Organic wine: No processing rules in near future in the EU

On June 16, 2010, the European Commission withdrew its proposal for regulating organic wine making at the EU level. A compromise between the member states and the Commission could not be achieved. In a recent press release the IFOAM EU Group acknowledges the commitment of Commissioner Ciolos to a credible organic regulation it regrets the missed chance to finalise the organic wine making rules. The organic movement has offered to engage in an open dialogue with the Commission and member states to come to a common solution in the near future.

“We greatly appreciate that Commissioner Ciolos is taking a serious interest in the important role that organic food and farming plays in the ongoing reform of food and farming policy – now of critical importance in view of the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) post-2013” says Christopher Stopes, President of the IFOAM EU Group. “Further, the efforts made by the Commission, member states and the organic sector, and the difficulty of finding a compromise, must both be acknowledged. However, it is also a missed chance that the proposal failed to reach agreement at the last minute“.

“A compromise backed by the majority of member states and the organic sector would have been possible. That would have completed the already defined rules for organic wine production with rules on organic wine processing“, added Thomas Dosch, Vice president of the IFOAM EU Group. Through reducing the list of permitted additives and processing aids, oenological practices and sulphites levels in a two step process the compromise would have still guaranteed rules in line with organic principles. It would have given a clear added value for organic consumers with organic wine labelled with the new organic EU logo“.

The IFOAM EU Group urges Member States and the European Commission to find a solution together in the near future. The aim is to define rules for organic wine making in the EU that allows all traditional wine regions to produce organic wine based on credible organic wine production.

Source: IFOAM EU Group: No Organic wine processing rules in near future in the EU. Press release of June 17, 2010.

More information

Contact

IFOAM EU Group
Tel. + 32 2 280 12 23
Fax +32 2 735 73 81
info@ifoam-eu.org
www.ifoam-eu.org

About the IFOAM EU Group

The IFOAM EU Group represents more than 300 member organisations of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) in the EU-27, the EU accession countries and EFTA. Member organisations include: consumer, farmer and processor associations; research, education and advisory organisations; certification bodies and commercial organic companies.