External Trade Policy
In 2024, the wine sector remained a major agricultural exporter for the European Union. EU wine exports accounted for €17.4 billion, contributing to a trade surplus of €15.8 billion for the European Union.
The top five export destinations accounted for approximately 60% of these third-country exports, led by the United States of America (28%), followed by United Kingdom(20%), Switzerland (7%), Canada (6%) and Japan (6%).
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. As an example, in 2014, EU produced wines were for 75% consumed within the EU, while 10 years later, only just above half of the EU wine production is consumed within the European Union. In parallel, the value of wine exports to 3rd countries in that decade almost doubled. It is therefore crucial, for the sustainability of the wine sector, that the EU maintains an assertive and ambitious international trade policy by thoroughly implementing existing Free Trade Agreements between the EU and third countries and by easing access of EU wines to new markets.
CEEV's priorities
- 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 and counterfeiting.
- Make sure that wine is among the EU’s major offensive interest when defining and implementing EU trade policies and tools.