Storm brews over rules on wine exports

Date: 16/05/1996

By Tim Jones

THE European Commission looks set to spark a storm by overturning a four-year-old judgement against Spain for blocking the export of wine in bulk to northern Europe.

With only the Dutch, Belgian and Swedish Commissioners opposed to the idea of allowing the Spanish authorities to force wine producers to bottle high-quality Rioja wine prior to export, the full college was expected to approve the move at its meeting today (15 May).

The U-turn is bound to upset retailers and consumer groups.

Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize filed a complaint with the Commission in 1990 after the regional government of Rioja banned the export of unbottled quality-certified wine by tanker lorry.

While the Commission agreed in 1992 that Spain had contravened the Treaty of Rome by hindering the freedom of movement of goods within the EU, it now feels times have changed.

More sophisticated consumer tastes, which increasingly require wines with well-known names and quality certificates to be bottled in the region, and the failure of member states to agree tighter inspection standards have led the Commission to change its views.

This will come as a blow to the Belgian government, which is fighting a legal battle with Spain over its failure to uphold Delhaize's complaint.

The Commissioners who oppose the move claim that improved inspection standards could safeguard quality while keeping wine prices low.