CEJA Position on Wine Planting Rights Demands Priority Access to Young Farmers

PRESS RELEASE

11/05/2012

Brussels 

Young Farmers Should have Priority Access to Wine Planting Rights in Future, says CEJA

In January 2012, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, set up a high level group on wine in order to assess proposals to end the current planting rights system by 2015. In response to this, the European Council of Young Farmers have published their position on the matter and call for the maintenance of all wine planting rights until a later date with priority access to the system for young farmers. Wine planting rights without priority access are currently an additional barrier to installation for young people attempting to enter the sector – CEJA considers this unacceptable in view of the current demographic crisis in European agriculture.

The wine sector is a particularly attractive one for young farmers and CEJA’s main concern with the proposals to end the current system is the danger that the retail sector may be able to control the production of wine in Europe after its liberalisation. Calling for a comprehensive impact assessment on the issue by 2018, CEJA also demands assessment on other potential supply tools for the sector and the full impact that the abolishment of planting rights could have on wine producers, including young farmers.

 The importance of Origin Labelling in the wine sector was also underlined, with young farmers insisting that this is essential for the reputation and future of European wine, and that its market management system should be enhanced.

CEJA awaits the results of the impact assessment in order to make further comment on the future of wine planting rights in Europe.

You can read the full position here.

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