consumption, without distinguishing its alcohol content or the degree of consumption, which are being taken by the BECA report, and which, if they are not dealt with rigorously and with a balanced vision, taking into account their impact on the agricultural sector and specifically on the wine sector, endanger both its survival and that of the socio-economic and environmental fabric of rural areas, as well as our culture and landscapes.
We therefore need to reflect on the market measures to be taken at European level and, at the same time, enter the debate on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy in order to develop tomorrow’s solutions and ensure a prosperous future for European winegrowing. This group must include representatives from all of Europe’s wine-growing regions, so that all voices are heard and the solutions proposed are tailored to the diversity of our territories.
Ensuring a reasonable and realistic reduction in the use of pesticides
We recognise the importance of reducing the use of pesticides for public health and environmental protection. However, this reduction must be realistic and achievable, without jeopardising the future of the European wine sector. The proposal for a regulation that the Commission put on the table during the last legislature on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR regulation) failed, and was therefore rejected by the European Parliament and withdrawn by the European Commission. However, the need to revise the legislation on pesticides is still valid. AREV is calling for constructive and realistic legislation that supports the transition to safer and more sustainable practices without jeopardising the very existence of winegrowing, which in many cases is the only viable crop in many European territories. We are calling for accompanying measures to help winegrowers adopt alternatives to chemical pesticides and invest in environmentally-friendly technologies. We are calling for the development of precision farming, also using drones, incentives for the use of biopesticides and the most sustainable substances, and for New Genomic Techniques to be able to develop rapidly within a solid European legal framework.
A legal framework for new genomic techniques (NGT)
New genomic techniques (NGT) represent a crucial upfront payment for offering alternatives to traditional chemical products and meeting the challenges of climate change. While the rest of the world is making progress in developing new varieties that are resistant to vine diseases and extreme climatic phenomena, the European institutions remain at a standstill. We are calling for the rapid and pragmatic adoption of a legal framework capable of stimulating research, use and dissemination of these techniques, so as not to miss out on this decisive upfront payment and maintain the competitiveness of European winegrowing. NGTs are an important response to the demand for more sustainable viticulture that uses fewer inputs. The approval of a law that facilitates the marketing of NTGs and does not restrict scientific progress must remain the priority of this legislature if we want European agriculture to become increasingly sustainable.
Reforming taxonomy for competitive agriculture
The taxonomy of green finance must include realistic criteria for agriculture. When the Commission has to adopt a specific delegated act, it must involve and listen to the professionals and players in the agricultural world, who must be associated with these crucial decisions for the rural world and the European economy. We have seen how, in the preparatory work carried out during the last legislature, agricultural experts were not involved, and it seemed that the Commission wanted to bet on the decline and disappearance of our rural areas. The European wine industry is becoming increasingly sustainable and needs access to funding to reorganise and become more competitive. We are therefore calling for a review of the taxonomy so that it reflects the reality on the ground and supports sustainable and responsible agriculture.
Together for moderate wine consumption
The last parliamentary term saw wine consumption demonised, often without making the distinction between moderate and excessive consumption. On the contrary, this distinction is crucial if we are to avoid destroying a lively sector that is a symbol of European culture, a source of pleasure and conviviality and a driving force behind the European economy. This must be taken into account when revising the policy for promoting agri-food products or when discussing nutritional labelling or health warnings. AREV and all the players in the wine industry are ready to continue their commitment to moderate and responsible consumption of wine.
Call for pragmatic and constructive dialogue
Many of the Commission’s farm-to-table projects were rejected, withdrawn or not published during the last parliamentary term. This is the result of a highly polarised debate on the Green Deal, which has damaged precisely the constructive shift towards a more sustainable European economy. One example is the Nature Restoration Act, which sought to revise certain rules on agricultural land already regulated by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and which created very strong conflicts in both the Parliament and the Council. Our sector is calling on the institutions to adopt a coherent and reasonable approach to meeting the current challenges. We hope that our representatives, both national and European, will adopt a pragmatic approach and engage constructively with our entities to develop sustainable and innovative solutions. It is crucial that policy makers engage in an ongoing dialogue with practitioners to develop policies that are both ambitious and achievable, and AREV is ready to collaborate and offer its support and ideas.
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AREV is committed to continuing to work tirelessly for a strong, innovative and sustainable wine sector, in the service of our European heritage. It is only through strong support for innovation and environmental and economic sustainability that we can continue to cultivate this precious two-thousand-year-old heritage. Together, let’s build the future of European winegrowing, ensuring that our practices respect the environment while supporting the economic prosperity of our winegrowing regions.
