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European Federation of Origin Wines

EFOW

EFOW represents wines with protected geographic origin labels at the European Union level.

Lobbying Activity

EFOW urges EU health plan to distinguish moderate wine consumption

15 Sept 2025
Topic — This consultation seeks feedback on the upcoming European Plan for Cardiovascular Health.
Message — EFOW requests that the plan explicitly distinguish between moderate and excessive consumption. It should focus on harmful alcohol use to avoid overly broad messaging. Additionally, the plan must acknowledge the cultural and scientific specificity of wine.123
Why — This distinction protects the wine industry from broad regulations and maintains its cultural status.45
Impact — Health advocates lose if the plan downplays the risks of lower-level alcohol consumption.67
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Meeting with Eric Sargiacomo (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

8 Sept 2025 · Vin

Meeting with Valérie Hayer (Member of the European Parliament)

14 May 2025 · wine

Meeting with Elena Panichi (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development), Mauro Poinelli (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development) and

24 Mar 2025 · EU-US Wine Dialogue – Industry session

Meeting with Luis Carazo Jimenez (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development) and Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins

5 Feb 2025 · Preparation of the meeting of the EU-US Wine Dialogue on 24 March 2025

Meeting with Marko Vešligaj (Member of the European Parliament) and Organisation pour un réseau international d’indications géographiques

16 Jan 2025 · European agriculture - MERCOSOUR agreement, geographical indicators and professional farmer challenges

Meeting with Stefano Cavedagna (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jan 2025 · Introductory meeting with the President of EFOW

Meeting with Mauro Poinelli (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development)

16 Jan 2025 · Exchange of views on the follow-up to the High-Level Group on the future of the EU wine sector(HLG)

Meeting with Stefano Bonaccini (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Jan 2025 · Meeting with EFOW

Response to Extension of the application period for obtaining a replanting authorisation after the grubbing-up of a vineyard

7 Jan 2025

EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines (www.efow.eu), welcomes the proposed Delegated Act, which provides operators with additional time to carry out replanting. This extension is crucial not only for promoting biodiversity but also for implementing essential climate change adaptation measures. In the long term we recommend extending the replanting deadline to 8 years, offering greater flexibility for winegrowers to manage their production potential effectively while also contributing to healthier vineyard soils. This measure should be co-financed at 80% through CAP wine programmes to maximise its impact.
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Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Dec 2024 · Avenir du secteur viticole européen

Meeting with Tomas Baert (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen) and European farmers and

3 Dec 2024 · Trade tensions - strategic thinking for agri-food trade

Meeting with Christine Schneider (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2024 · Wine

Meeting with Gilles Pennelle (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · Enjeux et avenir des vins sous Indication Géographique

Meeting with Elisabetta Gualmini (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · AGRI committee

Meeting with Valérie Hayer (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Sept 2024 · Protected Denominations of Origin

Meeting with Eric Sargiacomo (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Jul 2024 · Intergroupe vin

Meeting with Anne Sander (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Insight Consulting SRL

20 Sept 2023 · GI reform

Meeting with Irène Tolleret (Member of the European Parliament) and YARA BELGIUM S.A. and

1 Mar 2023 · Politique agricole commune

Meeting with Elena Lizzi (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Confédération Européenne des Vignerons Indépendants

15 Feb 2023 · Geographical indication reform

Meeting with Irène Tolleret (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

8 Feb 2023 · Indications géographiques

Meeting with Álvaro Amaro (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins

8 Feb 2023 · A reforma das Indicações Geográficas - setor do vinho

Meeting with Arnaud Danjean (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion)

11 Oct 2022 · Réunion préparatoire Indications géographiques

Meeting with Mazaly Aguilar (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Oct 2022 · Geographical Indications

Meeting with Álvaro Amaro (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

27 Sept 2022 · A reforma das Indicações Geográficas - setor do vinho

Meeting with Martin Häusling (Member of the European Parliament) and Deutscher Weinbauverband e.V.

