French winegrowers call for European support fund to compensate for punitive export taxes

We need a shield to protect the farming industry from the impact of mounting geopolitical tensions," claims Jean-Marie Fabre, chairman of the French independent winegrower’s federation. With bitter memories still of the year-long American taxes levied on French wines in retaliation for the aviation dispute over Airbus/Boeing subsidies, the winegrower from Fitou is asking the French state to take advantage of its presidency of the European Council to put forward a new tool for protecting the industry.

"In the firmest terms, I am calling for the introduction of a safety net for the industries that will be collateral victims of policies between states and international powers”, stresses Fabre. What he views as a cross-sectoral tool would be funded by equalisation of the community budget. Fabre is therefore asking for a dedicated European fund to be established, which industries caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical disputes could draw on. This would overcome the lack of an ad hoc tool in Brussels – patently obvious with the Airbus issue – allowing it to intervene immediately.

Pointing to the punitive Chinese taxes levied on Australian wines, Fabre claims that “with mounting international tension, there are very high risks for the industry, and we need to build an economic safety net”.