EU reaches provisional deal on new wine package to support struggling sector 

EU – Members of the European Parliament and the European Council have reached a provisional agreement on a new wine package designed to strengthen the sector amid mounting economic and environmental pressures.  

The measures aim to modernise rules, support producers and improve market access, according to statements from EU institutions. 

The package follows months of negotiations after the European Commission proposed a series of policy reforms in March. One of the key updates concerns labelling rules for low- and no-alcohol wine products.  

Under the agreement, wines containing no more than 0.05% alcohol by volume may be labelled “alcohol-free” alongside the “0.0%” designation.  

Products with alcohol content at 0.5% or higher, and at least 30% lower than the standard level for their category before de-alcoholisation, may use the term “alcohol reduced.” 

The European Parliament’s agriculture committee had previously endorsed the use of “reduced alcohol” for wines at around 6% abv. The general minimum alcohol level for wines in the EU is approximately 8.5% abv. 

Beyond labelling reforms, the updated policy framework sets out environmental support measures intended to help winegrowers respond to climate-related challenges.  

Producers affected by severe natural disasters, extreme weather, plant diseases or harmful pests will be eligible for an additional year to plant or replant damaged vineyards. 

Negotiators have also agreed that EU funding may be allocated to grubbing-up initiatives, while payments for wine distillation and green harvesting will be capped at 25% of each member state’s total wine-sector budget. 

The agreement comes as member states contend with a growing surplus of wine. France recently announced €130m (US$150m) in support for a national grubbing-up programme targeting oversupply.  

The country has also urged the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food to activate the crisis reserve to help finance the “crisis distillation of non-marketable overstocks”, particularly in cooperative wineries.  

Germany has similarly called for wider adoption of vineyard removal schemes across the bloc. 

The preliminary deal additionally includes measures to bolster promotion efforts in non-EU markets and streamline labelling requirements within the Union.  

The Danish minister for food, agriculture and fisheries, Jacob Jensen, said the agreement would help producers innovate and compete internationally while protecting rural economies and maintaining product standards. 

European wine trade association Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins welcomed the package, noting that provisions on promotion, investment and wine tourism respond to longstanding demands for market-oriented tools.  

However, the group reiterated its opposition to the use of EU funds for vine uprooting and criticised the approval of the “alcohol reduced” descriptor on certain de-alcoholised wines, arguing that it could compromise legal clarity. 

The agreement must still be formally approved by both Parliament and Council before entering into EU law. 

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