5 Jul 2022 · Teilnahme am Empfang zur gemeinsamen EFOW/DWV-Veranstaltung zur Reform des Geoschutzes und zum Thema Nachhaltigkeit in den geschützten Herkunftsbezeichnungen

Response to Brain drain communication

20 Jun 2022

Brain drain, the loss of a qualified people - often young and educated workforce - is an important challenge for local communities throughout the European Union. This is particularly true in rural areas, especially less-favoured or remote areas where qualified jobs can be scarce. Over generations, across the EU, people have been producing wines with a geographical indication (GI). GI wines are linked to the products' geographical origin and the producers' know-how. They identify a good as originating in a specific place, the terroir, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristics are essentially attributable to its geographical origin. As such, GIs are part of the EU's cultural heritage and contribute to the social and environmental sustainability of the economy. It has been clearly demonstrated that GI wines bring considerable benefit to the rural economy, by creating different types of jobs directly and indirectly in the territories concerned. Many of these GI wines are ambassadors of the quality tradition and culture of Europe. They are produced, in accordance with a specific savoir-faire that requires specific skills, they need qualified workers to manage their production, marketing and sales strategy in the EU and beyond. GI wines also bring added value to producers that can offer interesting jobs and a higher standard of living. In fact, GI wines contribute to and bring together the primary (production), secondary (processing) and tertiary (tourism) sectors.   Given that there is a link between brain drain and population decline in rural areas, it seems clear that part of the solution lies in revaluing the countryside and the opportunities it offers. In fact, promoting rural jobs and growth must go through a strong valorisation of the agricultural production of quality food. As GI wines contribute largely to the development of a specific area and attract tourism, they dissuade citizens from leaving and give them reasons to stay or to come to these regions. In fact, numerous GI wines are actively working on promoting and facilitating generational renewal and sensitising the population of their territories to raise awareness on the importance of their local products and the potential they offer.  GIs also help to bring back the rural population when a new GI is recognised as the rural territory becomes more attractive for tourism and creates new jobs opportunities. Like many products, GI wines face challenges to respond to economic and climatic events and are in need of qualified workforce to overcome these challenges. Without GI wines and without a network of GIs throughout the EU, there will be no activity in certain territories. GIs have shown that they are essential, particularly to combat brain drain. They are synonymous with a qualified workforce in high demand, are a bulwark against the standardisation of European agriculture, help maintain local biodiversity, create a form of GI tourism in rural areas. Strengthening the GI policy at European level is therefore essential to allow GIs to continue to bring benefits to disadvantaged areas of the EU and to solve problems in regions suffering from population decline. In short, GI wines are a tool for attracting/maintaining the population in rural areas, a source of biodiversity, shape the landscape and are a tool which promote the area's cultural heritage.   
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Meeting with Álvaro Amaro (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

15 Jun 2022 · A reforma das Indicações Geográficas - setor do vinho

Response to Revision of the EU geographical indications(GI) systems in agricultural products and foodstuffs, wines and spirit drinks

13 Jun 2022

Please find enclosed a document summarising the position of EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines, regarding the GI review.
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Meeting with Janusz Wojciechowski (Commissioner) and

27 Jan 2022 · 2022 Annual Work Programme of the EU Promotion Policy

Meeting with Christiane Kirketerp De Viron (Cabinet of Commissioner Johannes Hahn) and European agri-cooperatives and

