The European Commissioner for Agriculture’s remedies for the wine crisis

I have discussed the challenges faced by the wine industry within the European Union several times throughout my tenure – during meetings with Ministers, both bilaterally and within the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the EU and with stakeholders at European and Member State level. I have also visited wine regions in a certain number of Member States to meet producers out in the field and gain a better understanding of the difficulties they are facing. I am fully aware of the issues raised during these discussions as well as the major significance of the wine industry for rural and regional economies. The industry makes a decisive contribution to the balance of trade for the European Union as part of the food industry.

That is why I announced the creation of this high level group on wine industry policy in May. I am delighted at the prospect of holding a first meeting in September and I will follow its work very closely. We must seize this opportunity to debate our challenges collectively, examine the avenues to be explored and decide on the measures to be taken together. All the solutions for guaranteeing a robust and sustainable future will be explored because we are not just working for the future of our wine regions and wineries, this also involves the future of countless rural communities across the whole of Europe”.