During a recent meeting of the table grape contact group, composed of producers and marketers from Italy, France, and Spain, the proposed regulations by the European Commission on the sustainable use of phytosanitary products, packaging, and packaging waste were rejected.
The European grape producers argued that these regulations would have negative consequences for European production without proper impact studies. They expressed concerns about the potential harm these regulations could cause to their ability to effectively protect crops from pests and diseases, as the proposed Regulation on the sustainable use of phytosanitary products would drastically reduce their access to essential tools and methods.
Furthermore, the proposal for a Regulation on packaging and packaging waste was not accepted either. The producers highlighted that this regulation would hinder the ability to differentiate European production by imposing restrictions on the marketing of fruit and vegetables in packages weighing less than 1.5 kilograms, requiring them to be sold in bulk. In light of the discussions held, the contact group announced that Spain intends to maintain a similar cultivated area for grapes in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, Italy is projected to experience an 8% decrease in grape cultivation during the upcoming campaign. This decision reflects the concerns raised by the producers regarding the potential impact of the rejected regulations on their operations.
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11 May 2023
