Wine Sector: Calls for aid after severe frosts and discussion of de-alcoholisation of wines

The month of May 2021 was marked by repeated calls for aid measures from countries affected by the frosts in March and April. In particular Italy, France and Greece asked the European Commission for appropriate aid. Moreover, the Council of Ministers outlined a proposal (as part of the CAP reform) envisaging the authorisation of the total or partial elimination of alcohol in the context of oenological practices, sparking a discussion at EU- level.

On a national level, in Italy CMO, planting rights and non-alcoholic wines were discussed in a hearing in the Senate; exports in the UK plummet in the first months of the year, while Italy observes an increase in large-scale retail trade in the same period. 

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