The opinion on "market regulations and support measures in the wine sector" by ECR rapporteur Roberto Ciambetti, President of the Veneto Regional Council, has been adopted by unanimity by the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions. 

The wine sector employs over 3 million people and contributes more than €100 billion in market value. "The wine sector remains a cornerstone of EU economy, particularly in rural areas, and a pillar of the EU's cultural heritage, but faces major challenges such as shifting consumer trends, international geopolitical tensions and increasingly extreme weather conditions. With this opinion, we have built up the work done by the European Commission and proposed concrete measures in support of the wine sector" said Mr Ciambetti. 

The opinion calls for measures to protect small and medium wine producers, especially those operating in rural areas, by providing them with the necessary support to face the current challenges. To ensure their competitiveness, wine producers must be defended against unfair competition and consumers should be directed towards choices that promote products that add value to the local economy.

"Wine is not just a culinary product, it's related to our cultural background, to our traditions and to the thousands of local communities that thrive thanks to this sector. Wine producers are undergoing a shift in the way their product is consumed, and we have a duty to support this sector not by adding ideologic measures but rather by boosting local production and promoting it as essential to allow communities and rural areas to thrive", concluded Mr Ciambetti.