14 Dec 2021 · Agricultural Promotion Policy

Response to Sustainable food system – setting up an EU framework

25 Oct 2021

EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines (www.efow.eu), is the Brussels-based organisation representing Geographical Indication (GI) wines towards European institutions. As the voice of origin wines, our mission is to protect and promote the GI concept in all policy areas. A recent study published by the European Commission on 20 April 2020, entitled « Study on economic value of EU quality schemes, geographical indications (GIs) and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSGs) », estimates the sales value of GIs at €74.8 billion, GI wines accounting for 51% of this value (€39.42 billion). The value of whole exports of GI products accounted for €31.42 billion (42% of the sales) and GI wines represented the most important product in terms of extra-EU trade (50%). Wine is nowadays the EU's most traded agricultural product and greatly contributes to the positive image and reputation of European products. These positive results can be attributed to the fact that the European Union is the world leader in agricultural quality products and sustainable rural development and has long understood the benefits of GIs certification and controls. The EU wine sector is characterised by the high number of GIs and this aspect differentiates it from third countries wine production. Over 70% percent of wine production in the EU is under a quality sign. These wines are the envy of numerous operators around the world which try to free-ride on the reputation and recognition build over generations by winegrowers and copy/counterfeit them. A GI lives by its' distinctiveness, reputation and recognition. Once these are jeopardised the livelihood of winegrowers and operators in the geographical rural area is put at risk. EFOW would like to take this opportunity to stress that GIs nowadays already ensure higher standards than non-GI products. In fact, GIs are guarantees of origin, production methods, organoleptic properties, to name a few, via the certification and the controls of the product specification. Moreover, by their very nature and their historic and unique economic, social and environmental contributions to many EU regions, GIs wines already answer to a large extent to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. EFOW believes that more can and should be done on the sustainability front to answer growing consumer demands and to protect the GI wine's sector landscapes, traditions and specific biodiversity (i.e. numerous GI wines use local and unique varieties). Nevertheless, our sector considers that a sectoral level approach is needed to raise to the challenge. We think it is unrealistic to have an overarching cross-sectoral sustainability initiative as the actors and the products in the EU food chain are too diverse in their nature and consumption patterns. Moreover, a unique system certifying agricultural GI products as well as all processed and ultra-processed products will jeopardise on the long run the GI system build and exported worldwide by the EU. To create such an overarching certification scheme too many exceptions will be needed; so its credibility will be undermined. The European Commission should seize the upcoming/ongoing review of the Geographical Indications system to reflect on sustainability in the GI sector. Today, numerous sustainability initiatives are developed by GI wines giving path to a myriad of different certification schemes and understanding of sustainability. The GI wine sector would benefit from a common approach be it at national or European level. More should be done on this front to ensure that sustainability in the GI wine sector can be better communicate to consumers and help the sector efficiently contribute to the objectives of the EU Green Deal. To this end, we believe option 3 – reinforcing existing legislation - is the best way to ensure the transition to a greener and fairer economy.
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Origin wine group EFOW opposes redundant labelling legislation

16 Jul 2021
Topic — The EU is reviewing mandatory ingredient and nutrition labelling for alcoholic drinks.
Message — EFOW argues that existing CAP reform rules already cover wine labelling requirements. They claim that additional legislation would be unnecessary and redundant for the sector.12
Why — Producers can avoid the cost and complexity of printing full ingredient lists on bottles.34
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Response to Information and promotion measures for agricultural and food products in the internal market and in non-EU countries

8 Mar 2021

EFOW believes the EU agricultural promotion policy has been successful in implementing its goals and should continue to support the promotion of GI wine. Nevertheless, our members consider that some changes should be made to allow the Geographical Indication wine sector to make better use of the EU promotion tools: 1. The budget allocated to the EU agricultural promotion policy should be increased 2. GI wines should be able to carry out information campaigns in the Single market alone without having to be associated with another agricultural or food product. There are substantial differences between GI wines and GI foodstuff. The wine sector should be allowed to display its specificities on the internal market. This would allow a cluster of GI wines to work together on the internal market. This is neither possible in the EU agricultural policy nor under Wine National Support Programmes. 3. EU promotion programmes should support information and promotion campaigns targeting specifically oenotouristic activities. Agrotourism can play a vital role in the promotion of GI products as it allows tourists to discover on-site the unique link that exist between a territory and the history, savoir-faire and quality of a product and sector. 4. The EU should reinforce the promotion of the GI concept towards consumers, in particular in the EU. This could be done through own-initiative programmes launched by the EC with significant funding in order to have a real impact on the market. 5. The EU should create a special envelope which may be activated to support sectors that are unduly hit by international retaliatory measures and/or specific disasters or pandemia. 6. The EC should consider the possibility of launching two calls for proposals during the reference financial year. You will find a more detailed position paper in the document attached to this reply
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Response to Revision of the EU geographical indications(GI) systems in agricultural products and foodstuffs, wines and spirit drinks

