At the meeting, he reported on the work carried out by the Ministry with the collaboration of the wine sector organisations to request additional funds from the European Commission to enable extraordinary support measures to be implemented for the sector in 2021.
To this end, Spain led the work for the presentation of a joint declaration at the Council of Agriculture Ministers last March, which initially won the support of 14 Member States and others, including Germany, during the Council.
In response, the Commission undertook to examine the existing budgetary margins, which means that this point will be discussed again at the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 26 and 27 April.
In addition, during the meeting with the sector's representatives, the state and situation of this production was analysed, noting the difficulties it has experienced and continues to experience as a result of the crisis arising from COVID-19.
Thus, according to the MAPA, it was found that the market situation in Spain is marked by a wine and must production of 46.70 Mhl, 24% higher than last year's 2019/20 campaign and 11% above the average of the last four campaigns.
With regard to total wine and must outlets on the market, the MAPA points out that, although they are lower than in previous years due to the pandemic, exports are performing well. In fact, the volume exported in the first six months of the campaign (August 2020-January 2021) is 1% higher than in the 2019/20 campaign and is also 5% higher than in the same period of the previous 2018/2019 campaign.
On the other hand, this increase has not occurred in export value, which has been lower in relation to the same periods.
One of the main objectives of the meeting between the sector and MAPA was to make progress in the discussions on the design of tools for the rebalancing of the wine market in the medium and long term, mainly through the implementation of a marketing standard.
This standard, according to the Department, should enable progress to be made in the self-regulation of supply, in accordance with the possibilities offered by Community and national regulations in this area.
Specifically, the MAPA adds, points of view were exchanged on the possibility of reducing production yields and/or withdrawals of produce by the sector itself, in accordance with the initiatives put forward by the Ministry in 2019 based on a proposal from the interprofessional organisation (OIVE).
In this regard, a review was given of some of the measures already adopted in 2020, such as the limitation of yields per hectare for all plots of wine grapes, the possibility of applying an increase in the volume of alcohol that must be contained in by-products and the implementation of a self-regulation measure by the Agrifood Cooperatives of Castilla La Mancha.
Finally, the important role of the National Support Programme for the Wine Sector (PASVE) as a tool to increase competitiveness in the new scenario of the future PAC was discussed, and the main aspects of the PAC reform for this sector were also reported on.
