EU FARM MINISTERS (FINALLY) REACH A COMPROMISE

The EU farm ministers finally reached a deal today (December 19) on reforming its wine policy. Of course, the parliament's role is only consultative and governments can overrule the assembly on any of the amendments. Here’s what the farm ministers came up with:

1. The EU will offer more cash to many countries, particularly Italy and Greece
2. They will phase out many traditional subsidy areas, such as emergency distillation over a four year period. Crisis distillation will continue to be an option in case of a real emergency.
3. EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel agreed to extend the existing ban on new vine plantings from 2013 to 2018.
4. Sugar may continue to be added to wine during production, as long as they specify the practice on the bottle’s label.
5. Fischer Boel also softened her proposal to encourage winemakers to dig up unprofitable vines. Fischer Boel reduced the target area to 175,000 hectares and the length of the plan from five years to three. Those winemakers, however, will receive generous subsidies.

“There are so many tensions and so much cultural heritage, emotion in wine. It wasn't exactly what I wanted but I had to take stock of the majority of member states,” said Fischer Boel to the press.