EU countries back winemaker support plan, with ‘low-alcohol’ tweak

[BRUSSELS] EU countries Thursday (Jun 19) backed plans by Brussels to give winemakers a leg up – with some tweaks, including reducing labelling requirements for exports and renaming “alcohol-light” products “low-alcohol”.

The European Commission in March unveiled a raft of measures to help Europe’s wine sector face challenges from falling demand, to climate change and global trade tensions.

Europe accounts for 60 per cent of the world’s production but young people in the bloc are drinking less as they seek healthier lifestyles.

To offset this, the commission proposed creating common definitions, including an “alcohol-light” label for wines with an alcohol content above 0.5 per cent but significantly lower than conventional wines.

The wording was deemed potentially misleading by the European Council representing the European Union’s 27 governments. It approved the package but changed the label to “low-alcohol”.

It also suggested that, to reduce producers’ administrative burden, exported wines be exempted from a requirement to list ingredients and nutrition data on the label as per internal EU rules.

Member states also took issue with the commission limiting the use of rose in the production of flavoured wines only to Gluhwein or mulled wine – a German-loved warm beverage often guzzled at Christmas markets.

Rose will now be allowed also for the making of Gluhwein’s Nordic cousin, Vinglogg, as well as Pelin, a Romanian speciality, and other regional products.

Using the term “rose” on the label will, however, remain strictly forbidden.

The package greenlighted by the council also aimed to encourage more tourists to visit Europe’s picturesque vineyards.

It extended EU financial support for advertising campaigns outside the bloc and upped aid for climate change adaptation.

The text will need to be negotiated with and approved by the European Parliament before it can come into force. AFP