EU wine reform – what happens next

Today’s the day that the EU Agriculture Committee debate the proposals put forward by Mariann Fischer-Boel at the beginning of this month as reported here. (It is notable, by the way, that in the French press attention is pointedly drawn to Mrs Fischer-Boel’s Danish nationality. Implication: not one of us wine producing southerners.)

 

We can well imagine that many points will be made by those representing the wine producing nations – not just southerners but Englanders who object to the restrictions she is proposing on new plantings, for instance, and many who are reluctant to abandon adding sugar to raise alcohol levels.

 

But what happens next?

 

Here is the proposed timetable:

 

17 Jul 2007 – further debate at the Agriculture Committee
12 Sep 2007 – hearing of experts at the Agriculture Committee
Jan 2008 –  vote on European Parliament draft report at the Agriculture Committee
Feb 2008 –  vote on European Parliament report in plenary session

See here for what happened at last week's plenary session.