The EU wine sector is the EU’s biggest agriculture exporter. With annual exports amounting to €17.2 billion in 2021, the EU Wine industry contributed a surplus of €15.4 billion to the EU trade balance.

Between 2008 and 2018, the total exports of EU wine to third countries have grown from 17.3 Mio hl to 22.6 Mio hl (+31% in volume), and from €6.2 billion to €11.6 Billion (+87% in value). Still in 2018, 14% of the total EU wine production was exported to third countries, the top 5 export destinations being the USA (28%), China (12%), Russia (10%), Canada (9%) and Switzerland (7%).

Even though wine consumption tends to increase at global level, Europe’s consumption of wine is steadily decreasing, which means that growth prospects for EU wine companies are mainly to be found outside the EU. It is therefore crucial, for the sustainability of the wine sector, that the EU maintain an assertive and ambitious international trade policy by thoroughly implementing existing Free Trade Agreements between the EU and third countries and by lifting the trade barriers jeopardizing EU wines’ access to new markets.

CEEV's priorities

  • To improve market access conditions for EU wines – with a focus on key priority markets – by preventing or removing trade barriers such as:
      • Import tariffs
      • Inappropriate standard requirements
      • Burdensome administrative procedures
      • Tax discrimination
      • State monopoly abuses
      • Disproportionate labelling rules
      • Counterfeiting
  • To make sure that wine is among the EU’s major offensive interest when defining and implementing EU trade policies and tools.