According to the European Commission, the most affected wines are red and rosé wines from certain regions of France, Spain and Portugal, but other wines and/or Member States may encounter similar difficulties in certain production regions.

The drop in wine consumption for the current campaign is estimated, according to a statement from the community executive, at 34% in Portugal, 22% in Germany, 15% in France, 10% in Spain and 7% in Italy.

Brussels proposes to increase the EU co-financing rate from 50% to 60% for measures relating to restructuring, green harvesting (before the grapes ripen), promotion and investment.

The wine sector is being affected by the reduction in consumption due to the current inflation of food and beverage prices, which, adds Brussels, associated with a good 2022 harvest and the consequences of market difficulties during the pandemic, led to an accumulation of stocks.

EU wine production increased by 4% this year compared to the previous year.

At the same time, EU wine exports for the period from January to April 2023 were 8.5% lower than in the previous year, contributing to further increase stocks.