23 Nov 2020

EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines (www.efow.eu), is the Brussels-based organisation representing Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) wines towards European institutions. The EU is the world’s leading producer of wine at more than 160 million hl, representing over 60% of world production. Nowadays, there are approximately 3.2 million ha of area under vines (45% of the world’s total) and 2.5 million agricultural holdings grow vines. Moreover, up to 83% of the EU vine area is dedicated to the production of GI wines. One could say that without GI wines there is no European viticulture. European wine was by far the largest EU agricultural export, this data will need to be reassessed following the COVID-19 crisis. EFOW welcomes the Commission’s roadmap on the EU’s food quality scheme. The EU is a renowned leader in the production of quality products. This positioning has helped shape and maintain sustainable rural areas. The on-going reform of the Common Agricultural Policy reinforces a number of tools for the GI sector and EFOW calls on the European Commission to support these innovative elements. EFOW considers that the European Commission to strive to further help GI wines in their sustainability efforts in the framework of the Farm to Fork Strategy. To do so, EFOW considers that the following issues should be taken on board by the European Commission: 1. Allowing GI wine producers to respond to growing societal demands for sustainable wines 2. Strengthening GI governing bodies 3. Improving GI protection
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Meeting with Janusz Wojciechowski (Commissioner) and

2 Mar 2020 · Concerns about GI wine sector

Meeting with Cristina Rueda Catry (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

19 Feb 2020 · EU/US trade

Response to Evaluation of Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed protected in the EU

21 May 2019

EFOW, the European Federation of Origine Wines, welcomes this European Commission's initiative that will contribute to improving the understanding and knowledge of the important contribution of GIs to the EU economy. The aim of this evaluation should be to measure as precisely as possible the added-value and effectiveness of GI protection in the EU, in particular the role that GIs play in many region across the EU where there is often little alternative to GI production. With regard to the roadmap proposed, EFOW considers that the scope and objective of this evaluation should be extended, so that it can: - provide a good overview of the implementation of GI controls in the Member States and provide solutions to improve them to ensure a high level of GI protection. - analyse the way GI producer groups are structured in the different Member States, how their work, what are their roles and missions - include in its scope GIs that are protected via bilateral agreements
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Meeting with Jerzy Bogdan Plewa (Director-General Agriculture and Rural Development) and Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins and

5 Jul 2018 · Exchange of view on wine market

Meeting with Nathalie Chaze (Cabinet of Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis) and European farmers and

10 Apr 2018 · Alcohol labelling

Meeting with Vytenis Andriukaitis (Commissioner) and

12 Mar 2018 · Alcohol labelling

Response to Evaluation of the CAP measures applicable to the wine sector

6 Dec 2017

EFOW, the European Federation of Origin Wines (www.efow.eu), believes the European Commission evaluation of the CAP measures applicable to the wine sector should focus on the main EU wine producing countries as they are currently the major beneficiaries of the measures and are competing on the international stage with other wine producing countries. The evaluation should also study one or two small EU wine producing countries to understand how they may develop their production and the challenges they are facing. If the European Commission wishes to evaluate specific wine regions it should concentrate its study on different wine regions taking into account different elements such as Geaographical Indication reputation, value output, quantitative production, employment and existence of other crops in order to understand the existing wine production models in the EU. The evaluation should focus on the following measures in order to determine their benefits to EU wine producers: o The vine authorisation system o The promotion measure in the National Support Programmes o The restructuring and conversion measure in the National Support Programmes o The investment measure in the National Support Programmes o The innovation measure in National Support Programmes o The use of the direct payments in the National Support Programmes, if any o The development of GIs since the last reform of the wine sector Considering the economic and social contribution of the EU wine sector in many regions across the EU, EFOW considers that the evaluation should seek to measure the impact of the CAP measures applicable to the wine sector to the local economy as a whole in the different regions that will be covered by the study.
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Meeting with Jerzy Bogdan Plewa (Director-General Agriculture and Rural Development)

2 Mar 2017 · exchange of view EU GI wine sector

Meeting with Günther Oettinger (Commissioner)

30 Mar 2015 · Protection of geographical vidications online

Meeting with Cristina Rueda Catry (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)

4 Mar 2015 · ICANN, Geographical Indications, protection and bilateral agreement, labelling and promotion