Wine is an agricultural product, defined as such in the EU legislation and subject to exhaustive specific regulations at both international (OIV) and EU levels.
At European level, wines and wine-based products are fully defined, regulated and controlled by a comprehensive set of vertical legislation covering every aspect of the wine value chain – production processes, oenological practices, manufacturing methods, presentation and labelling modalities, documents and registers requirements, etc. – with a view to ensuring the high-standard quality and full traceability of our products, the appropriate information and protection of consumers, the proper functioning of the internal market, and a fair competition between economic operators.
In addition to the vertical regulation specifically applicable to wine products, wines also fall under the scope of horizontal EU regulations applying to food products in general and addressing cross-sectoral issues such as labelling, ingredients (additives, flavourings, enzymes), chemical safety (contaminants, pesticides,…), packaging regulations (food contact materials).
Wine consumption in traditional wine-producing countries has been steadily decreasing while non-traditional wine-producing countries tend to appreciate more and more the culture of wine. The free circulation of wines within the internal market of the EU is therefore key to meet the demand of these new consumers and, consequently, to preserve the sustainability of the EU wine sector.
CEEV's priorities
- To ensure the smooth functioning of the EU internal market, by promoting a comprehensive, inclusive and harmonised set of rules at EU level, avoiding disproportioned administrative burdens, and fighting against trade disrupting factors such as unjustified barriers unilaterally set by Member States;
- To promote a holistic approach to consumer information, through the development of appropriate alternative tools, including digital ones, ensuring that the consumer is properly informed and protected;
- To secure a sustainable and sound evolution of the EU vineyard in the future, while preserving the competitive potential of the EU wine offer;
- To empower professionals themselves as responsible actors in the sector’s management, thereby allowing for an organisation and structuration of the sector that better matches the dynamic expectations and features of the market;
- To nurture economic intelligence about the sector to help EU wine economic operators better forecast and adapt to future trends in production, consumption and trade.